Hyundai Motor India launched The Hyundai Tucson, is a rare example of outlandish Korean curves and shapes. The Tucson has a refreshing design. Short overhangs, a sporty bonnet line, a steeply raked windscreen, a roof that tightens up towards the rear and a stylish upward kink at the base of the C-pillar make it interesting to look at. Another nice touch is the short roof-rails.
The Tucson goes from a ladder frame chassis to a monocoque construction using independent suspension for all four wheels. Riding on 16-inch alloy rims, the front of the Tucson gets MacPherson Struts and coil springs, with dual links and coils, and an anti-roll bar at the rear. It has ABS and ventilated 15-inch discs at the front and twin airbags making it fairly safe. It is Hyundai’s first model to use Borg-Warner’s torque-on-demand four-wheel-drive system implying it runs as a front-wheel-drive under normal road conditions but as soon as the ECU detects slip or wheel spin, it switches to four-wheel drive. It also has a 4WD lock splitting torque equally between front and rear wheels. Its 195 mm ground clearance is sufficient. The electronic 4-WD system of Tucson runs the car in front wheel drive ( 2 WD ) during regular driving but when the driving condition changes, there is an automatic delegation of upto 50% of power to the rear wheels. Compared with the mechanical 4-WD system, this system has superior fuel efficiency, conversion to 4 WD only if necessary & excellent response to off road driving performance due to variably controlled power distribution by ECU.
Plastic quality and fit and finish on the interiors are worthy of a car of its price. Design of the dash, central console and instrument pods are super. The seats, like the steering wheel can be adjusted manually. Large, well bolstered seats make long drives comfortable. Rear-seats have enough legroom and width but thigh support and depth are lacking. Plastic cladding lines the loading bay and the rear windscreen also flips up in addition to the hatch. However, transporting a lot of luggage is problematic as the boot is a touch small. Inside there is more room than the CR-V and the X-Trail. While the seating position is brilliant, the car lacks the ergonomic finesse of the CR-V – despite the centre console that is angled to face the driver.
The 2.0 liter CRDi engine of Tucson is for those who want the best of everything. The Tucson shares its 2 litre 112 bhp common-rail diesel motor with the Elantra. The heavier Tucson however uses shorter first and second gear ratios to help pull ahead smartly. You feel the turbo lag once the engine goes below 2000rpm, forcing you to shift down to get back into the power band between 2000 and 4000rpm. Flat-out acceleration is helped by the four-wheel-drive system, which sends drive to the rear wheels under hard acceleration. 100kph comes up in a reasonably quick (for a diesel SUV) 14.14 seconds, while top speed registered was 164kph at 3700rpm.
The suspension is stiff enough to counter bumps without pitching or losing composure ensuring good ride quality. However, centre of gravity is fairly high so it rolls when cornered hard but grip levels are good. Steering feel isn’t great and composure at the rear is average. But the positive turn-in and lack of drama make it nice to drive. The Tucson is a competent off-roader; thanks to the lockable four-wheel-drive system, which allows you to use the torque to get in and out of tricky spots and steep inclines.
Presence of turbo lag means that it’s difficult to drive the Tucson on a light throttle. The kerb weight and short gearing add to this, resulting in unspectacular fuel efficiency. It returned figures of 8.4kpl in the city and 11.5 kpl on the highway, not very good, but the fact that it is a diesel makes it acceptable.
The only diesel soft-roader in the segment is bound to meet with a certain degree of success. The Hyundai has a lot going for it with its SUV looks, the right amount of space, comfortable seats, its quick diesel motor, good ride and handling. It has no real vices apart from turbo lag. However luggage space is at a premium, the gearbox is sloppy and the economy isn’t brilliant, but these factors can’t detract from the fact that this is a very competent SUV and well suited to its intended driving environment.
Filed under: Hyundai Cars in India
