I must say that I like what Hyundai has done with the Tucson. New for 2014, the South Korean brand’s smallest SUV has undergone
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
a mid-cycle upgrade that includes a slightly bolder hexagonal grille with chrome edges, LED-enhanced headlights, revised taillights that include LEDs in top trims, and some new detailing all around for a stronger overall appearance.
Inside, it boasts some unusually upscale surface treatments for the compact crossover class like soft-touch door uppers front and back (which extend halfway down the doors), a padded centre storage box lid/armrest (leather-covered on top-line trim), leatherette door inserts in higher trims, lots of tastefully applied metallic surfaces, high-quality switchgear, excellent fit and finish, plus an overall look and feel that’s way above many of its rivals. The dash top is harder plastic, although it’s impossible to tell that it’s any different from the nicely textured door uppers just by looking at it. All in all this is one classy cabin.
Of
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
course Hyundai didn’t give me a base unit, instead delivering mid-grade GLS AWD trim, so the seats were upholstered with nice woven cloth inserts surrounded by leatherette bolsters while the door panels incorporated leatherette inserts. Other upgrades included a leather-wrapped tilt and telescopic steering wheel, plus a leather-wrapped shift knob, chrome door handles, a reverse camera with the monitor integrated into the rearview mirror, a centre floor console with rear vents, heated rear seats, a dual panel panoramic glass sunroof with shades, automatic headlights with LED accents, LED taillights, fog lights, body-coloured mirror housings, silver-coloured roof rails, and 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/60 all-season tires.
These
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
extras were added to a CUV that already had an impressive load of standard features, such as power windows and door locks with remote access, two-way heated front seats, air conditioning with cabin air filtration, a trip computer, steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls, a 60-watt six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system, iPod, USB and auxiliary ports, and Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity that includes a steering wheel-mounted button that frustratingly needed to be pressed multiple times to answer a call, once not answering the call at all. It was the only problem I experienced with the car during my weeklong test, all the other features working flawlessly. I should also mention that the Tucson’s standard menu includes variable intermittent wipers, an intermittent rear wiper, 60/40-split folding rear seatbacks, body-colour door handles, downhill brake control (DBC), hillstart assist (HAC), active front head
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
restraints, Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) with stability control (ESC) and traction control (TCS), six airbags including one for the driver’s knees, and more.
The base GL, which starts at an extremely reasonable $21,499 plus $1,760 in freight and pre-delivery prep charges, gets an efficient six-speed manual gearbox, although when you opt for the six-speed automatic with Shiftronic manual mode, which comes standard on the GLS I was testing, Hyundai throws in satellite radio, a de-icer for the front windshield, and rear privacy glass. All-wheel drive can be added to the GL as well, while the model’s standard engine is also unique, a state-of-the-art 16-valve, DOHC, direct injection 2.0-litre four-cylinder with dual continuously variable valve timing (CVVT) good for 164 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque resulting in claimed fuel economy of 10.0 L/100km city, 7.2 highway
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
and 8.7 combined in front-wheel drive with the manual gearbox, 8.9, 6.9 and 8.0 with the automatic, and 10.0, 7.8 and 9.0 with the autobox and all-wheel drive. Yes, that’s an ultra-efficient automatic.
The GLS I drove came with a 2.4-litre engine upgrade capable of 182 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque plus fuel economy rated at 9.9 city, 7.0 highway and 8.6 combined in FWD or 10.2, 7.8 and 9.1 in AWD guise. These are great numbers, and while we can’t rely on Canada’s EnerGuide rating system to be anywhere near accurate, they serve as good comparisons to other competitive crossovers on the Canadian market that use the same flawed rating system. My real-world experience was actually closer to the U.S. EPA’s estimates that when metric-converted show 11.7 city, 9.4 highway and 10.7 combined.
The
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Tucson GLS’ fuel economy will make you smile at the gas pump, almost as much as the CUV will on the road. The 2.4-litre makes fabulous power off the line, and impressive passing power too. I’ve driven premium compacts that don’t move as quickly off the line and don’t handle corners anywhere near as well. At high speed on the highway the Tucson is just planted and completely confidence inspiring. Its ride is extremely smooth too, Hyundai having found that ideal balance of comfort and performance. If you want the convenience and practicality of a crossover SUV and the performance of a sports car, the Tucson delivers.
The Tucson’s optional electronic on-demand AWD system with driver-selectable lock no doubt helps in the corners, especially on slippery surfaces, as it splits torque 50/50 front and rear. Of course, all-wheel drive helps when going slowly too,
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
improving grip off the line in snow or during light off-road excursions. That said the front-wheel drive model should be good enough for most conditions being that traction and stability control plus a host of other electronic driving aids are standard, as noted before.
The Tucson is roomy up front and the seats are extremely comfortable and quite supportive, even laterally. They look great too, and manage to keep cool in the sun. Two-way front seat heaters help out in the winter months. I was a bit surprised my tester didn’t include automatic air conditioning or proximity sensing access with pushbutton start, but the top line Limited AWD model has all that and more.
Other Limited AWD features include a centre stack replete with a 360-watt audio upgrade
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
including seven speakers all-round. It’s all set into a high-resolution seven-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with navigation and an integrated rearview monitor, while the dials in front of the driver are upgraded to Hyundai’s Supervision Cluster featuring a 4.2-inch LCD display. The high-end electronics really improve the Tucson’s look let alone functionality, while leather upholstery and a leather-covered centre armrest/storage bin lid ups the luxury ante. Also part of the Limited upgrade is an eight-way power adjustable driver seat with lumbar support, and finishing things off are a set of deluxe door scuff guards. Lastly, the Tucson Limited AWD includes Driver Selectable Steering that allows you to customize your driving experience between Sport, Normal, and Comfort steering modes, impressive for the compact crossover class.
I haven’t been able to try the Limited AWD model yet, my GLS AWD not including any
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
of these top-tier features, but of course it’s priced a lot lower and therefore is likely to become the more popular of the two. I’m guessing, due to its full feature set and performance, that hardly makes a dent in fuel economy, the GLS could become the most popular of all the Tucson trim levels. The GLS starts at $26,899 plus $2,000 more if you want one with AWD, while the top-line Limited AWD can be had for $33,599 plus destination.
As you can probably tell, Bluetooth aside the 2014 Hyundai Tucson GLS AWD completely impressed me. From its bolder new styling to its attractive new interior filled with features, not to mention its thoroughly sporty driving experience and comfortably accommodating seating backed up by complete cargo flexibility, the Tucson is as good as anything in the compact crossover segment gets.
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