Concealed rear wiper, fog lights nowhere … Findings on the first drive with a Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai is launching the fourth generation of the Tucson SUV. So far, I have had the opportunity to travel approximately two hundred kilometers on the roads in Central Bohemia. The competition will definitely worry, as the following review shows.

Modern design will be loved by some customers, but discouraged by some. People at Hyundai are counting on that too

| Photo: Hyundai

Forget about boredom. Hyundai designers began to follow this motto. One of the first proofs of this belief is the new generation of the Tucson sport utility vehicle. It is just now coming to market in its fourth version, although the second generation was referred to differently – ix35.

You can get acquainted with the exterior and interior of the news by viewing our annotated photo gallery.

This is an absolutely key model for the Korean brand in Europe, which automatically applies to the Hyundai factory in Nošovice, from where it leaves for customers on the “old continent”.

It is also popular with Czech motorists. “Also in this difficult year, we have sold more than four thousand of them, and it could have been more if the production of the third generation did not end,” said Martin Saitz, CEO of the Czech representation. Although he is aware that the new design, especially the front of the car, may not suit everyone, he believes in continuing the success story of this model.

The ancestor is really interesting. If the ignition is not switched on, the radiator grille is completely dark. However, when the start button is pressed, five of the six segments in the corner of the mask light up, which are actually daytime running lights. This creates the impression of a kind of “angel wings”. There is also a sixth segment. For a change, it performs the function of turn signals.

When it gets dark, the headlights at the bottom of the front bumper come on. “Since they are located low enough, they also replace the role of fog lights. They are not needed,” explained the producer and marketing director of Hyundai CR Marek Trešl during the press presentation.

Hyundai also took an innovative approach at the back. A quick inspection reveals that the rear window wiper is missing. In the place where it is usually attached, the logo of the carmaker shines. The wiper is hidden under the roof spoiler. It is an effective solution, but it is not practical at all. As I was convinced when driving during the continuous rain, water and dirt are wiped off only from a relatively small part of the rear window.

The interior is high quality and thoughtful

And the third innovation: I discovered that in the interior. In front of the passenger seat, in addition to the classic exhalation of air-conditioned air, there is also a horizontal strip, in the plastic of which there are dozens of small holes. “This is a diffuse air-conditioning system, thanks to which the air will be distributed much more evenly into the passenger compartment,” explains Marek Trešl. I can imagine that especially in summer, when the hot interior needs to be cooled very quickly with maximum air conditioning performance, it will be far more pleasant than when the air flows through only a few grilles.

In the cars that the Hyundai brand prepared for testing by domestic motoring journalists, instead of the traditional chapel with instrument indicators, there was a large display with a diagonal of over ten inches. The classic solution will be reserved only for cars with basic equipment. The resolution and brightness were perfectly fine during my rides. I’m still wondering if it will be without a mistake on a sunny day.

The central part of the dashboard is exclusively digital. The virtual buttons are for setting both the air conditioning and the audio system. Although they do not have a so-called “haptic” response, a short beep sounds when pressed, which actually confirms the activation of that function.

However, the actual buttons have been retained, for example for switching on the heating or ventilating the seats, switching driving modes or activating the parking assist. In the case of wheel-driven versions, it is also used to lock the 50:50 torque distribution between the front and rear axles or to start the descent assistant.

The layout of the individual controls in the interior is logical and the driver, who has not yet had anything to do with Hyundai products, will quickly get used to them. Most people will love four USB sockets (two at the front and one at the back). Hyundai still stays with the older and larger types.

As is customary with the Hyundai brand, the comfort equipment is very rich. For example, the seats can be heated or ventilated, and the people in the rear seats can also warm up. They will definitely not suffer from a lack of space there either. Behind the driver, who is 186 centimeters tall (my case), an equally large individual in the back seat in front of his knees will still have eight centimeters of space and about six inches above his head.

The mild-hybrid tax is a smaller suitcase

Compared to the previous generation, Hyundai also boasts an increased value for the volume of the luggage compartment. It can hold up to 620 liters, depending on the selected version. In both cars, which I changed during the test afternoon, however, the trunk was smaller. This is because these were cars whose internal combustion engine was complemented by a mildhybrid system. It needs a 48-volt battery to operate, which the designers placed on the bottom of the luggage compartment. The floor is therefore placed higher. It’s a little weird, as the hybrid version, which is already available today, and the plug-in hybrid, which will be launched in March next year, have their (and larger, high-voltage batteries) located under the seats.

The cargo space can be increased by gradually tilting the backrest parts. This is for the first time divided in a practical ratio of 40:20:40.

Hyundai will install either a petrol or a diesel four-cylinder in the engine compartment of the new Tucson. Both are, of course, supercharged, both have a displacement of 1.6 liters and both can be helped by a mildhybrid system for lower emissions. Power in the case of a petrol engine is either 150 or 180 hp, diesel has 115 or 136 horsepower.

Both can also be connected to a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Those who choose to burn petrol can have all-wheel drive with both manual and automatic transmissions. For diesel, the “ATV” is always tied to a vending machine. The hybrid powertrain then has an output of 230 horsepower, which is a temporary maximum that will later surpass both the aforementioned plug-in hybrid and the Hyundai Tucson N-Line model.

I chose a petrol unit (with a manual transmission, a mild hydride system and only the front axle drive) for the first part of the test drives. Its sound is very solidly muffled, the shifting worked smoothly and without the usual clicks for Hyundai cars, and I had no reservations about setting the power steering and brakes. The intensity of the braking effect increased in direct proportion to how intensely I stepped on the pedal.

There is a very solid view from the car. On worse roads, softer chassis settings were seen. He was not caught on the heels by relatively large potholes or railway crossings or deceleration thresholds. This will definitely suit people who want an SUV. I drove less than a hundred kilometers with this version. Of course, I will be able to say a more credible verdict on consumption only after the classic weekly test, but according to the first experience, it can be said that the car will say about eight and a half liters on the highway and about seven on the country roads. If the driver is in a hurry, then he can grow up to nine, but that’s the ceiling.

I then covered a similar distance with a specimen that powered a turbodiesel again with a mildhybrid. Shifting took care of the machine and all-wheel drive improved driving characteristics, especially when exiting corners on wet roads.

In this case, the chassis no longer acted so flexibly on the unevenness. But he is still a long way from really “hard”. On the other hand, in corners, the car did not tilt as much as the petrol version. I was most impressed by another new tweak. If, for example, on the highway, the driver “throws the turn signal” when crossing from lane to lane, a small screen with an image from the side camera will appear in place of the tachometer or speedometer (depending on whether you cross the center line from the right or left). You will see if you are still next to the truck or you can join. It can be used, for example, when you need to park in tight spaces or at the curb.

The fast driving in combined mode of this car meant a consumption of seven liters. More prudent drivers will certainly be able to drive around 5.5 to six liters.

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