Being successful in Europa doesn't seem to be as easy for Hyundai as it is for Kia. That has to change, so there's a lot of stuff going on...
for Hyundai. There's going to be sub-brands for electric cars; Ioniq, and for premium cars; Genesis.
You've probably seen that in our Year's End-video from my colleague Lars Krijgsman.
However, Hyundai itself has to change as well. This Tucson is one of the cars that shows where the brand is heading.
For starters, the change consists out of a much more daring design. Just compare this car with its predecessor, if you can...
even remember it. That's how boring the design was. That's not the case with this car though. It's really special from every angle.
Just look at the grille. If the lights are off, it looks like it doesn't have any headlights but only a very wide grille.
If you turn on the car, these parts are lit up as daylights and if the night falls, the big headlights turn on as well.
In all forms, it's a remarkable sight to behold. On the sides, it's slightly more difficult to make something distinctive.
However, Hyundai has made an effort, and they've come up with these folds. You might think it's far-fetched, but they do...
stand out and they fit in the total package if you ask me. If we move to the back, the following things stand out.
For starters, the rear is incredibly clean. That's because the rear windscreen wiper has been hidden in the rear spoiler.
That's not unique, but we haven't seen it before on a Hyundai. That means there's a lot of room for a logo that's incorporated in the...
rear window. Underneath that, there's a big lightbar to serve as a rear light.
They've done it their own way though, with a lot of black in it. That doesn't really stand out if the car is black as well.
Having said that, the rear is really distinctive.
It's not only more distinctive than its predecessor, the new Tucson is bigger as well. It's not a lot bigger, but it's a few centimetres...
on every side. That means it's a very spacious car. If the seats are up, the boot can fit 616 litres. If you fold them down however, we're...
talking about almost 1.800 litres. I do have to say, that's dependant on the drivetrain you've selected. The Hybrid is the most spacious one.
What stands out as well, is that the finishing is very good. A portion of the available space is found underneath the floor,
which means there's space for all kinds of loose stuff. You can put away the rolling screen, there's a power socket and...
you can fold down the rear seats from bach here as well.
In the back, the Tucson isn't to be called groundbreaking when it comes to space. I'm quite alright back here with my 1.84 m. self and that is...
to be expected from a car in this segment. Enough legroom, enough headroom, but what stands out to me that I've got a lot...
of features to use here. Sure, this is the most expensive version, so not everything of what I'm about to mention is standard, but it's...
got an adjustable rear seat, heated seats in the back, sunscreens, an own climate control, and if you want you can adjust the passenger...
seat. So there's no lack of luxury in the new Tucson.
When it comes to interiors, Hyundai has always been very conservative, with a traditional design. As you can see, that has been changed as well.
The dashboard has optically been divided in two. So as a driver, I've got my own small cockpit around me, just like the passenger.
The vents have been melted together optically, but there's actually air coming from the middle.
And the way they've incorporated the instrument cluster in here really strikes me as rather special. Usually, it's hidden away in a tube,
even if it's a digital instrument cluster. In here, it's been placed on the dashboard as a separate screen.
Also, the quality experience is very good in here. They've developed the interior with a lot of eye for detail.
Just look at this steering wheel. It's a four-spoke steering wheel, where do we see that nowadays?
It has lots of aluminium on it, but the prongs behind the steering wheel are great as well. Lacquered black and matte black colors.
It all feels like quality products. Hyundai has clearly made a lot of effort when they were building this car. They didn't just throw together...
some parts to create a new SUV. Another example, there's a aluminium detail in the seats and the ventilation holes don't just stop,
but they reduce in numbers the higher you go on the seat. I like those kind of details, because that makes clear...
that they've put a lot of effort in it.
The literal center of attention in this car is the big, shiny multimedia system. And it's big and shiny because almost all...
of the physical buttons have been replaced by the 'modern' touch-buttons. So it's been digitalized, and that's a dangerous thing,
because we know that's now always good for ergonomic accessibility. Volkswagen, I'm looking at you here.
In this case, it's not that bad really. Not at all, because Hyundai has held on to their old design a little.
That means you've still got buttons. Even though they're touch-buttons, there's a direct button for the climate control and other functions.
The heated seats for example, or the heater as a whole. Also, there are shortcuts beneath the screen, which immediately access the...
satnav or radio. That means you can still quickly operate it, but it's too bad that the round volume control has been removed.
Also, if you've got a big infotainment system like this, you will have to clean it with a cloth if you want to keep it fingerprint-free.
Luckily, you'll always find what you're looking for. And that goes for the menu structure itself as well.
It hasn't changed a lot compared to what we already knew from Hyundai. And it didn't have to either, because it was a very...
clear system to use. Very quick reactions as well, so that has remained. What has changed is the design. Hyundai used to use all kinds of colors...
which looked kind of incoherent. Now it's just blue on a black background and that makes the screen look more in sync with the rest of the interior.
Through this screen, you can reach music, radio or podcasts, but you can also listen to sounds of nature. That's right. So what does Hyundai...
think is sounds of nature? Well, you can listen to a crackling fire or even a busy café if you want.
I love sounds of nature.
The feeling of luxury you get when you get into this car remains when you start driving it.
It's very comfortable, and it's clearly aimed at comfort as well. It's quiet, the chassis is comfortable, but it can be kind of bumpy on...
bigger imperfections. Also, the steering feels kind of distant. Having said that, it does come with the typical disadvantages of a car that's...
aimed at comfort. That means that it doesn't feel nimble. On the contrary, it feels kind of big for a car in this segment.
You're higher up than most rival cars and you're kind of towering above all of the other road users.
That's not necessarily a bad thing though. Also, when it comes to steering, it feels kind of distant.
It's clearly aimed at comfort. It feels heavy as well, because it is. It's a hybrid, so it's unavoidable,
but you can clearly feel it weighs 1.500 kg. It doesn't shrink around you as we sometimes say. It feels as big as it is, and the drivetrain really...
into that picture, but it does make it relatively quick.
In the Netherlands, the available versions are pretty clear. The Tucson will always be supplied with a 1.6-litre T-GDI petrol engine, which is...
a 4-cylinder. In the base-version, that produces 150 horsepower and it comes with a mild-hybrid system. That's available with a manual gearbox...
or with a 7-speed DCT-automatic. That's an automatic gearbox with a double clutch.
After that, this follows. This is the regular Hybrid without a plug, producing 230 horsepower which is distributed to the front wheels...
through a conventional 6-speed gearbox. The top-of-the-range-model will be the plug-in hybrid, which produces 265 horsepower and has...
four-wheel drive. That can drive fully electrically as well. That way, you can choose all kinds of hybrid technology.
This Hybrid-drivetrain fits really well with the car. If you equip them similarly and with an automatic gearbox, it's only €1.000 more...
expensive than the mild hybrid. For that, you do get a lot more power. Also, it all works together smoothly. Hyundai has quite a lot of experience...
with the Ioniq when it comes to hybrid technology, and it shows in here. Even on the motorway, the engine shuts itself off. My personal...
record is driving for over two kilometres without using the engine. You can only spot that if you look at the rev counter, that's how...
seemless it goes. And you'll be looking at the rev counter a lot, because of Hyundai's Blind Spot View Monitor.
I wanted to mention that, because I think it's an absolutely brilliant invention. It's not entirely new, but it's new for us Europeans.
Whenever you turn on your indicators in a certain direction, the dial on that side will turn into a camera.
So if I indicate left, the speedometer disappears and I can see whatever is happening in my blind spot. That's an incredible safety feature.
More than often, a good looking design ruins the functionality, but that isn't the case with this Tucson.
It's a very solid car with a good drivetrain and a very good looking interior. And the prices aren't that bad either, because with a price...
range from €35.000 to €50.000, it has a good competitive position. If this is the direction Hyundai is heading, I foresee a very...
bright future for them.