Hyundai Tucson Reviews

For the first time in Australia, the mid-sized Hyundai Tucson is being offered with a hybrid powertrain - which combines its spritely turbo-powered engine with a fuel-efficiency-improving electric motor. Will it be enough to swing you over to becoming a hybrid fan?

The Hyundai Tucson Premium (replacing the Highlander nameplate) is offered with a choice of two powertrains, both all-wheel drive. A 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder using a seven-speed dual-clutch auto at $55,600, before on-road costs, or the same engine in a petrol-electric hybrid set-up with six-speed auto for $59,600.

The Hyundai Tucson Elite is offered with a choice of three powertrains, a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder driving the front wheels through a six-speed auto transmission at $44,100, a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder in front- ($46,100) or all-wheel drive ($48,600) using a seven-speed dual-clutch auto and the same engine in a petrol-electric hybrid set-up, again offered in FWD ($50,

In the Australian new-car market it's increasingly a case of, no hybrid and you're out of the main game. Which is why a hybrid version of Hyundai's mid-size Tucson SUV is so important for the Korean brand. We've taken a first drive to see if it has the potential to steal buyers from Toyota's all-conquering RAV4 Hybrid.

Hybrid SUV sales are on the rise thanks to models like the Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail and, soon, the Kia Sportage. Hyundai has been missing its own hybrid contender - until now. The company has confirmed it will launch the Tucson Hybrid in Australia in the near-future, but we had an exclusive opportunity to take this incoming model for a test drive in the USA.

I can already tell. My family and I are going to miss the Tucson when it must go back, soon.

From phones to fridges, buying anything new in 2022 means you have to face the inevitable questions of "how much tech do you want to have?"

Variety might be the spice of life, but too much choice can lead to confusion.If it wasn’t bad enough trying to work out what you want in your burrito (chicken, beef, shredded pork, beans, fish, plant-based protein, tofu, etc), well, you also have a decision between three powertrains with the Hyundai Tucson.As we’ve stated in previous reviews, the base engine is a 2.0-litre petrol with 115kW/192Nm, the mid-spec version is a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine with 132kW/265Nm, and our top-spec car comes with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel delivering 137kW/416Nm.But aside from varying outputs, what are the tangible differences between the engines?Luckily, I’ve spent some time in a base 2.0-litre car recently to see if the seat-of-the-pants feel is any different from the diesel, and whether you should stump up the extra cash for the oil burner.The first thing you have to consider is that the 2.0-litre engine is available in front-wheel drive guise only, while the diesel offers up all-wheel drive traction. So, if the driven wheels are a deal-breaker for you, you can stop reading now (but you should probably keep going!)However, the benefit of being front-drive is less kerb weight, with the petrol nearly 250kg lighter than the diesel.This affords the Tucson with the 2.0-litre engine a similar power-to-weight ratio as the more potent and turbocharged diesel, at 75.3kW per tonne versus 77.3kW/T.What’s all this mean in the real world? Well, the two engines perform much closer off-the-line than you might expect.Both engines need to be worked at a bit to get them into their sweet spot, with the 2.0-litre working hard to make its peak power at 6200rpm, and the diesel needing to overcome its low-end gruffness and laggy turbo before providing you with a good shove.This means both engines are a little gruff and unrefined when trying to come away from a set of traffic lights at speed, so keep that in mind. But when travelling at speeds below 60km/h in the inner-city during childcare drop off, the differences between both engines are negligible.What is noticeable, however, is when you get out onto the freeway. And that’s because the petrol engine is fitted with a six-speed automatic, while the diesel has eight ratios to play with.That means at 100km/h, the diesel is at a much lower RPM, and the cabin is quieter and more civilised.That isn’t to say the petrol engine isn’t comfortable at freeway speeds, but the 2.0-litre definitely feels like it’s working harder.This also has an effect on fuel economy, with the diesel returning a 6.3L/100km figure compared with the petrol’s 8.1L/100km stated claim for the combined cycle.In the real world we achieved figures of 8.6 and 10.1L/100km for the diesel and petrol respectively.And these numbers are definitely felt at the bowser, with diesel prices at the time of writing surpassing petrol.In fact, this skews the cost equation of spending more up-front on a diesel to save more at the bowser.Quick back of the envelope maths reveals that to recoup the $6000 price premium on the diesel engine, you would have to travel over 500,000km before the fuel savings in the oil-burner start to make sense.And if it’s a factor of equipment level, well, the petrol can be had in base, unnamed Tucson form, Elite and Highlander, while the diesel is offered in Elite and Highlander variants only.The sporty N Line upgrade pack is also available to all Tucsons, so gear will be comparable across both engines, as will aesthetics.One final thing to consider is that diesels are quickly falling out of favour as the world transitions to an electric future.It makes buying a new diesel-powered SUV in 2022 a bit of a hard recommendation, as the current (or soon to be current) crop of vehicles that are available now are likely to the last generation of vehicles offered with oil-burning power.We’ve already seen the likes of the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander and Subaru Forester abandon diesel engines in recent years, so how much longer before the Hyundai Tucson joins their ranks?If Hyundai serves up a hybrid version of the Tucson locally – whether that is with a series-parallel like Toyota’s RAV4 or a plug-in hybrid like the Mitsubishi Outlander – that would easily be the go-to for the 2023 Tucson range.But as it stands, we reckon the figures don’t quite stack up for the diesel-powered Tucson, and you should opt for petrol. Either the base 2.0-litre, if FWD will do you, or the 1.6-litre turbo if you absolutely must have AWD.The only advantage the diesel engine affords is the prodigious driving range, superior torque figure and a better braked towing capacity. But in everyday scenarios, we’d pick a petrol Tucson.Acquired: March 2022Distance travelled this month: 764kmOdometer: 5937kmAverage fuel consumption for July: 8.6L/100 (measured at the pump)

If the thought of a sporty SUV is somewhat contradictory to you, just remember the ‘S’ in that acronym stands for ‘Sport’.To that end, shouldn’t all family haulers have some sort of aggressiveness to it?Thanks to the N Line option pack available to the Hyundai Tucson, you can do just that!It’s a great point of difference from the best-selling Toyota RAV4 and Jeep Compass rivals, which are opting for more of a rugged look and feel with variants like the Edge and Trailhawk respectively.Pricing for the N Line differs across the Tucson line-up, adding $3500 to the 2.0-litre petrol variants, $2000 to the Elite grades and just $1000 to the top-spec Highlander we have on test here.It adds a full bodykit, including a contrasting rear diffuser, twin exhaust outlets, body-coloured wheel-arch cladding (which looks really good with the red exterior colour), chunky side skirts and more prominent rear spoiler.The N Line pack also adds 19-inch alloy wheels, and while being big in diameter, because of the 235/55 sizing of the tyres, they offer plenty of sidewall to soak up bumps and uneven road surfaces.The design of the 19-inch wheels is attention-grabbing, adding an extra dimension of sportiness to the Tucson.N Line-equipped Tucsons are also fitted with LED headlights with black surrounds, which blend in well with the dark chrome front grille that gives the mid-size SUV a futuristic and sporty fascia.All this combines with the already head-turning aesthetics of the new-generation Tucson and its sharp tail-light design, line-heavy profile, muscular shoulders and faux-sloping roofline to take the Hyundai mid-size SUV to a new level.Don’t get us wrong, the Tucson N Line’s looks won’t be for everyone – it’s very love it or hate it – but after three months with the car, we definitely fall on the side of the former.And we’re not the only ones either, because on more than one occasion since we picked up our long-termer, we’ve had remarks about just how good the Tucson N Line looks.Sure, most of these comments were from parents during the childcare pick-up/drop-off, as well as a few friends who have young families of their own, but even our younger, single and family-free mates (who gravitate towards hot hatches and sporty coupes) made mention of how attention-grabbing the Hyundai family hauler is.That’s certainly high praise coming from people who count a Ford Focus RS, Honda Civic Type R and Nissan 350Z in their previous car ownership list.And the N Line additions don’t stop at the exterior, as the cabin is also transformed with a few more sporty elements to liven things up for occupants.The seats are a bit racier thanks to a suede and leather finish, as well as red contrast stitching to really make them pop.That stitching also continued throughout the cabin and can be found on the dashboard, steering wheel and centre console, livening things up a bit from the usual black and grey plastics.However, the highlight of the N Line interior is the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, which is clear, concise and customisable.It’s genuinely one of the best digital displays we’ve seen, and even in direct sunlight there is enough brightness in the display for a clear reading.What you don’t get with the N Line though, is any performance upgrades.Arguably, tweaking suspension, exhaust, steering and engine settings in a family SUV (with a diesel powertrain, like in our car, no less), doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but in lieu of a full-fat Tucson N, the N Line is the closest we’re going to get to a performance Hyundai family hauler.All in all, we’d say the N Line upgrades are definitely worth it, especially when the step up from the Highlander grade is only an additional $1000.It turns an already attention-grabbing SUV into something that is truly a stand out from the usual crowd – as long as that’s your thing.Acquired: March 2022Distance travelled this month: 1088kmOdometer: 5173kmAverage fuel consumption for June: 8.1L/100 (measured at the pump)

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. It's a surprisingly well-appointed SUV for the price tag. But does this particular Tucson deliver for family life?