First, there was the five-seat Santa Fe, which in GLS V6 form was the ride of choice for our very own Bark M. back in the day. Then the Santa Fe went upmarket, so Hyundai created the Tuscon. Now the Tuscon is, apparently, going upmarket. It’s like what Chrysler did with Imperial, only in reverse!
The Sonata Eco 1.6L turbo powertrain is likely to be offered here in the United States; it’s a safe bet that the 2.4L NA four will also be available, most likely as the default.
As you can see, it looks very nice inside and out. Reports of ventilated seats might be for the Euro market only; their Elantra, for example, is available with more stuff than ours. Expect the new Tuscon to offer a 1982 Civic 1500GL’s worth of interior space at only twice the weight. We’ll have a chance to see it in the metal come the New York show in April.
” Expect the new Tuscon to offer a 1982 Civic 1500GL’s worth of interior space at only twice the weight”
So, is that a no on the Tuscon?
It won’t be any faster or safer than that Civic either. Or have AWD and amenities.
/s
I’m sure it will have AWD
If Hyundai does an N-performance variant, would be faster (not sure if worth doing so for what is basically a family CUV).
Detecting some snark.
By the time you get to TUSCON, you’ll be wondering where the hell you are.
Jack hardly ever misspells, so this is a bit of a howler, three times in a row.
Not bad! Certainly miles ahead (looks and otherwise) of the 04-08 Tucson. My sister has one of those, and it’s fully dreadful.
Also, red leather! I’m glad this is coming back, seeing it more and more on cars that people actually buy now (as opposed to only on things like an SL500).
This is not “RED” in the classic sense. It’s a much nicer wine color
It looks very red to me, like the same color as a Twizzler. So that’d be strawberry red.
Wine red is daaaark.
Looks the same to me
http://img1.findthebest.com/sites/default/files/2307/media/images/Wine_430048_i0.png
Do you mean RED wine?
Me likey too! I’ll even let the Tribeca rear end slide since they used that red leather. Those swastika rims however…
The 04-08 is pretty dreadful and the current one is pretty “meh” as well and even worse in design (front-end).
I am inclined to agree, but my wife’s 07 has given me less trouble than anything I have ever owned over the first 100k. Yes, I hate the 4 speed slushbox and the suspension that rides like Hyundai products before they were good, but it just keeps on going. It is like a larger Corolla and frankly I can live with that. It is starting to need some suspension work but honestly, while I don’t love it I have grown to respect it and the long empty payment book glosses over most of the faults I have with it.
I’d have to work really hard to figure out things to hate about Hyundai’s new products.
You can criticize their “fun to drive” aspect, but as far as “getting into a decent car -for not a lot of money” goes, I’d take one.
Their option packages are a PINTA. You cant just choose a package and be done. They have to be stacked. So if you want, say premium sound, you also need the lower package with leather seats and lane watch.
That’s how most mainstream brands do it these days.
So, JB, was this a review or just a heads up on something wicked coming our way?
It cannot possibly be a review, as it discusses a car which has not yet been seen in the metal.
Definitely not a review, just passing along information from the Geneva show.
Kia has offered a ventilated driver’s seat on the Sportage for years, so this feature isn’t out of the question for NA Tucson.
A definite improvement in styling; the current model’s huge swath of misshapen plastic body cladding is incredibly bad.
Heck, the Forte Koup has available ventilated seats. I was under the impression that the Koreans would be pushing that to all their models’ top-spec trims.
Yeah, when I read the article the thought that came to mind is that there already is an upmarket Tucson – the Sportage SX.
We looked at both a couple of years ago. The Sportage was streets ahead of its cousin in features, performance and handling.
So now that the Hyundai Veracruz is not sold anywhere but Korea, will the Santa Fe be getting larger for the de-rigur 3rd row?
Edit: I see that the Santa Fe already has a third row…
The Santa Fe comes in 2 sizes, the smaller 2-row Santa Fe Sport and the 3-row Santa Fe.
The current Tucson is a gnarly, plasticy, hard riding, total POS, but I’m sure Alex Dykes gave it at least an A-.
I’m looking forward to Tim Cain’s Nova Scotia review of a $59,750 CAD spec’d version of a 2016 Tucson AWD Radar Cruise Severe Climate Package (w/scrotum warmers) of this.
We have a 2010 and I hate it. Stiff, bucky and loud. But cheap and durable. Looks brand new. Can’t wait to trade it.
Aside from the stains associated with my kids passing away their baby years in the back seat our 07 looks new as well. It is the Corolla of small crossovers with all the good and bad that entails.
The `14+ model rides better than the previous years. Drove one to Nashville and back with 5 people and still got 30 mpg headed down and 29 mpg headed north doing a solid 75 mph.
Mind you the mileage calculation was done by hand, the average speed on the computer said 66, which I believe.
And surprisingly, the ix35 version of it sells well in places like Europe and Australia.
DW +1
LOL at the Tim Cain reference.
And what exactly will be the difference between this and the Santa Fe Sport? Talk about product overlap.
SFS—-Grand Cherokee sized.
Tuscon—-Cherokee sized.
Give or take obviously a few inches here or there. I don’t see the overlap.
I think you’re confusing the Santa Fe Sport with the larger Santa Fe (XL?). That’s part of the problem. Not enough differentiation between Tucson and SFS, or between SFS and SFSXL.
No, I’m not.
The SFS has 2 rows of seats. It’s much larger inside than the Tucson.
And yes there is a big difference between the Sport and Santa Fe, it’s called the 3rd row of seats and a V-6 which you can’t get in the “Sport”.
I’m not trying to be a smart-ass by saying you are confusing the 2. Confusion was a real possibility, since I don’t think Hyundai has ever consistently stated what class the SF or the SFS compares to. When it was just one vehicle, it was pretty clear that it was in the compact (albeit on the large end) class, competing with Ravs and CRVs.
Splitting it into SFS and SF, I don’t see the SFS as anywhere near the GC class. The SFS seems to be a tweener, like the Equinox and Terrain, but those all tend to be compared more often to the lower Ravs and CRVs than to the bigger mid-sizers. Certainly price-wise. So it’s more apt to say the SFS, not the Tucson, compares to Cherokees.
The diminutive Tucson is smaller than all of them, certainly no Cherokee competitor.
Now this new Tucson seems to be growing to Cherokee class, and it will crowd its big brother. So I pose again the concern that there is too much overlap of the bottom 2 Hyundai CUVs. Or is the SFS going to grow in size/price/stature to be a true mid-sized competitor (Venza/Murano/Edge maybe)?
I like it. If we are luckily we will finally get the 2.0T as an options, but I won’t hold my breath too much for that. I still need to get a drive in the Sonata 1.6T with the dual clutch transmission.
Yes, please tease the manual transmission. We won’t get it. There hasn’t been a stick Tuscon in the US since 2011 or 2012.
And only on the stripper base model at that. I don’t understand why manufacturers don’t offer the sick shift on the higher end models. It would seem to me an opportunity to gouge the limited loyal base of manual transmission drivers.
Hyundai used to offer the Elantra GT fully loaded with a manual, but dropped it for 2015.
They have!? That’s such a shame!
Forte5 SX still has it, presumably.
I can’t shake the feeling that auto makers are all using the same groups to provide buyer profiles, and the only stick drivers those groups could find were skinflint old coots who didn’t want anything except what was on their ’47 Dodge. Then again, when makers DO offer stick with all the options, and not enough are sold to make production worthwhile, who do you blame?
Heh yeah, you’re such a tease Jack.
I assume a redesigned Kia Sportage will follow soon? I like today’s Sportage much more than the Tucson.
To my eyes, today’s Sportage looks veeeeery outdated. Like 2008. Something about the cartoony proportions of the front and rear light assemblies don’t work for me.
Already in testing mode with camo.
Say Jack (and others),
It’s Tucson not Tuscon… better turn on that spell checker (congrats to everyone else who got it right).
Now that that’s out of the way I just read the “Editorial: Zoom, But Where’s The Boom? The Mazda Question” regarding the perception that Mazda may have lost it’s “Mojo.”
Apparently Mazda produces cars that generally deliver on style and handling but not necessarily on marketing and desirability. Based on numerous comments here Hyundai seems to have the opposite problem, delivering very nicely on design, marketing and content but not quite as good on handling.
Fascinating how quickly the Koreans have bridged the perception gap while so many years later several of the Japanese companies either failed or still can’t quite get there…
That is because people don’t buy “handling”. The RX-8 is a prime example of this, it handles great (so I’ve read) but who cares? I don’t even seen any at the track so I’m not sure who is taken advantage of this handling edge. To most people handling equals = is the steering wheel easy to turn? Does the suspension feel smooth on rough surfaces? If the answer is yes then they think the handling is “good”. But to me such a car would lack feedback and be soft.
Cause the money is spent
On the goddamn rent
Neither party is mine
Not the jackass or the elephant…
My only thought is every brand and model can’t go upmarket simply because upmarket because average real quick.
Yeah but Hyundai/Kia feel they have to move upmarket, at least somewhat, before we are flooded with cheap Chinese cars.
I’d rather have something Soul-sized, but that’s still missing AWD until they decide to build the Trail’ster, like everyone on the planet seems to want them to do.
There’s always the Renegade I guess…
I want Honda and Hyundai to merge. That way could have Hyundai exterior and interior with Honda drivetrain. Would be unbeatable.
The design of this new Tucson is a huge step down from the current down, particularly in the rear. Peter Schreyer is doing a great job on Kia, but he’s completely ruining Hyundai.
I think this looks way nicer than the current one.
I agree with mkirk, but this is a subjective topic.
I found it amusing when we carshopped in 2013 that the Hyundai people were quick to brag about the company having hired a head designer from BMW, and the Kia people bragged about the company having hired a head designer from Audi.
True to form, the Hyundais were very busy, bulky designs (to my eye), while the Kias were sleeker. The Kias also drove much better than the Hyundais.
As one example, the Tucson of the day only offered the 2.4 engine, while the Sportage could be had with the 2.0 turbo. What a difference that made! The Sportage also had much better handling, and a better range of options. We almost bought it.
So, our verdict was that Kia got the better German designer. It seems that Hyundai brass came to the same conclusion, although it took them considerably longer to do so. ANOTHER company that could have saved themselves time and/or made a better business decision by hiring me – but didn’t. Alas!
I think this Tuscon looks great, easily better-looking than anything else in it’s segment, interior or exterior. From a visual standpoint ’16 Mazda CX-5 comes in second, honorable mention to the Rav4’s interior.
Meanwhile, the Chevy Equinox looks (more or less) exactly the same.