Hyundai Tucson
We have had this Tucson for nearly a year now and before that we had the pre-facelift model also for nearly a year and I have come to realise that this is just about the ideal sized vehicle for India. Big enough for the highway trips and long journeys as well as for accommodating five and luggage while at the same time it is not too big for the smaller India cities. The feature list is also good although the vehicle is now showing its age and is missing some of the newer gadgetry that has come in on vehicles slotted a couple of segments below it as well. However, this is a global car that does well in many developed markets around the world. It is well built and feels more like the European cars of yore than a Korean car and that’s what makes it much more desirable than the better equipped newer cars that are out there now. If you compare it to its stablemate, it is upto 400kg or rather over 30 per cent heavier than the Creta without being 30 per cent bigger in size. The drivetrain now is one of the best in the business with a good mix of power and efficiency now with the 8-speed gearbox as well as smoothness. Although over the period the car has been with us we have managed to average under 14kmpl that is also because sedate driving is not what comes naturally to us. On a couple of long city drives with clear roads but Delhi speed limits, I have seen fuel efficiency creep up to over 18kmpl and
THIS IS JUST ABOUT THE IDEAL SIZED VEHICLE FOR INDIA - BIG ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE FIVE AND LUGGAGE, BUT NOT TOO BIG FOR THE SMALLER INDIA CITIES
I have got as high as 15.6kmpl on inter-city travel. I especially like the comprehensive trip computer and the while the infotainment system is feature rich it is also showing its age, though there is nothing wrong with its functionality and I particularly like that it has a good mix of knobs and buttons for controlling it. The steering wheel controls are also top notch and so are the numerous storage spaces that the Tucson has. While ride is on the stiffer side with the 18in wheels, the Tucson handles well and is good over bad surfaces at higher speeds. The seats are very good and I love that the rear seat back is 60:40 split and can be separately reclined or folded flat, as required. There is no place to put the rolled-up luggage compartment cover though and that has to be left behind on trips with lots of luggage. Overall, this is a really good all round car with some capability and the assurance of actual AWD in addition to all the modern electronics. Its feature list compares with cars that are much more expensive while its build quality is also right up there with the best. The Tucson will be very difficult to replace in our long term fleet.