Hyundai Tucson
After a brief absence from our long term fleet the Hyundai Tucson returned in July. Halfway through the month, I swapped the Creta for its elder sibling primarily for a shoot but I have managed to hold on to its keys since. The first few kilometres behind the wheel were enough to remind me why I’ve always liked the SUV. Its soft-roader appearance and pricing that errs on the expensive side are to blame for buyers looking past it perhaps. Or maybe buyers are unwillingly to spend around Rs 30 lakh on a Hyundai. For me, though, the Tucson is the one to pick for someone looking for an SUV in that price range. Its punchy diesel engine and that 8-speed automatic work quite well be it in the city or out on the highway. As Yogendra has pointed out in previous reports, ride quality and general occupant comfort levels are impressive and, for its size, the Tucson diesel has posted great fuel efficiency figures too. I have been driving with a heavy foot and either in Comfort or Sport mode, hence the 12.1kmpl figure. Space within the cabin is ample, and you get pretty much everything you’d expect in a car at this price point in terms of features. For occasional off-road excursions, the Tucson has you covered with its all-wheel-drive setup. In fact, driving the SUV along off-road trails for the aforementioned shoot was rather enjoyable, although its softer suspension setup did serve as a reminder that it is built with urban conditions in mind and that’s not a complaint by any measure considering in case of most owners even proper 4x4s spend most of their time on the tarmac and not off it. Handing the keys back to Yogendra will certainly not be easy and hopefully, I can hold on to the Tucson for a little longer.
THE FIRST FEW KILOMETRES BEHIND THE WHEEL WERE ENOUGH TO REMIND ME WHY I’VE ALWAYS LIKED THE TUCSON