Entry-Level Off-Roader
by Graeme Giles (03 Aug 04)

Just over three years ago, Hyundai's product range was a 4x4-free zone. But soaring sales in the SUV segment persuaded the Korean giant that representation in the off-roader field was essential. In March 2001 it rolled out the "midi" Santa Fé. That was followed in July of last year by the full-size Terracan. Now the all-new Tucson (pronounced Too-sawn, and named after the Southern Arizona city which, incidentally, is home to the world's biggest military aircraft scrapyard) will target the entry-level customer.

Fielded only as a five-door, the Tucson goes head-to-head with rivals like Toyota's RAV4, the Honda CR-V and HR-V, Subaru Forester, Mitsubishi Outlander, and the Sportage, from Hyundai-owned Kia.

With its new 4x4, Hyundai plays its familiar "lots of motor for the money" card, with the marketing folk banging on about the claimed price advantage "as much as £5000-plus“ over opposition machinery. And that's before the company's unique five-year warranty is factored into the equation.

There's a heaped tablespoon of Coupé in the Tucson recipe. The new SUV not only sits on a modified version of the two-plus-two platform, it also borrows both of its petrol engines from that car.

Styled in-house, the Tucson avoids the sort of over-egging of the soufflé which makes the Santa Fé look less than convincing from certain angles. Rather, you get a crisp, well balanced look, with flanks mercifully free of unnecessary creases and curves. Beefy bumpers are linked, fore to aft, by substantial protectors on the lower portions of the doors.

Inside, there is a neat and legible instrument display, a tidy centre console (alloy-rimmed in the posher version), and the usual HMS Frigate grey plastic, which looks and feels hard. The only noticeable horror is the storage box betwixt the front seats, which is so flimsy it feels as though it could part company from the floor at any minute. Shame that, because the rest of the car seems competently screwed together.

The seats are well shaped and comfortable; legroom in the rear cabin is fine, but headroom is a little restricted. The rear seat backrests recline, and Tucson provides three-point seatbelts for five. Unlike the Santa Fé, the 60:40 divided rear seats fold flush with the floor to provide extra carrying capacity.

Buyers have the choice of a brace of petrol engines. There is a 140bhp two-litre four-cylinder, and a 173bhp 2.7-litre V6. But the lion's share of sales seems certain to be snaffled by the economical 111bhp two-litre turbo diesel (pictured), which already sees service in Hyundai's Elantra, Trajet MPV and Santa Fé. Its near 40mpg economy and low exhaust emissions are certain to attract. The diesel is the only model to offer a choice of transmissions - five-speed manual or four-speed sequential automatic. The two-litre petrol is manual only; the V6 auto only.

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