Hyundai Tucson 2.0D
Its little wonder that Hyundai are pouring their budget into producing accessible, friendly 4x4s like the Tucson and the Santa Fe. Vehicles like these are stealing sales from the traditional family saloon/hatch and are quite the hot ticket. The other major growth area is in diesel car sales. Combine a fresh-faced compact 4x4 with a modern diesel engine and youd be virtually guaranteed a sales hit, especially if it was backed up by bargain pricing right? Well, no.
This is a market thats almost overwhelmingly badge conscious and despite their a car first, a badge second promotional message, Hyundai have to face this fact in their quest for sales.
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The tough guy Subaru Forester, the sleek Mitsubishi Outlander and the bargain basement Kia Sportage have all eked out an existence. The Tucson seems to have little to mark it out to buyers. Still, one thing Hyundai have done well unlike many Asian rivals like Subaru, Mitsubishi and Honda is diesel engine development and the 2.0-litre CRTD powerplant fitted to the Tucson is a rugged yet modern installation developing 111bhp at 4,000rpm.
Its good for a top speed of 104mph and will cover the sprint to 60mph in 13.5 seconds. The engine seems to lack the midrange shove of most common-rail diesels, almost as if its turbocharger was bleeding away boost, but the flipside of this is a very pleasant linearity of feel that makes it an easy engine to live with day in, day out.
"The diesel engine has a very pleasant linearity of feel that makes it an easy unit to live with day in, day out"
A combined fuel economy figure nudging 40mpg is very respectable going for such a spacious vehicle and even around town the Tucson will see over 30mpg. The diesel is moderately capable off road, although anything too arduous will betray its comparative lack of wheel articulation. Even over modest obstacles, the Tucson is prone to lifting a wheel and the four wheel drive system isnt quite clever enough to realise when one wheel is six inches off the ground and divert drive to the other wheel. Instead it uses a more rudimentary torque on demand system that keeps the Tucson in front wheel drive up until that moment when the front wheels start slipping.
It then transfers a percentage of drive to the rear wheels. Unfortunately it seems a little dull witted when performing this task, allowing the car to sit spinning its front wheels impotently for a few seconds before deciding to switch to all wheel drive. A far better option is to manually switch the system to all-wheel drive (operable at speeds of up to 19mph) via a dash mounted button. At first it looks as if the Tucsons most likely victim is the next car up in the Hyundai 4x4 hierarchy, the Santa Fe.
The newer car is cheaper, has a more adventurously styled interior and features exterior styling thats a little less wacky. Whats more, it doesnt give much away to the Santa Fe in terms of interior versatility. Have Hyundai managed to shoot themselves squarely in the foot? In order to win conquest sales from other manufacturers, the Tucson needs to offer something demonstrably different and this is where it could struggle. It rides on a modified Hyundai Elantra chassis and shares this with Kias latest Sportage, a car that has been pitched to undercut it significantly on price.
If youre looking for a compact 4x4 where price is everything, the Tucson isnt it. What it does represent is a test of how far Hyundais stronger brand image can be teased. Exactly how much more are British buyers prepared to pay for a Hyundai over sister company Kia? The hardware looks enticing enough in a generic sort of way. The styling looks like a scaled down Santa Fe but without the rather odd scalloped sides that, until BMW started adopting the look, made the car look as if it had suffered some light parking damage.
The Tucson is neatly proportioned but theres not one exterior feature that grabs you. The lower specification models feature a lot of black plastic exterior cladding and the plusher models with body-coloured detailing look a good deal more upmarket. If you are going to buy a Tucson with black detailing, specify the car in a dark colour and its effect is minimised. Many will feel the Tucsons greatest asset is the sheer user friendliness of its cabin.
Although the materials may not be top notch, the styling is neat with no nonsense ergonomics and a decent driving position. Switching the Hyundai from a school run special to a load carrier is simplicity itself, the rear seats folding virtually flat to the floor, the seat back and bases pivoting into place. The front seats can also be folded back to flat, providing an impromptu bed. As with most 4x4s, there are numerous luggage nets, concealed cubbies, takeaway hooks and auxiliary power outlets.
The rear glass also opens independently of the tailgate. The Tucson 2.0CRTD isnt a bad car. Its just not a car that stands out in many ways.
Still, when you consider the Hyundais well weighted controls, the competitive equipment levels, the well balanced styling, the no-nonsense practicality, the peace of mind of an industry-leading after-sales package and the low upfront price and ongoing running costs, then the Tucson could in many ways nevertheless be considered something of a winner. Doing everything reasonably well isnt a strategy that snags buyer interest however. The 2.0-litre CRTD is probably the engine that will do the best business for Hyundai but its never going to be a knockout.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Hyundai Tucson 2.0-litre CRTD
PRICE: £16,842-£18,192 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 10
CO2 EMISSIONS: 187g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 13.8s / Max Speed 104mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (Combined) 39.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4325/1830/1730mm
