Mid-sized crossover gets a mid-life update with refreshed styling and an improved interior
When the first ever Hyundai Tucson launched in 2004, few would have guessed it would one day become one of the UK’s best-selling cars. Its current, fourth-generation guise went on sale in 2020, which has boosted the Hyundai Motor Group’s positioning as the fourth-biggest manufacturer in the world based on the number of cars sold between its Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands.It finished 2023 as the UK’s sixth-best-selling model – ahead of key rivals such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Kia Sportage – helping to reshape Hyundai’s image along the way. A facelift in 2024 brings a modified exterior design and an improved interior. The Tuscon has been representative of Hyundai’s product improvement, making better and better vehicles in their conventional everyday line-up, that has done the job, plus identifying growing market segments such as compact SUVs and crossovers and pitching cars into them with not just aggressive pricing but also genuine quality and ability. Its latest generation arrived with a bold visual overhaul, looking far more striking than its predecessor. The first-generation Hyundai Tucson of 2004 felt not-for-us, with heavy plastic cladding, which its replacement, the Hyundai iX35, traded for weirdness.The third-generation Hyundai Tucson of 2015 started to get the groove outside and inside, with European-friendly styling and a competitive driving experience. Hyundai Tucson range at a glanceAll of the new Tucson’s powertrains are based around Hyundai’s turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, with varying degrees of electrical assistance. With its plug-in hybrid powertrain, this crossover offers the broadest array of powertrains anywhere in the Korean giant’s line-up, even in 2024. The range opens with a 157bhp petrol engine, followed by a 48V 157bhp mild-hybrid unit. A more powerful 212bhp mild hybrid is next in-line, while the range is topped by a 252bhp plug-in hybrid offering 271lb ft and an electric-only range of 39 miles. The Tucson is available with five trim levels: Advance, Premium, N Line, N-Line S and Ultimate.VersionPower1.6T 160PS157bhp1.6T 160PS 48V Mild Hybrid157bhpHybrid 1.6T 215PS212bhpPlug-in Hybrid 1.6T 252PS252bhp
Source: Autocar
