Hyundai Tuscon 2WD : TU-WHEEL-DRIVE

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When is a 4x4 not a 4x4? When its a Hyundai Tucson 2WD. Steve Walker reports

Why do so many of us want to drive 4x4 vehicles? Its an established fact that the closest most of them come to mud is when their owners pick-up a bag of compost at a suburban garden centre. Why pay a premium for a car thats capable of trampling roughshod over Mother Natures trickiest terrain when youre only going to use it for visiting the supermarket and collecting the kids from school? Its like buying a new four-bedroom house and living exclusively out of a wardrobe in the garage. Of course, theres more to a 4x4 than its offroad ability. Factors such as looks, practicality and comfort spring to mind, but what if you could have all that without the expensive and largely redundant 4x4 transmission system? With Hyundais Tucson 2WD, you can.

People will do some strange things and spend a lot of money if they think its going to make them look good and the recent upsurge in 4x4 ownership is proof positive of this. 4x4s give a high driving position that affords a superior view of the road. They are easier to climb in and out of and easier to load than many conventional cars, they cope admirably with speed humps and they make their passengers feel safer. Its all true enough but far more prominent in the thinking of most 4x4 buyers is the chunky styling and the active image that an offroad vehicle reflects onto its owner.

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with this: we all buy cars for what they say about us. If motor vehicles were simply functional objects, wed all be driving round in identical grey boxes. What the Hyundai Tucson 2WD does is provide the useful offroader features along with those all-important rugged looks without the 4WD mechanicals that youd probably never use anyway. The latest Tucson model is the beneficiary of a mild facelift and is available in two-wheel-drive across the range.

Ditching the offroad running gear leaves Tucson 2WD customers a full £1,000 richer. Thats the price differential between the 2.0-litre diesel powered 2WD Style model and its 4WD equivalent. Theres also an affordable petrol model on offer which means that you can drive away a Tucson 2WD for £14,695, the same sort of money youd need to part with for a comparatively bland mid-range Ford Focus and significantly less than youd need to acquire the base models of direct competitors like Toyotas RAV4 and Nissans X-TRAIL.

As tends to be the way with Hyundai products, the Tucson 2WDs value proposition is a strong one.

"the two-wheel-drive model is actually the fastest accelerating Tucson there is"

There are other advantages to having just two driven wheels instead of four. The 2.0-litre DOHC petrol engine utilised by the Tucson 2WD can fire it up to 60mph from a standing start in a very respectable 10.4s and thats nearly a second faster than the same engine can manage when hauling the extra weight of the standard Tucsons 4x4 transmission.

In fact, the two-wheel-drive model is actually the fastest accelerating Tucson there is. Unless you spend your weekends running what ya brung at Santa Pod drag strip (and if you do, the Tucson probably isnt your ideal vehicle) these small advantages in 0-60mph acceleration wont matter much. At lower speeds, however, the 139bhp engine does feel livelier in the 2WD Tucson. The 184Nm being generated at 4,500rpm, equates to a fair amount of gumption through the mid-range but with peak power at 6,000rpm youll have to work the engine hard to make quick progress.

The alternative engine is the 2.0-litre CRTD diesel which comes with a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes. Despite the weight saving that the 2WD model holds over the equivalent 4WD Tucson (which, incidentally, measures at some 80kg), official fuel consumption figures are virtually identical for both vehicles. You should, Hyundai claim, be able to average around 35mpg in the petrol car during normal driving and that will fall to approximately 27mpg if most of your journeys are in urban conditions.

These figures suggest the Tucson is somewhat thirstier than a typical 2.0-litre family hatchback (its reasonable to expect 40mpg from a modern one of those) but they compare favourably with those of other compact offroaders. Go for the diesel and youll only get similar economy figures as a result of that automatic gearbox. CO2 emissions of 190g/km for the petrol and 210g/km for the diesel are also pretty good in the Tucsons market sector.

Other than the absence of four-wheel-drive, the Tucson 2WD is practically identical to the 4x4 models further up the range. Buyers get the same heavy-duty offroad suspension with an anti-roll bar to help stabilise the vehicle when cornering. Even the entry-level 2.0 Comfort model comes with an impressive level of standard kit, including air conditioning, auxiliary and USB audio connections, privacy glass, body-coloured bumpers and trim, electric windows all-round, front fog lights, roof rails, dual front and side airbags and smart 16-inch alloy wheels.

All these features help to create a look for the Tucson thats pure 4x4 with imposing front end, pronounced wheelarches and trademark roof bars all present and correct. 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. For the kind of usage to which the vast majority of Hyundai Tucsons are likely to be exposed, the 2WD version is ideal.

Its cheaper and quicker than any other model in the range simply because it shelves the 4x4 drive system that youll probably never need anyway. Its hard to fault the logic and you still get those sought-after 4x4 looks along with the handy elevated driving position. Non four-wheel-drive four-wheel-drives could be the next big thing.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Hyundai Tucson 2WD
PRICE: £14,695-£18,695 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 11
CO2 EMISSIONS: 190-210g/km
PERFORMANCE: [petrol] 0-60mph 10.4s / Max Speed 112mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [petrol] (Combined) 35mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4325/1830/1730mm WHO TO SEE: