2020 Hyundai Tucson Test Drive Review

Parth Gohil

4 years ago

2020 Hyundai Tucson – Click above for high resolution image gallery

2020 Hyundai Tucson Review

Car Tested: 2020 Hyundai Tucson GLS 4WD AT Diesel; Road Test No. 1242; Test Location: Mumbai

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs 26.48 – 32.57 lakhs

Handsome styling, feature-loaded cabin and a refined diesel engine make the Hyundai Tucson a capable all-rounder

Hyundai has been quite aggressive with their vehicle launches over the past few years and the automaker has been dabbling in almost every segment. The Tucson is positioned in the SUV segment right between the compact SUVs and the full-sized butch SUVs. Now this segment (Rs. 25-30 lakh) itself is often neglected with buyers looking at bigger products but you do get some nice vehicles in this range with one of them being the Hyundai Tucson, launched in 2016. This year, Hyundai has updated the Tucson with a new gearbox, some extra make-up and tweaked insides.

The Tucson retains its elegant, mature and classy styling and gets some sporty looking wheels

Exteriors – The current generation of the Hyundai Tucson always came across as a smart-looking SUV. The styling is appealing, more European and it doesn’t come across as something with a very loud design. The Tucson reeks of subtlety and the same has been carried over to this facelifted model which gets very small changes that uplift the vehicle’s character and even make it look sharper. You get a new cascading chrome grille, LED headlamps, LED DRLs, tweaked bumpers and LED tail lamps. The 18-inch alloys also get a new design now. The Tucson retains its curvy design and it looks much different than Hyundai’s other new offerings like the Verna, Creta and the upcoming i20. Of course, the next generation Tucson has been revealed globally and is likely to make its way to India too.

Being a Hyundai, the Tucson is loaded with connected car features and good quality materials

Interiors – The Hyundai Tucson has a well laid out interior and for 2020 the vehicle gets a new dashboard with a floating touchscreen infotainment system. The Tucson also gets wireless charging and Hyundai’s BlueLink connected car features, but it does miss out on ventilated seats, something that is offered on the Verna and Creta. The 8-inch touchscreen offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the screen itself is easy to use and the sound quality from the Infinity speakers is pretty good. The Tucson gets a panoramic sunroof, electric adjustment for the front seats (10-way for the driver, 8-way for the passenger) and rain-sensing wipers too. In terms of safety, it is equipped with six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, VSM, Hill Start Assist, Downhill Brake Control, ISOFIX mounts, TPMS and Brake Assist. The cabin makes use of good quality plastics. The front seats are shaped well and they do offer tremendous comfort over long drives. You sit fairly high up and get a good view of what’s around. The rear seat is decently comfy too and ingress/egress is easy. There’s good space on offer at the rear allowing three people to sit comfortably.

The diesel engine is very refined and has a strong mid-range along with a slick shifting auto gearbox

Performance – The Hyundai Tucson gets the same engine options as before – 2.0-litre petrol and diesel. We drove the diesel variant which delivers 185 PS at 4000 RPM and 400 Nm from 1750-2750 RPM. This engine was offered with a 6-speed AT earlier but it now gets a new 8-speed torque converter. The oil-burner offers excellent driveability and while it isn’t very quick off the mark, the mid-range performance is remarkable. The engine is also quite refined and barely any vibrations are felt inside the cabin, while the clatter is also not too bothersome. The 8-speed auto is quicker than the older 6-speed unit and the shifts are smooth too. You also get different drive modes (Comfort, Eco, Sport) to alter the power delivery based on how you like it and Sport mode feels the most responsive of course. Fuel efficiency figures hover between 10-13 km/l which is just fine for an SUV in this segment.

The Tucson boasts of superb ride quality along with optional 4WD making it a decent soft-roader

Driving Dynamics – The ride quality is a highlight of the Tucson. The soft suspension is not only pliant but also seems quite abuse-friendly and it takes on our potholed roads with much ease. The ride is comfy and there isn’t much vertical movement that is felt in the cabin. The SUV also gets 4WD in the top GLS variant with HTRAC which is basically advanced traction cornering control. The Tucson can be taken off the beaten path and it doesn’t break into a sweat if you take it out of its urban comfort zone. Yes, it isn’t a pure hard-core off-roader but it doesn’t disappoint either. The steering is very light and manoeuvring the Tucson is a breeze. Yes, the steering doesn’t offer the kind of feel that we’d like but it works just fine. With discs on all four wheels, braking performance feels reassuring with the pedal having a good bite too.

The Tucson is a comfortable, feature-loaded and good-looking SUV with no major drawbacks

Verdict – The Tucson is one of the better Hyundai cars around. It boasts of a very classy design, has a well-appointed interior and comes with good engines. The petrol engine may not be as punchy as the diesel mill but I believe most SUV buyers tend to look for an oil-burner. The Tucson is a comfortable car and it has SUV credentials with the 4WD system. The top variant costs Rs. 32 lakhs (on-road) which isn’t exactly cheap but the Tucson is a good all-rounder and considering the other SUVs that you get in this price bracket, the Hyundai is actually one of the finer offerings.