Tucson facelift was first showcased at Auto Expo 2020 in India. It got a new interior, a new face, and some design changes. But at that time, we didn’t know what will make the production model. So here it is, the final version and we will test whether it is a good choice over the rivals like Hector, Harrier, and Jeep Compass.

Design

The Tucson has a simple, straightforward forward, and elegant design. The front end of the Tucson is completely new with the large grill surrounded by chrome accents and slats. There is a new design for Daytime running lamps around the fog lamps which looks better now. From the side, the car is more or less unchanged, except for the alloy wheel design that it a fresher appeal. Now about the rear profile, there is a revised bumper with sporty-looking exhaust and a new set of tail lamps that look eye-catching when they are lit up. Overall, the 2020 Tucson looks fresher and better.

Interior

The interior is completely changed in the 2020 Tucson. You get a completely black interior, instead the beige treatment. It gets a free-standing touch screen above the ac-vents and a thick slab of leather running across the dashboard. The materials used in the car are of premium quality and not a single piece of plastic or leather feels cheap or shiny. The front seats are quite comfortable and you will get a lot of lumbar support. There is ample amount of side bolstering, which will keep you comfortable around the corner. Even the back seat is absolutely comfortable; there are loads of legroom, shoulder room, and knee and under-thigh support. But there is a catch, the high windowing which blocks the view, and the all-black interior can hamper your backseat experience and make you feel claustrophobic. The switch used in this car is also high-grade, whether you consider the power windows switches, steering audio controls, AC buttons, and even drive modes buttons feel built to last. To conclude the whole thing, it is a well-appointed cabin.

Features 

Tucson like any other Hyundai car is well equipped. It has got LED headlamp indicators, tail lamps, halogen fog sensors, puddle lamps, rear parking sensors, a rear wiper with washer keyless entry, and a rear wiper with lamps with cornering functions, front parking, and auto folding ORVMs. Coming to the interiors it gets push start-stop, 10-way adjustable driver seat, 2-way adjustable co-driver seat, auto AC, wireless phone charger, electronic parking brake, 8-inch infotainment touch screen with Android Auto and Apple Car Play, mirror link blue link connected car play, mirror link blue link connected car tech with connected car speaker sound system (the music quality is awesome), rear ac vents, cooled globe gearbox, cruise control panoramic sunroof drive modes (eco, normal, sport) and lock differential too(only in four-wheel drive variant). Unfortunately, it misses on air purifier ventilated seats, AI voice command, Ambient lighting, and rear sunblind which is available in cheaper Hyundai cars.

Safety Features

The safety features include 6- airbags, ABS, Traction Control, hill decent control, hill ascent control. Tucson has scored 5 stars in Euro NCAP.

Performance

Hyundai Tucson is powered by BS6-compliant engines namely 2.0 diesel producing 185hp power and 400Nm torque, 2.0 petrol producing 152 hp power and 196 nm of torque. The engines are mated to 8-speed auto and 6- auto respectively. No manual gearbox on offer. Talking about the diesel, the engine feels smooth yet powerful. You can feel 185hp pulling the large SUV quite swiftly. You can also alter the performance by the 3 three drive modes available (Eco, Comfort, Sport). In Eco mode too, the car doesn’t feel sluggish, and you can extract that gallon of fuel. The gearbox is new, the 8-speed torque converter shifts smoothly and fast but not in the league of a DCT. As far as NVH levels are concerned, it is barely audible at cruising speed and also remains quiet far most parts; after all, it is a Hyundai.

Ride handling

Tucson’s ride quality is decent and due to safe spurns, it helps to absorb a lot of bumps even though it gets 18-inch wheels. As far as handling is concerned, it is not as good as Harrier or even its smaller sibling Creta. It feels a bit soggy and doesn’t inspire confidence when you put it around the corners. The steering however is very communicative, unlike the other Korean cars. It is light in city traffic and weighs up brilliantly well.

Verdict

Priced at 22.30 lacs for the base petrol GL (o) 2WD AT, and the pricing goes up to 27.03 for the top-spec GLS diesel 4WD AT, the Tucson is a bit pricey considering some features missing which are there in cheaper Creta. But still, it has powerful engines, good features, and an enormous amount of space. But if you are looking for Tucson, instead go for Harrier or Hector because they are more value for money.