Hyundai Tucson : Official Review

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

The Hyundai Tucson is on sale in India at a price of between Rs. 18.99 - 25.00 lakhs (ex-Delhi).

Brilliant review Akshay and just like any other 'Official TBHP Review', the plethora of info/details is mind boggling

Hyundai have really flourished in India in the last decade and have always delivered some of the most competitive global products. However, I still feel they demand a lot more premium than the competition always, which is a bit of a dampener. Its not like they excel in one thing to justify this ask, almost like the proverbial 'Jack of all and Master of none' sorts.

Tucson really looks massive on road, yet not quite intimidating like the full blown SUVs like the Fortuner or the Endeavour, I think this is what I just love about this machine.

Brilliant review once again and rated a full 5*.

[Dr.Naren]

Excellent review Akshay

Regarding the LED vs Halogen output pics, LED looks marginally better. But it is nowhere close to a good after market Bixenon Projector.

[chennai-indian]

Looks nice but for the price, I would go for the Ford Endevour which is a better SUV in all aspects than this one.

[kadanaJ]

Originally Posted by amolathalye

Hi ,

Agreed Hyundai has come a long way in all other departments but why they are still not getting the right feel in the steering. Is it technically so difficult to get it right ? what components/parts or design makes the difference in the feel of the steering. Where Hyundai designers are lacking ? Can someone pinpoint/demystify exactly what is going wrong with them ? All the fun disappears and driver looses confidence if steering doesn't feel right.

Regards
Amol

I think it might be intentional. I have friend's who are Hyundai owners and they love the light steering. They say it's light and effortless in the city, and like the fact that the entire steering can be turned with one finger.

Have a friend who used to own a Civic, hated it because of that amazing (in my opinion, at least) hydraulic steering. Replaced it with the Fluidic Verna and she's been extremely happy ever since. Interestingly enough, most of the people I know who love the Hyundai steering are all women. Go figure!

It may not be a good thing for us enthusiasts, but Hyundai clearly understands the market. Now if only the market understood what good steering feel is

[ach1lles]

Thanks Akshay1234 and Omkar, I've been waiting for this for a while. What took you guys so long? As usual, the review was spot on with details and observations, as is the hallmark for Team-BHP.

I've used the car for more than 5000 kms now and even I found out a couple of things I didn't figure out myself yet. Also, thanks for the shoutout.

The car has given me no cause for complaints, it continues to run niggle and rattle free, as I hope it continues to. Rattle free is impressive as I really travel atrocious roads almost everyday. they've been under construction for the last month and that makes them even worse. I've done precisely 2 things except the regular cleaning of the car till now:

1. Clean the air filter, as recommended by the service head at the dealership. It was surprising how much dirt came out of that thing! Though considering the local conditions, that's logical.

2. Fill the wiper fluid reservoir. Once.

Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase, and the drive really gets me smiling on open roads every single time. That diesel really pulls.

[amolathalye]

Hi KadanaJ,

Being heavy or light in one thing. I have one Grand i10 , it's steering constantly needs correction while driving , never feels right at center and changing direction at even low speeds ( as low as 40 km/hr) is not great. I don't think they are doing this intentionally. I always feel if they get the steering thing right at least 50% closer to my Fiesta classic's steering feel then Hyundai cars will have almost everything going right for them.

Originally Posted by chennai-indian

Looks nice but for the price, I would go for the Ford Endevour which is a better SUV in all aspects than this one.

Hi ,

Yes but the Endy is too huge in size and can be a nightmare for city drives. Tucson on the other hand can be comfortable in both the worlds.

The car looks good but I have to say this: the price point at which it has been launched, it makes me judge the car on the price point.

25 lakhs for this?!

I spoke about it with some people and I'm still not convinced: if I were to spend 25 lakhs, why would I not get an Endy or even stretch to a Fortuner. And if my budget did not permit stretching, even a Hexa.

What I'm getting down to is: what is the USP of the Tucson that makes me spend 25 lakhs for it. Sure, size is one since a two-row vs three-row is bound to throw up some points. But is it enough? At some point, a prospective customer is bound to think of the "value" that those 25 lakhs get them.

As rubbish as this sounds, Tucson seems like 70% of an i20 at 30% the price.

regards
Amol

[mjumrani]

Great review.

Tucson has its own market, people who don't want bulky SUV's or have owned a bulky SUV earlier and want a no frill fully loaded small crossover. I see quite a few Tucson's in Bangalore.

[RSR]

Great 5* review! Though it takes time to get published, I truly appreciate all the hard work that goes into each & every official review!

The Tucson is a very impressive offering from Hyundai, and fills the space between Creta and Santa Fe beautifully. Did I mention the word beautiful? It sure looks awesome on the road. Unlike the excessively toned down styling of the new Elantra (& Sonata), the Tucson is an example of "Fluidic 2.0" styling done just right. Kudos! It's the interiors that happen to be excessively toned down, and could certainly do with some more flair & flourish.

In India, most people are anyway going to buy the brilliant 2.0 R-series CRDi in a vehicle like the Tucson, so Hyundai may not have felt the need to bring in the 1.6 Turbo-GDI petrol. The Elantra's 2.0 Nu is a decent choice for those who want a lower priced petrol. It's good that they've stuck to the 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox on the Indian Tucson.

the Tucson feels very stable at higher speeds. Of course, the vague steering is a fly in the ointment, but you don't realize the speeds you are doing. In a way, it reminded me of the Elantra which had a competent suspension setup. Hyundai has indeed come a long way. The Tucson isn't bouncy even at higher speeds! The handling is predictable, while body roll is well-controlled through the corners. Curves taken at higher speeds won't make passengers uncomfortable. Further, the 225/55 Nexen tyres provide sufficient grip and even quick lane changes are predictable.

The above paragraph might have come as a severe shock to some people at least! But it's absolutely no surprise at all to someone who has been observing all their launches starting with the Grand i10.

What I cannot understand is the step-parental treatment dished out by Hyundai to the 6-speed MTs on the Tucson and Elantra (& Santa Fe). Sadly, one cannot buy a manual Elantra, Tucson or Santa Fe with 6 airbags, while one cannot buy an automatic Creta or i20 with 6 airbags. It's very stupid of Hyundai to make such baffling choices with the MT & AT variants. They should just leave it to the customer to choose!

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by amolathalye

Hi ,

Agreed Hyundai has come a long way in all other departments but why they are still not getting the right feel in the steering. Is it technically so difficult to get it right ? what components/parts or design makes the difference in the feel of the steering. Where Hyundai designers are lacking ? Can someone pinpoint/demystify exactly what is going wrong with them ? All the fun disappears and driver looses confidence if steering doesn't feel right.

Regards
Amol

Have to admit, the mass market wants 'efficient' and 'ultra light' steering. Masses do not care too much for 'heavy', 'feel some' hydraulic systems.

Car makers are dishing out exactly what the mass market wants.

It is not that Hyundai does not know how to do a sporty steering. Rather, I would say, they do not want to do this.
A company which is among the best selling manufacturers world wide, and has designed everything from petrol to diesels themselves, dont know how to calibrate a steering? I can't buy this argument.

[Hells Bells]

Loved the review and was awaiting this one for a long time. I had TDed the top end diesel and agree to your observations around the driving characteristics. The gear box felt a bit lazy as was expected from a torque convertor but overall, I liked the sense of refinement.

I also believe that for someone who wants a softroader but with the necessary bells and whistles, Tucson is still the best bet. I have driven the Endy and I do not wish to own it on the crowded roads of Bangalore. One can't buy a SUV like one buys a house - more money should mean more acreage

Between the right kind of engine punch, features and space, Tucson still fills in an empty space in Indian market. However, I feel it lacks the all-too-important sunroof which is so dear to Indians irrespective of its utility. And I do not wish to pay another 2L only for that as and when they launch the AWD variant later this year.

[streetfighter]

Brilliant review... loved the narration and the pics... amazing detail and pin-point observation... loved it

Hyundai should take some steps to address the issue of dismal sale of the Tucson by doing a price correction without any delay, otherwise the product is going to bomb for sure. I'd like to see the Tucson in 4x4 along with Panoramic sunroof and the colour Aria Blue (Elantra is sold in Marina Blue) at a decent price or am I asking too much Hyundai
There is definitely a market for a vehicle slotted between the full blown SUVs (Endy/Fortuner) and softroaders. Hyundai has a good product, they need to fine tune and adjust to the market needs sooner than later. Hope someone from Hyundai will read this

[supertinu]

Thanks for the lovely detailed review. Been waiting for this one.

Ignoring the price point for a second, I think this is the best balance of an Urban SUV. It has space, road presence, power, features, highway cruising. When I got XUV my main criteria was that I wanted a spacious 5 seater plus all the other features mentioned above. Need for 7 seater in most families is good to have as is the case with mine. In 2 years of ownership I have used it 4 times within city which I could have managed with 2nd car also.

Only deterrence is the price in my view which is not exactly vfm. But given how CReta is priced and still a big hit, the delta over that for a Tucson maybe does make sense.

[abhishek46]

The public mood seems to be suggesting that the Endy beats the Tucson in all aspects.

That may not be true.
The Tucson weighs almost half a ton less than the Endy.
But, it has more power than the 2.2 Endy, while slightly down on power compared to 3.2 Endy.

Theoretically, it's performance & Handling should be much better than the Endy.
If someone has driven both of these machines, they can share the real facts.

Where the Endy scores big time though, is in sheer size, space and presence.

[sj_koova]

First of all, thanks for all the effort you put in. I loved the attention to detail in this review. You have done full justice to the attention Hyundai has done for this car.
I did 3 test drives and was all set to book if the dealer matched a discount I had in mind. I am still half way there, but will wait for the AWD and may be the Jeep Compass.

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Theoretically, it's performance & Handling should be much better than the Endy.
If someone has driven both of these machines, they can share the real facts.

Where the Endy scores big time though, is in sheer size, space and presence.

I have driven both and can confidently say Tucson feels a lot better in terms of performance and refinement. Handling is more of car-like because it is a crossover. Steering and brake pedal feel is way inferior compared to Endy.

[itwasntme]

Excellent review. We would have seriously considered the Tucson diesel but feel the price is 2-3 lakhs higher only because they need to avoid cannibalizing the Creta top models.

It makes our fully loaded 2016 20 lakh Octavia TSi Style+ look really really VFM by comparison :-)