Introduction

Hyundai has updated its second SUV for 2022 and it’s the flagship SUV, the Tucson. This time around, Tucson has received a generation upgrade and aims to take on the new and established rivals in the premium mid-size SUV segment. And to achieve that, it is equipped with newer looks, more equipment, a bucketful of features, and even ADAS! We have seen the car in person and here are our initial impressions of Hyundai’s newly updated SUV.

What’s changed on the outside?

The new Tucson gets a thoroughly redesigned exterior styling, lending the SUV a fresh and appealing look. Starting with the front, the Tucson now wears a new face called ‘parametric-jewel’ under the carmaker’s global ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design philosophy. Essentially, the Tucson debuts new lighting technology that neatly integrates the LED DRL units into the front grille design, thus making it merge with the pattern when switched off. Further, the LED headlamps are now mounted vertically on the bumper whereas the fog lamps have been skipped.

On the side, the refreshed SUV’s sloping roofline is highlighted by a chrome insert near the D-pillar that looks sporty, whereas the sharp edges on the front fender that continue and merge with the tail lamps lend the Tucson an appealing character. Moreover, the squared wheel arches along with thick plastic cladding and 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels give the Tucson a muscular stance. The Hyundai Tucson has also significantly grown in size as compared to its predecessor. With a length of 4,630mm, the SUV is now longer by 150mm. The wheelbase, too, is stretched by 85mm and that is evident by the generous legroom for the rear passengers.

The Hyundai Tucson continues to impress with an attractive posterior which sports a wide tail lamp with a claw-type design and a connecting light stripe. The signature parametric-jewel design continues to be featured on the reprofiled bumpers while the number plate recess has been moved up on the boot lid. An interesting element is the rear wiper which has been smartly tucked under the stop lamp.

What’s changed on the inside?

The cabin of the new Tucson is a step up from the older model and looks and feels more upmarket. Hyundai has preferred a light grey and black theme for the dashboard and the door pads while the soft-touch materials on the door pads feel premium. Furthermore, the aircon vents have been smartly integrated into the dashboard design between the silver accents giving a clean and clutter-free layout. Along with electric adjustment for the front-row seats, both also get ventilated and heated function. Addedly, the driver seat also has door pad-mounted memory function.

In terms of practicality, there’s a centre armrest with storage, a cooled glovebox, front door pockets, seatback pockets, and bottle holders for the rear doors.

Moving to the second row, the 60:40 split seats receive individual headrests for all passengers and an armrest with two cupholders. Then, there are rear aircon vents and two USB chargers along with a new feature called ‘Passenger Seat Walk-in device’. Simply put, the passengers can easily recline the front passenger seat to the forwardmost position using the button placed on the right-hand side of the front seat.

While Hyundai has not specified the exact capacity of the boot, we expect it to be over 500 litres. A handy feature is the rear reclining seats that can be accessed using the lever placed on either side of the boot. On the downside, with the new design, the loading lip is now higher and it may be slightly inconvenient to load heavy luggage into the boot.

What’s new on the feature list?

When it comes to features, being the flagship SUV, the Tucson is festooned with the latest and modern features. The dashboard holds the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system while the new four-spoke steering wheel commands the fully-digital instrument cluster. The dual-zone automatic climate control system screen is now larger and the physical knobs have been discarded for a touch-based unit.

The massive panoramic sunroof, wireless charger, 64-colour ambient lighting, a 360-degree camera, eight-speaker Bose stereo system, and Hyundai’s updated BlueLink connected car tech features further add to the value proposition of this SUV. The infotainment system supports Alexa and Google voice assistant with over-the-air updates and several voice commands in over 10 regional languages. Plus, this BlueLink subscription is offered without any charges for the initial three years.

The standard passive safety features on the Tucson include six airbags, all disc brakes, hill-assist and hill-descent control, ESC, and front and rear parking sensors. With the Tucson, Hyundai has also introduced over 19 ADAS features, making it the first Hyundai model in the country to be equipped with it. This includes active safety features like forward-collision warning and avoidance, blind-spot collision warning and avoidance, lane departure and lane follow assist, rear cross-traffic warning and collision-avoidance assist, adaptive cruise control, and high-beam assist.

What’s under the hood?

Under the long bonnet, the Tucson is propelled by two sets of engines. The first one is a 2.0-litre petrol engine that is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and has an output of 154bhp and 192Nm of peak torque. The second option is a 2.0-litre oil-burner mill that develops 184bhp and 416Nm of peak torque and is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

One can also choose the all-wheel-drive option with the diesel powertrain which also benefits from three terrain modes – Snow, Mud, and Sand. Meanwhile, all the variants are equipped with four drive modes as standard – Normal, Eco, Sport, and Smart.

Expected prices and launch date

With the updated styling, a new cabin, and ADAS features onboard, we expect the new Hyundai Tucson to carry a premium price tag starting from Rs 26 lakh to Rs 32 lakh, both prices ex-showroom.

The pre-bookings for the 2022 Hyundai Tucson will open on 18 July and prices are slated to be announced on 4 August, 2022. This Hyundai SUV will go up against the Jeep Compass, Citroen C5 Aircross, and Volkswagen Tiguan.