All-New Hyundai Tucson: All Glitter & All Gold

November 8, 2021

Tucson is one of the…. Let's not say old… Let's go with experience, yes!Tucson is one of the most experienced models from the Korean car juggernaut Hyundai. Ever since the launch of the first generation Tucson back in 2004, it has been one of the best-selling models for Hyundai with over 7 million units sold worldwide.And it's also one of those cars that were available here in Nepal right from its inception. We Nepalese have seen every generation of the famous “Taksan”, and as we are finally learning to say it right Hyundai has launched the fourth generation Tucson. It looks nothing like the Taksans of the past and is poised to be the benchmark for the Tucsons of the future. And today we will take it for a drive and give you our detailed review.DesignHyundais have a reputation for looking similar, but the carmaker has been breaking that trend with their latest models and the Tucson is one of their prime examples. The new Tucson looks nothing like its predecessor and it looks unlike anything else in the market.Let's start from the front. You get a big smoked chrome grille grill which is essentially Hyundai's signature cascading grille, but from the future. Flanking the grille is a set of integrated LED daytime running lights that Hyundai calls Parametric Hidden Lights, which when turned off blends in with the grille. On either side, you get LED headlamps and fog lamps.

Move over to the side and the Tucson greets you with its chiseled flanks and coupe-like roofline. Further adding muscle to the profile are triangular cutouts in the body panel and rugged squared-off wheel arches right above those mean-looking 18-inch alloy wheels.

Out on the back, the immediate attention grabber is the Mustang-like tail lamps that are sharp and wrap around the sides. You get a roof-mounted spoiler up top and on the bottom, you get a rear bumper with diamond patterns and a rear skid plate finished in silver the complete the look.In short, the new Tucson is undeniably attractive, and the best part about it is that the Tucson no longer looks like a scaled-up Creta or a scaled-down Santa Fe. The Tucson finally looks like… A Tucson… With its own unique identity, and we love that.Interior and FeaturesIf you're expecting the exterior styling to bleed into the cabin, you're in for a surprise. Tucson's interior has a completely different aesthetic, and it's stellar. You get a wide view and a completely flat upper surface. The dashboard forms a wide arc around the driver and front passenger, with the instruments and center stack floating on standalone panels. It's a lovely design that doesn't compromise ergonomics.The first thing you notice when you sit in the driver's seat (which is heated and ventilated) is that the instrument screen doesn't have a shade as you find on every other car. Hyundai points out, there's no need to shade the instrument panel for daylight visibility. And we believe them because this panel is bright and glare-free. The movement of the computerized needles is Disney-smooth, and the gauges change with a rather nifty animation when a different drive mode is selected.

On the center stack, you get a 10.25-inch infotainment system with Bose sound system. The Hyundai Tucson employs touch-sensitive panels in place of traditional hard buttons, and the "virtual" buttons are spaced out and marked well enough to be easy to find and press while on the move. Our biggest complaint is the lack of a proper volume knob for the stereo. No doubt Hyundai didn't want to interrupt the waterfall flow of the center screen, but we would have preferred a more creative solution.

Coming to space and comfort, there's loads of it. The driver's seat comes with plenty of adjustment and the passenger space in the second row is ample with good legroom and headroom. The sense of space is further multiplied by a large panoramic sunroof that brightens up the cabin. The Tucson is a fun place to be while at your destination.PerformanceSpeaking of destination, The Tucson comes with a choice of two engines to get there. You get a pair of 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engines, that run on either petrol or diesel. The petrol makes 153 HP and 192 Nm of torque while the diesel makes 183 HP and 416 Nm of torque. Both engines come mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission operated via Hyundai's shift-by-wire system. The diesel is probably the engine you should get. Not only is it the more powerful of the two, but this engine also comes with Hyundai's HTRAC All-Wheel-Drive system (more on this later).

This engine packs a punch, the initial pull is great thanks to the high torque, and the Tucson picks up speed quickly and is a joy to drive. City driving is a breeze thanks to Hyundai's classic light steering wheel that's as easy to maneuver as a videogame controller. The McPherson Strut and Multi-Link suspension setup does a great job canceling out all the bumps and potholes to keep the cabin comfortable. Out on the highway, the Tucson cruises at triple-digit speed with confidence, and overtaking takes little to no planning. The steering wheel weighs up nicely and the Tucson stops on a dime thanks to disc brakes on all four wheels.The Tucson also comes with drive modes. You get Normal mode, for daily normal driving. Eco, for when you want to save fuel. Sport for really getting a move on and finally a Smart mode where the car automatically adjusts gear intervals based on your recent driving patterns. Nifty stuff.

The Tucson comes with Hyundai's HTRAC All-Wheel-Drive system, available exclusively with the diesel powertrain. The HTRAC is basically an advanced electronic controller that continuously analyzes your speed and road conditions. It then automatically optimizes torque distribution among the four wheels and will apply the brakes if necessary to ensure maximum traction and directional stability when the going gets rough.You also get terrain modes, with a flick of a switch you can adjust the powertrain to suit any three of the given modes, Snow, Mud, and Sand.All this performance is backed by a whole host of safety features. The Tucson comes packed with all the standard safety features in the industry. Apart from that the Tucson also brings Hyundai's SmartSense, the carmaker's special safety package that includes features like Forward Collision, Blind Spot Collision, and Rear Cross Traffic Avoidance Assist. Tucson has gone beyond standards in terms of performance and safety.VerdictHyundai has been one of the most reliable brands globally and here in Nepal as well. And of the names that have helped to establish this reliability and consistency is Tucson. The new Tucson only adds to that advantage; it is an amazing car that comes loaded to the brim. It brings all the futuristic styling, a classy cabin full of great-to-have convenience features, a powerful engine, and advanced safety features that you never know you needed.