Hyundai Tucson long term review, 21,000km report

Living with our long-term Hyundai Tucson for the past couple of weeks is a lesson in what Korean automakers are good at and what they are not. Let’s dive into the car’s good bits that have impressed me from the outset. It’s hard not to be bowled over by the interiors, which go some way (but not the entire way) in justifying the Tucson’s Rs 38.09 lakh (on-road, Mumbai) price. The Koreans have mastered the interior game thanks to a fantastic ecosystem of suppliers and designers who deftly blend colours, textures, and quality materials to make the cabin feel rich and inviting. I feel good every morning when I slide into the Tucson.

Everything I touch, from the switchgear to the plastics, feels just right. And at night, I just love the cabin’s ambient lighting, which is so well thought out and functional. There’s no vibrant mood lighting to liven things up, which some may miss in a car at this price, but quite honestly, I am not one who likes the inside of my car to look like a Diwali celebration. I prefer Tucson’s subdued interior lighting – the way door pockets and the cubbyhole in the centre console are gently illuminated and how designers have expertly avoided any reflections of the interior lights on the windscreen. The backlit switchgear and the soothing colours of the instrument panel and centre screen are also small but important details that reduce eyestrain, which I began to appreciate on my way home at night after a long day at the office.

The sleek and wide touchscreen has fantastic graphics and, thankfully, the aircon controls are housed separately on a panel below. They aren’t physical buttons, which is a shame, but easy to sight and hence far simpler to operate than controls that are embedded in the touchscreen. Korean cars are also defined by the features and on-board tech and there’s no shortage of them in Tucson, especially the suite of ADAS functions which, quite honestly, I have switched off in the city. What I found quite handy is the voice memo app that I used to make a note of the fuel filled and odo reading to calculate efficiency because, invariably, there’s no pen around to write it down! Also, with global warming making every year hotter than the previous, each summer is becoming a bigger test for any air-conditioning system. I have to say that Tucson’s sophisticated and effective aircon is simply fantastic. Beyond swiftly transforming the cabin into an icy haven, the diffused airflow setting stands out as a brilliant detail that’s perfect for someone like me who doesn’t like a direct draft hitting my face.

It’s only when you drive Tucson that you realise where the Koreans fall short. The 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine does the job of quietly ferrying you around, but throttle response is quite dull and even switching to Sport mode doesn’t inject a sense of urgency into the motor. There isn’t much top-end zing either to give you the occasional thrill on an empty road. Efficiency, too, is pretty dire, and over the last 200-odd kilometres, all of which were driven in Mumbai city, we could only manage an average of 5.8kpl with a best of 7.1kpl, which included some late-night airport runs. Driving dynamics is the domain of the Europeans and Tucson’s ride and handling doesn’t come close to a Tiguan or Kodiaq. In fact, there’s a fair bit of suspension movement that’s particularly noticeable in the rear seat. On bumpy roads, passengers tend to get jostled around with some side-to-side movement, and though the ride is quite soft and pliant, the suspension can’t seem to absorb Mumbai’s bad roads.
 

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But to be honest, for my 7km office run that sees me average no more than 19kph, I can live with the rather ordinary driving experience, which is more than made up for by an inviting cabin and comfortable seats. And in Mumbai, where traffic barely moves, you don’t give a toss about how well a car corners. All you want is a car that keeps you relaxed and calm when you’re gridlocked, and that’s exactly what Tucson does perfectly.

Also see:

Hyundai Tucson long term review, 18,500km report

Hyundai Tucson long term review, 13,400km report