Test Hyundai Tucson 1.6 TGDI 176 CV 4 × 4, renewing a best-seller

Everyone is watching Hyundai. The Korean brand has been conquering more and more markets in Europe for years and now, with the new Hyundai Tucson, a new generation of models arrives that represent an important step forward for the brand, offering a much more mature and attractive product. We did not want to miss the opportunity to test the Hyundai Tucson, choosing for it the top-of-the-range gasoline version, with the engine 1.6 TGDI 176 hp, with seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and 4×4 drive.

The new Hyundai Tucson is of vital importance to the brand. has the task of replace hyundai ix35, a model that revolutionized the brand, becoming its best-seller. Taking a walk down the street we will see that for the moment the Tucson is reaping very good results, being very easy to see them roll. Registration statistics confirm this. That is why all the brands that have an SUV in the C segment do not take their eyes off Hyundai.

European design to conquer

Although the Hyundai ix35 was a significant evolution from the original Hyundai Tucson, the third generation of the SUV takes the design aspect to a new point. The Hyundai Tucson has been designed in Europe, primarily with European tastes in mind and that is noticeable.

The body of the Hyundai Tucson measures 4,47 meters in length, 1,85 meters wide and 1,66 meters high. His battle is 2,67 meters. It has been sculpted following the design language Fluidic Sculpture 2.0, achieving a very attractive image, with a muscular body with appreciable wheel arches and a lateral nerve that runs through the entire body from the front to the rear altea ascending, also marking the trend of the belt line. Its slanted headlights and large grille give it its personality at the front, while at the rear it stands out for a more robust appearance as it has less glass surface.

Its exterior appearance is modern, stylish and aggressive, with a much more imposing stamp than that of the Hyundai ix35. Koreans know that entering through the eyes is important as a first step, then there will be time to learn more virtues. If in addition, we accompany the Hyundai Tucson with 19 ”alloy wheels like those of our unit (top-of-the-range Style finish), it wins whole in presence despite the brown color of the bodywork.

More design and quality inside

The Hyundai Tucson's dashboard also shows a much more Europeanized design than the ix35's, which was full of odd shapes. The design is nice and everything is well located. At the top is the touch screen multimedia equipment. When we drive at night, the screen can be turned off with a button to prevent it from dazzling us.

Further down are all the controls for the dual-zone climate control, the heated seats and heated steering wheel. Beneath these is a generous storage compartment with two 12V sockets, USB and AUX socket. To the left of the steering wheel is the rheostat for the clock panel and the buttons for the driving assistance systems and the electric tailgate.

From the multifunction steering wheel we can control the phone, the multimedia equipment and the cruise and limiter control. It's intuitive. Behind him is the clock chart, easy to read and with clocks for speed, revolutions, engine temperature and fuel level. The color multifunction screen completes this information with the trip computer, multimedia information, navigation instructions or other vehicle data.

The center console houses the gear lever, two cup holders and the buttons that control traction, parking assistance systems, descent control and driving modes.

La quality of finishes and adjustments is good and is on the segment line. There are no creaks or mismatches in the materials and it shows solidity. The upper part of the dashboard and the doors are made of soft plastic, leaving hard plastics to roam freely in the rest. The armrests of the doors are upholstered, but in this aspect the new Kia Sportage, as a direct rival and with elements in common, is better resolved by having a large part of the door panels upholstered, offering higher quality.

lots of interior space

The Hyundai ix35 already offered good levels of interior roominess, but in the Hyundai Tucson the levels improve. The front seats enjoy great breadth and the seats allow multiple adjustments. It is only missing that the central armrest is sliding. The comfort of the front passengers is guaranteed by the heated and ventilated seats that make this Tucson stand out from its generalist rivals.

In the second row of seats there is plenty of room for the occupants. The center passenger will ride more uncomfortable with a stiffer, more shapeless seat and backrest, less headroom and a center tunnel between the legs. The two passengers on the sides will not have space problems in any of its levels and will be able to enjoy some reclining rear seatbacks, as well as ventilation outlets in the rear seats, USB sockets and heated seats, the latter something unusual in the segment.

The trunk offers a segment-leading volume of 488 liters capacity, with quite usable forms. Beneath the ground is the spare wheel, with a 19” alloy rim identical to the others four of this Hyundai Tucson. This great practical detail reduces the volume of the trunk, since those equipped with a puncture repair kit have a 513-liter capacity. In addition, the spare wheel makes it impossible to store the trunk cover tray under the floor, so it must be left in the part closest to the loading mouth, with an anchor to prevent it from moving.

The tailgate in the Style finishes is electrically operated and has a function that automatically opens the gate when standing next to it for a few seconds with the key in his pocket. However, this functionality sometimes does not work well.

A fine and energetic motor

The version that we have tested, with the 1.6-horsepower 176 TGDi engine, will almost certainly be the least sold of the Hyundai Tucson range, although it is no less interesting for those who are not going to travel many kilometers or who are looking for a good answer at the controls of an SUV.

The only configuration available for this engine is accompanied by the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearboxas well as all-wheel drive 4 × 4. The other gasoline engine available in the range is the naturally aspirated 1.6 GDi with 131 hp, which can only be associated with a manual gearbox and front-axle drive.

When starting this engine, the first thing we will appreciate will be an absolute refinement. the engine is too quiet, even from the outside, while the vibrations are imperceptible. It does not have Stop & Start and we will not miss it, since when we are stopped at a traffic light we do not know if the engine is on or not. That is always a point in favor of comfort, especially in urban traffic.

We can't apply that engine refinement, unfortunately, to the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The box offers quick and almost imperceptible changes when we are circulating, but at low speeds its performance can be improved. In terms of maneuvering, it can be somewhat abrupt, since it is not as progressive as a torque converter that is more easily controlled with the brake. But the worst is not that. If we let the car move forward without stepping on the accelerator, there will be a moment when we will notice some small vibrations, like when a car is about to stall. If it were not for that, we would have an absolute roundness in terms of refinement.

Of this Hyundai Tucson 1.6 TGDi of 176 CV it must be said that sometimes in the exits it shows something clumsy. To solve it, we can use the Sport driving mode or accelerate more forcefully, so that it is clear to the car that we want verve, joy, salsa. The gearbox offers manual operation from the lever, but there are no steering wheel paddles available, a shame.

I liked this Hyundai Tucson because of the good performance provided by its mechanics. Especially in the Sport mode, which manages the change better, speeding up the gears more and circulating with a greater power reserve. Sport mode also acts on the stiffness of the suspension and the mapping of the engine, being more responsive to the throttle. Quickly overtaking or picking up speed is an easy task for the Hyundai Tucson turbo petrol in any circumstance.

Consumption in the Hyundai Tucson turbo petrol

The point that can be more negative for this engine, are the gasoline consumption. More than because they are tall, because they are very sensitive to use. In motorway routes we have achieved the best figure of the test, of 8,2 liters, although in another route, with a headwind, the figure rose to 9.9 liters.

The truth is that until I made the return trip between Vitoria and Madrid I did not see the average consumption of the 10 liters or very close figures. For there it has moved on road tours, without being demanding. In the city, averages of 12 or even 14 liters if we are a little more dynamic are not surprising. It is clear that they are high consumption, but if you are not going to travel many kilometers, consumption is not a priority and you are looking for refinement and performance, this 176 hp turbo gasoline Tucson seems to me to be a recommendable car.

Abysmal improvement in dynamic behavior

We have already seen that in design and quality of finishes the improvement of the Hyundai Tucson with respect to the Hyundai ix35 is palpable. If we talk about dynamic behavior, here the improvement is abysmal.

The new Hyundai Tucson offers a tare of firmer suspension, which maintains inertia much better of the bodywork. The ix35 needed to float on the water to call it a full-fledged boat. This improvement is accompanied by a more direct direction and with more weight that transmits more confidence when attacking curves and that implies making fewer trajectory corrections. The improvement in terms of insulation is also appreciated and in general the new Tucson is a quiet car. The feel of the brake is still somewhat artificial and not very progressive, with a first part of the route that acts little on the brakes.

The firmer suspension, together with the 19” alloy wheels in the Style finish, reduce comfort in broken areas, and they are also more uncomfortable elements if we seek to leave the asphalt. From a practical point of view, the 17” alloy wheels are more interesting, although aesthetically they may be poor. In the turbo petrol model there is no possibility of mounting other rims.

off road driving

Like many other rivals, the Hyundai Tucson It is not the most appropriate car for off-road driving. that goes beyond traffic on tracks and paths. First of all, our Style finish has 19″ asphalt tires that can be easily damaged in very rocky areas, in addition to notably affecting comfort in these situations. To get off the asphalt, it is better to opt for another version of the Tucson, with 17″ wheels.

The Hyundai Tucson is not an outstanding car by dimensions either. Their ground clearance is 17 centimeters, when some rivals exceed 20. In addition, its angle of attack of 17,2º is especially bad. The ventral is 18,6º and the outlet is 23,9º.

As aids for off-road driving, we have the hill start aid and the descent control. We did not like the operation of the latter since it is abrupt in its operation, as it does not constantly maintain the same speed. When the car gets a little too fast, the system brakes, and so on, instead of applying the brakes in a constant and progressive way. The center differential lock with a 50:50 split, it can help us overcome some obstacles and improve motor skills in more complicated situations.

Driving aids in the Hyundai Tucson

The Hyundai Tucson has improved a lot in terms of active safety, equipping a multitude of systems that make driving safer. The most notable in this new crossover are the involuntary lane change assistant, the blind spot warning and the automatic emergency braking. In this aspect, to have the most complete equipment, only the adaptive cruise control is missing.

El lane change assist acts on the steering wheel to keep the car within the lines and avoid going off the track. Its operation is very similar to Volkswagen's Active Lane Assist, although the latter is more refined. The Hyundai Tucson, when we activate the system, is continually making small steering wheel corrections to maintain the trajectory and can be annoying, despite the fact that the system does its job. The blind spot warning It warns us through indicators in the mirrors of the presence of cars. It has an acoustic warning to warn us when we turn on the blinker and we have a car in the risk zone. Its operation is adequate.

Equipment Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson Essence

• 16″ alloy wheels
• Four electric windows
• Speed ​​governor and limiter
• Multifunction steering wheel
• Bluetooth
• Air Conditioning
• light sensing
• rear parking sensor
• LED daytime running lights

Hyundai Tucson Class (adds to Essence)

• 17″ alloy wheels
• roof rails
• Dual zone air conditioning
• Ventilation ducts in rear seats
• LED taillights
• Adjustable power steering
• Power folding mirrors

Hyundai Tucson Tecno (add to Klass)

• Heated front and rear seats
• Lane departure warning
• Navigator
• rear parking camera
• Keyless entry and start
• front parking sensor
• Recognition of traffic signs

Hyundai Tucson Style (adds to Techno)

• 19″ alloy wheels
• ventilated front seats
• Leather upholstery
• Electrically adjustable seats
• hands-free tailgate
• panoramic sunroof
• blind spot warning
• LED headlights

Hyundai Tucson Prices

The prices of the Hyundai Tucson shown in the following list do not include discounts promotional offers or purchase aids such as the PIVE Plan.

Editor's opinion

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