[vimalkumarajith]

Took delivery of my Tucson today. I have a weekend trip planned from Bangalore to Vellore. I'm wavering in mind if I should take the new car on highway drive.

Owner's manual says, there is no special break-in needed. But there is also caution about maintaining a single speed for a long periods. I can’t quantify what that "long periods" would be.

Suggestions appreciated very much.





Cheers

[QuadraticAmoeba]

Originally Posted by vimalkumarajith

Took delivery of my Tucson today. I have a weekend trip planned from Bangalore to Vellore. I'm wavering in mind if I should take the new car on highway drive.
Cheers

Congrats! Since the manual doesn’t stop you, I would say go for it. It’s impossible to maintain a constant speed on our highways anyway. I did (and have been doing) 100-200 km trips regularly. Sometimes even just to drink coffee. The only “rule” I followed was not to raise the engine up very hard and keep speeds below 120. Both are easy for me since I am a steady and safe driver anyway.

[LONG_TOURER]

Originally Posted by vimalkumarajith

Hello Cyborg, I agree with you. But it's not about additional 30K. My concern is about overall buying experience and the way of doing business. I was promised billing multiple times before the price increase. Eventually delayed so much and billed very next day after price increase. In the process, the fun and excitement of buying this amazing car is killed.

Well, In my case they Billed my car on 31st December 2020 as there was news of Hyundai hiking the prices across all of their models. However i only took delivery on 9th January. Hope you are enjoying your ride as much as i am.

[sagwal]

Originally Posted by vimalkumarajith

Owner's manual says, there is no special break- n needed. But there is also caution about maintaining a single speed for a long periods. I can’t quantify what that "long periods" would be.

Suggestions appreciated very much.

Cheers

Do not drive your vehicle on Cruise control for long periods.
In India, this line has no meaning.

[Liverpool]

Originally Posted by vimalkumarajith

Owner's manual says, there is no special break-in needed. But there is also caution about maintaining a single speed for a long periods. I can’t quantify what that "long periods" would be.

Suggestions appreciated very much.

Cheers

Hi, this is nothing but the fact that a new engine needs time to properly set in. And a new engine will best set in if driven at various speeds rather than maintaining a steady speed over a lengthy period of time.

For example, if you're driving down the highway with/without cruise on, vary your speeds after a particular time interval. Hope this clarifies your doubt. Happy driving.

[ag408]

Congrats on the purchase

If billing is on Dec in all probability, your car is also of a 2020 make. Do check the VIN number to be sure

Originally Posted by LONG_TOURER

Well, In my case they Billed my car on 31st December 2020 as there was news of Hyundai hiking the prices across all of their models. However i only took delivery on 9th January. Hope you are enjoying your ride as much as i am.

[LONG_TOURER]

Originally Posted by ag408

Congrats on the purchase

If billing is on Dec in all probability, your car is also of a 2020 make. Do check the VIN number to be sure

That's right. My car is manufactured on 21.12.2020 as per the service hyundai website.

[QuadraticAmoeba]

Hi all, checking in with some updates. I'm writing this on a slow Sunday evening, so it is going to be long and meandering.

Did lots and lots of driving. The car is so enjoyable that we find ourselves driving long distances just for the sake of driving. One of the few silver linings in the coronavirus madness - I'm sure the days of Outer-Ring-Road-Bellandur jams are going to come back with a vengeance once we start going back to office.

A couple of notable trips:

I normally ignore Valentine's day and related things, you can hear me mumbling grumpily about Western-something-culture-something (I'm actually a romantic at heart, but I don't like crowded places and I'm quite lazy, so I prefer to stay at home for all this). This year, I thought of a cool idea. The day after V-Day (a Monday) was a holiday for my wife for some reason. I too put leave and we decided to have lunch. In Salem. No particular reason for the choice of venue, other than having it be about the right distance for a short day trip and with excellent roads.

We didn't take any pictures on the phone since we were enjoying the drive too much. We started off at about 7:30 in the morning. There was not much traffic out of Bangalore, thankfully. Stopped at Shoolagiri Coffee Day for some hot chocolate and a bio-break and set off for Salem. I saw a Thar in the parking lot and it later turned out to be owned by TBHPian Harish. Nice of him to send me a note about it.

It was a hot day and I normally keep the sunroof in the "glass visible but not open" state (not sure of the exact term). I thought it would get too hot but thanks to the powerful AC and the tinted glass of the sunroof, it was quite cool. We had a long and enjoyable drive to Salem.

Oooh - mountains!


I tend to be a lazy and cautious driver - preferring to engine brake and coast to gradually slow down (as opposed to so many who speed right up to behind a slow truck and then brake hard. I've always wondered why - you can see the truck a kilometre away and you know you have to slow down for it). I guess I would make an excellent electric car driver - I prefer to anticipate and ease off the accelerator rather than slam the brakes. There was only one section after Dharmapuri that was very slow due to road repair work going on, and the four lane highway became a two way highway for some time. Good thing that we were in no hurry and had no fixed timelines.

Empty roads:


All good things come to an end and we finally reached Salem by about 11:30 am. Not knowing anything about where to find good food, we headed to the Radisson - a five-star hotel is hopefully a safer bet. I guess we were very early since we were the only people in the restaurant. I did see another KA registered Tucson in the parking lot - hello neighbour!

After a nice lunch, it was time for a siesta. We left Salem at about 1 pm - my wife took over the driving duties while I was half awake and half asleep listening to my latest musical additions - Kaushiki Chakraborthy and Mahesh Kale singing some sublime Hindustani music. She has only been driving for a couple of months and her driving is now so much better that I can actually relax and focus on the music.

I took over at Krishnagiri when she was feeling a bit tired. I drove so smoothly that she fell asleep and didn't wake up until we were almost home. Well, that's what I thought, but it turned out that she was binge-watching some serial and so didn't sleep at all the previous night! Oh well, I shouldn't have asked - ignorance is bliss. There was some traffic as we got closer to Bangalore. The Attibele toll gate and the Electronics City toll gate were crowded as usual. I couldn't even complain about everyone else to my wife, who was fast asleep. That right there took away 20% of the joy of city driving. We reached home by about 4:30pm and that was it for the day.

Both of us enjoyed the drive - the car was extremely smooth and comfortable. Drove in normal (comfort) mode - overtaking was not an issue, floor the accelerator and the car just jumps ahead. My wife drove most of the way in Sport mode purely for the stiffer steering (she is not (yet?) a fast driver and pretty much sticks to the left lanes).



The second trip:

Last weekend, my parents had to attend a function in Madras. We didn't want to risk trains or flights, so decided to drive up and down from Bangalore. Of course, this is because I'm a dutiful son and has nothing at all to do with the fact that I like driving long trips (wink).

Thanks to kind T-BHPians, plotted the routes to and from with halts every 2-3 hours. Started off from my parents' home in north Bangalore at 5:30 am. Reached my home in east Bangalore and was ready to go after a short halt by around 6:30 am. The car was carrying a full 5-passenger load and a boot jam packed with luggage. Oh well, good that we bought a spacious car with a decent sized boot.



After ensuring that everyone was belted up (not so simple considering that the average age of the rear seat occupants was like 75), we started towards Krishnagiri.

Sunrise over Electronics City flyover:


Our first stop was at Sri Krishna Inn in Shoolagiri (I like it because the complex has clean toilets and ample parking), which we reached in about an hour. We found that the restaurant offered outdoor seating, and so promptly sat down to enjoy some nice dosas.



I was supposed to hand over the wheel to my wife, but I persuaded her to let me drive. We had a slow and steady journey to Arcot, with not much traffic anywhere. Stopped at Adyar Anand Bhavan at about 10:30 am for a coffee and a break.

Mostly empty roads to Arcot:


Coffee break at Arcot:


My wife took over the driving duties at this point. The Walajah segment had better roads than our last trip a couple of months back, but was still slow due to construction going on (and hence only half the lanes). Didn't see any major traffic jams all the way to our destination in central Madras. There was always traffic though, so our progress was slow.

Hyundai test mule - Alcazar?


Reached at about 1 pm.


Once in Madras, I melted due to the heat and humidity and basically did not feel like going anywhere. While the elders were off doing their function, we decided to take a day trip to Pondicherry.

We started at about 7 am and took the East Coast Road (following Google really). I did notice that the roads in Madras are pretty good but the traffic is scary. Way too many two and three wheelers, who drive at all possible angles and can jump out of anywhere. I didn't get that "big SUV" feeling at all. Next time, maybe we should buy a water tanker. I'm sure nobody would dare cut in front of that one and brake suddenly.

Beautiful East Coast Road:


Another picture of the ECR:


The drive was quite nice and we enjoyed the scenery. Naturally, good things don't last and we had a small accident. While slowing down for a barricade near the border, we got rear ended by a bike. No one got hurt, but the rear bumper was hit hard and broke on the left side. As usual, the bigger vehicle was to blame even though we were barely at 20-30 kmph and the bike hit us from behind. Still, I didn't want any trouble and so settled matters amicably.

My wife was upset but I didn't want her to stop driving because of this - I mean, accidents happen. She was driving slowly and no one got hurt. I made her continue driving so that we could put this behind us. We got to Pondicherry and wandered along the beach for a while.

I tried to sit down but my behind got roasted in a couple of seconds:


We drowned our sorrows in some excellent chocolate milkshake and had a light lunch at Café Rendezvous. I drove back until about Mamallapuram and then handed over the wheel to my wife to tackle the scary Madras traffic. She managed it quite well and we reached home by about 6:30pm, tired but happy with our trip.



I did notice many vehicles with no licence plate and most two wheelers with no helmets. I guess the Madras police are not as cash-strapped as Bangalore ones and don't enforce these things as zealously.



A few days went by and it was time to return home to Bangalore. Started off by about 5:45 am or so. I realized that I had forgotten to put diesel and so quickly searched in Google for the nearest Shell petrol pump. Filled her up and we got going. This time, we planned to go via the Chittoor / Old Madras Road route since we live in east Bangalore. Once again, many thanks to the T-BHPians who helped us out with routes, places to stop and even google map links.

The first part of our journey was to the Murugan Idly Shop near Kaveripakkam. The drive until this point was pleasant but full of traffic even though it was early in the morning. After some food and surprisingly strong coffee, we set out on the Chittoor route. The journey from Kaveripakkam to Ranipet and from there to the AP border was slow and steady. The roads were narrow and there was a lot of local two-wheeler traffic. It was like a city drive except that I live in Bangalore and haven't experienced anything this smooth in the last ten years or so.

Soon we hit the Zion church near the AP border. The roads changed at this point - they were empty and free but usually only one side was open. The segments were all in good shape and easy to drive on but the transitions were basically mud. Good thing the Tucson doesn't mind bad roads if you drive slowly. The best thing was that there was pretty much zero traffic. We soon hit Chittoor and then the road changed once again. Now it was a beautiful four or sometimes six laned road with almost zero traffic. My wife started to complain that I always make her drive in the city and never let her drive on these empty and nice roads. I managed to fend her off for a bit, grinning from ear to ear as we sailed through some lovely roads and entered Karnataka.



We stopped for some juice and coffee at Woody's, Mulbagal.


I was kicked out of the drivers seat and my wife took over. Drove smoothly and with not much traffic until we reached home. The only small traffic jam was at the exit of the hanging bridge to Old Madras Road, which was chaos as usual due to the Metro work.

Back to Karnataka:


We enjoyed the Chittoor route a lot (it is noticeably shorter and avoids the Hosur Road traffic too) and might use it again if we drive to Madras.

That's all for this update - 1500 km in 2-3 drives. Happy driving to all and stay safe.

Here is what the accumulated trip meter has to say:

[vimalkumarajith]

Originally Posted by Liverpool

Hi, this is nothing but the fact that a new engine needs time to properly set in. And a new engine will best set in if driven at various speeds rather than maintaining a steady speed over a lengthy period of time.

For example, if you're driving down the highway with/without cruise on, vary your speeds after a particular time interval. Hope this clarifies your doubt. Happy driving.

Have been away for a while due to work. Thanks for the advise on the break-in speed limits. Indeed it is not possible maintain same speed for a long time in our highways.

Did take her for a long drive. Enjoyed every bit of the drive.

BTW. Just got PPF + Ceramic coating done at Esperto Car Care. Shall post my review after couple of week.

[monish_m]

Lovely review and detailed post @QuadraticAmoeba.

I have been test driving few cars right from Jeep Compass to Innova to Safari, somehow each one of them have not tugged my heart and mind as much as the Tucson. Decided to go ahead with the Tucson. (in fact scheduled Tucson as the last as I have been the new global release)

Innova (first choice) lost its charm with the loss of the 2.8L engine and my son rejected it due to lack of a sunroof. Jeep compass drove well, ride quality was on the stiffer side but the backseat broke the deal. Safari had all the bells and whistles that I had wanted but somehow the howl that came by when I floored the accelerator wasn't to my liking.

Then came the Tucson and she blew me off with the frugal yet super powerful engine, the suspension was just how I had wished for, the bells and whistles were all available, the seating and spacing was perfect and we did a couple of test drives and went with the booking. Still wonder why it barely sells in India.

Thanks again for your review, read and re-read multiple times during the decision making process and am sure it is one of the understated all-rounders in that segment.

Will share more as I get the vehicle, delivery scheduled for April 3rd / 4th week.

PS: My first post on TeamBhp, quite thrilled with the approval that came few hours back.

[QuadraticAmoeba]

Originally Posted by monish_m

Lovely review and detailed post @QuadraticAmoeba.

Will share more as I get the vehicle, delivery scheduled for April 3rd / 4th week.

PS: My first post on TeamBhp, quite thrilled with the approval that came few hours back.

Thank you. Congratulations on joining Team BHP and also on booking a very nice car. What model and colour did you go for? Do write up some details of your “buy journey” once you get the car.

[monish_m]

Originally Posted by QuadraticAmoeba

Thank you. Congratulations on joining Team BHP and also on booking a very nice car. What model and colour did you go for? Do write up some details of your “buy journey” once you get the car.

Thanks for the welcome.

Have gone for the 4WD in White.

[monish_m]

Hello,

What additional accessories did the car need?

1) what car mats did you add?
2) any door scuff plates?
3) did you add any dashcam, any recommendations?

Thanks.

[aboveallkaran]

1) what car mats did you add?
2) any door scuff plates?
3) did you add any dashcam, any recommendations?

1. For the mats I am using the company provided ones (carpet mats) as I find them best among all the options available. Although they need extra care, but are plush.
2. I was searching for door scuff plates but couldnt find good quality ones. Only cheap looking flimsy ones were available on aliexpress (pre covid times). Enquired with local shops but none of them had any of them.
3. I am looking for a oem fit type dashcam with wires and everything in place (i.e. hidden) as I hate dangling wires. But still dint get any.

[QuadraticAmoeba]

Originally Posted by monish_m

What additional accessories did the car need?
1) what car mats did you add?
2) any door scuff plates?
3) did you add any dashcam, any recommendations?

The accessories I bought are:

- Jopasu Car duster: in combination with the PPF I have on the car, this makes dusting the car very easy.

- TUSA Tyre inflator: I use this to top up my tyres, I find that petrol bunks are very inaccurate in the pressure they fill in.

- Dashcam: 70mai Smart GPS. I have it plugged into the cigarette lighter port. The wiring goes through the beading and is not visible except at the plug in point.

- A lightning cable for my Apple CarPlay, I do need to find a better way to handle the cable, but for now it is just as it is.

- I did not go in for any mats, I found the standard mats to be fine. I haven't gone through a rainy season yet, will see how good these mats hold up in the rain and slush.

- I did not change or add any scuff plates, I find the standard ones to be fine.

Hope this help, happy driving in your new car.