2022 Hyundai Tucson review - Alluring, spacious, and desirable SUV for India - Watch video

Flagship offerings are about showcasing a carmaker’s immense capabilities, and with the new Hyundai Tucson, the South Korean brand is trying to do the same. Priced from Rs 27.70 lakh onwards, the third-generation Hyundai Tucson has been launched in our market to rival a slew of SUVs, namely Citroen C5 Aircross, Jeep Meridian, and more. The premium SUV has been in the Indian market for more than a decade, serving the niche Hyundai customer base. Now in its third-gen avatar, if it has enough to make buyers fall for it or not, that’s what we tried to find out by spending some time with it.

New Hyundai Tucson Review: Design

The all-new Tucson looks appealing. Yes! It certainly looks great with a design consisting of razor-sharp lines, cuts, and creases, making it more alluring than all of its rivals. The connected LED tail lamps on the rear, along with the parametric jewel-themed grille that comes with integrated LED DRLs, make for elegant facets.

Of course, the swooping roofline gives it a coupe-like appeal and some more charm. The wheel arches on the new Hyundai Tucson are prominent as well, giving it a bulk that you obviously need in an SUV. The 18-inch alloy wheels do accentuate the side profile and fill the non-circular wheel arches pretty well.

Dimensionally, the new Hyundai Tucson is longer, wider, and taller by 150 mm, 15 mm, and 5 mm, respectively. Resultantly, Hyundai's flagship SUV now has a more commendable road presence than ever, and the design further amplifies this aspect of the car. 

New Hyundai Tucson Review: Cabin

Stepped inside, the new Hyundai Tucson surprised us by the dashboard layout, as it looks very posh and premium. The white and black dual-tone appeal of the interior transforms it into a luxurious place to be in. However, Hyundai has used hard plastics for the most part, but the design manages to make you un-notice this flaw. In German fashion, the Tucson gets two 10.25-inch screens, for the instrument cluster and infotainment unit. These displays are very crisp, and the touch response for the latter is intuitive too.

A big panoramic sunroof lets a lot of light enters the cabin, which makes the already spacious cabin feel airier. The seats on the Tucson are supportive as well. Since the Indian market gets the long-wheelbase versions, the complaints of space on the new Hyundai Tucson remain inexistent.

Loaded to the brim with features, Tucson now gets a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat and 8-way power-adjustable co-driver seat, along with a premium Bose sound system. In addition, the active safety net includes tech like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist and a slew of other features under the badge called ADAS. Yes! It comes with Level 2 ADAS functionality that is designed to keep the occupants safe. In fact, they worked flawlessly on our test car.

New Hyundai Tucson Review: Performance

The new Hyundai Tucson can be bought with either a 2.0L NA petrol motor or a 2.0L oil burner. We got our hands on the latter,  as diesel power plants still remain the primary choice for most SUV buyers even today. It puts out 186 PS along with 420 Nm of max torque and comes paired to an 8-speed torque converter automatic that fails to get paddle-shifters, which were required on this drive a couple of times. Because at times when you want the gearbox to downshift, it takes a while to understand this requirement. However, this engine has a lot of grunt on offer, and it gives you a strong push.

The Tucson isn’t the most dynamic car out there, but it certainly is comfortable without a doubt. The independent suspension on all ends can absorb potholes, ripples, and roughly everything that you throw at it. There are 4 driving modes and  3 terrain modes on offer. The latter helps it out with some mild off-roading.

Another aspect of the Tucson to be liked is the oil burner’s frugal nature. It remained consistent at returning a mileage of close to 12 kmpl. In summation, it is safe to quote that the new Hyundai Tucson is a very comfortable car and it loves highways, broken roads, and twisties for sure.

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New Hyundai Tucson Review: Verdict

In summation, the 3rd-gen Tucson is a fantastic car. Why so? Well, it looks great. The very-wide parametric jewel-themed grille lends it with a lot of road presence. Step inside, and you are greeted with a very premium cabin that comes wrapped in leather and with a slew of safety aids. The performance is on par as when we compare it to products like the Jeep Meridian and Citroen C5 Aircross. Thus, at a starting price of Rs 27.70 lakh (ex-showroom), the new Hyundai Tucson makes sense as a premium family-friendly SUV.