The Hyundai Tucson had a revamp just over a year ago, and gone are the frumpy curves of its predecessor. This design showcases some serious style cred, giving the market an SUV that’s exciting to look at while hinting at being family friendly with its size. Even without the N-Line option pack upgrade, it’s a surprisingly well-appointed SUV for the price tag.
The Elite is the mid-spec model for Hyundai’s medium SUV and competes with other midsize SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5. But does this particular Tucson deliver for family life? I had it with my family of three to find out.
Hyundai Tucson 2022: Elite N Line (awd)
Engine Type | Turbo 4, 1.6L |
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Fuel Type | Unleaded Petrol |
Fuel Efficiency | 7.2L/100km (combined) |
Seating | 5 |
Price From | $39,270 - $46,200 |
Safety Rating |
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What does it look like?
The new Tucson has some vampy vibes going on in the rear with the tail-lights looking like fangs, but that adds to the sleek predatory aggression seen in the rest of the detailing; like the crisp body lines that create interesting angular panes across its length and snub-nose of the bonnet.
It’s a big improvement from the previous model's styling, which wasn’t bad but relatively plain looking. This Tucson is no plain Jane.
Worth noting that there are only four available colours with the N-Line option pack, and beside the white, all will cost an extra $595. This lack of customisation might not appeal to everyone but at least the other colours aren’t all shades of grey.
How does it drive?
I’m super happy with the driving performance because this model has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and an eight-speed auto transmission that makes the engine feel powerful and supple.
There’s plenty of power going up hills but you feel like there’s still more in reserve to keep going.
The driving comfort is a big plus, too. It’s pretty smooth sailing with not much body roll and I feel confident going around bends because the car is solidly placed on the road. The cabin is also nice and quiet, which is always good.
I’m not particularly partial to them at the best of times but I didn’t like the lane keeping aid. It was too intrusive for my liking and kicked in even when I felt it wasn’t necessary.
Plus, the aid kept the car too close to middle line while in use but that might be a calibration that can be modified. I still turned this feature off early on.
Parking this car is lovely, even in small car parks. The reversing camera is clear and parking sensors feel accurate. It’s not too long that it feels cumbersome to manoeuvre.
How spacious is it?
It’s nicely spaced inside and even the back seat gets plenty of headroom and legroom. The storage is good up front; the glove box and centre console are both large and on either side of the console, there are little shelves/cubbies for a wallet or phone.
The storage in the back seat is bare bones, besides map pockets and single drink holders in the doors (not storage bins, mind) there are no other storage cubbies back there.
There are two cupholders in each row and there’s a small space for your phone underneath the multimedia screen.
I like the way the middle of the floor in the back doesn’t rise as high as some SUVs as it means more comfort for middle seat passengers.
Impressively, there’s a full-size spare in the boot, but you do face the compromise of not being able to lower the cargo floor down.
How easy is it to use every day?
This is an easy car to drive and handle. It’s not a clunky experience and for a mid-size SUV, you can do a fair amount of ‘zipping’ around.
The front sports seats are very comfortable and I like the look of the perforated Alcantara leather mix. They’re heated and the driver’s side can be adjusted electrically and has adjustable lumbar support.
The back seat is comfortable, too, even on longer trips and there are practical plastic kickplates for little feet. The perforated leather can be tricky to clean though. I’d invest in a good car seat cover if you have kids or pets who don’t travel well. That is, they have a tendency to throw-up!
This model doesn’t have a powered tailgate, but the lid isn’t too heavy to open. I did find that the button to open the rear door sits a lot lower than you'd expect, and all week I instinctively tried to open it from the wrong spot!
How safe is it?
The Tucson has all of the important safety and tech features I want to see, including AEB (city, urban and inter-urban speed), adaptive cruise control with driving assist, where it will steer itself but you still have to have your hands on the wheel, of course!
It has curtain airbags covering the second row, as well as, a front centre airbag, something that’s starting to appear on new car models. The Tucson also has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing conducted in 2021, so it’s still fresh.
There are two ISOFIX mounts plus three top tether child seat mounts and with the right ones, you might be able to squeeze three car seats side by side.
It was easy fitting my harnessed booster and there’s decent space for front occupants when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed. Overall, I felt confident driving this.
What’s the tech like?
The sleek design of the exterior is matched with the look of the tech inside. The 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen has been integrated nicely with the controls, which are all touchpads.
It looks like a proper piece of hardware, as opposed to an iPad just stuck on the dash as with some competitors.
The touchscreen is also not as laggy as some others I’ve sampled and is easy to use. Bluetooth pairing is simple enough, but while it has wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, I couldn’t get it to work.
It wasn’t a massive issue because my calls still came through and it has a decent built-in sat nav.
The digital instrument panel is smaller and looks secondary compared to the multimedia screen. It’s nice and clear but with minimal customisation available.
You have buttons instead of a gear shifter but I got used to it pretty quickly and grew quite fond of them.
There’s a wireless charging pad, which again, didn’t seem to work well with my iPhone. Maybe my tech is a little old (I have an 8-Plus gen) – or maybe I just repel technology?
I love the keyless start feature on the key fob. Lock the doors and hold in the start button and voilà – the car starts.
I can see this being very practical on hot summer days when you want to start cooling the car down, especially when you have little ones.
How much does it cost to own?
The Elite can be picked up for $47,400, before on-road costs. The model I’ve been driving is diesel and all-wheel drive but there is a two-wheel drive available on the petrol variants.
This model has the optional sporty 'N Line' pack, which adds a few extras like, sportier body details, 19-inch alloys, Alcantara and leather seats and a red stitched sports steering wheel, to name a few.
This pack does add an extra $2K to the price tag. The extras are worth it, though, and even with the options, it’s a well-appointed SUV for under $50K.
The Tucson comes with five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is standard for the class. It comes with five-years capped priced servicing which can be pre-purchased and averages under $400 per service, which is competitive for the SUV market.
Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, which is pretty good.
The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 6.3L/100km and I achieved 6.4L/100km on mostly highway trips, with some city mixed in.
I’m impressed with the real-world consumption for a car of this size. This would be a major selling point for my family with the rise of living expenses nowadays.
Verdict
It’s been a pleasure to drive the Tucson Elite N Line with the diesel engine this week. It has the power and the driving comfort I’d expect from more expensive cars but I would have preferred more customisations to make it feel like my own. The highlight is the awesome fuel economy and it earns an 8.5/10 from me. My son really liked how ‘cool’ it looked and thought the touchscreen looked like a TV. He gave it a 9.0/10.
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