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Mid-sized crossover gets a mid-life update with refreshed styling and an improved interior

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When the first ever Hyundai Tucson SUV was launched in 2004, few would have guessed it would one day become one of the UK’s best-selling cars

The current fourth-generation car went on sale in 2020 and instantly boosted the Hyundai Motor Group’s positioning as the fourth-biggest manufacturer in the world.

The Tucson’s lighting signature is its most divisive design feature, owing to the fact that the parametric grille is already quite busy when it isn’t lit up.

It finished 2023 as the UK’s sixth-favourite car, ahead of key rivals such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Kia Sportage, helping to reshape Hyundai’s image along the way

It has been representative of Hyundai’s product improvement, making better and better cars in its conventional line-up and identifying growing segments, such as compact SUVs and crossovers, and pitching cars into them with not just aggressive pricing but also genuine quality and ability. 

For 2024, it was given a mid-life facelift, aimed primarily at improving the usability of its interior but also mildly altering that eye-catching exterior styling.

Hyundai Tucson range at a glance

All of the Tucson’s powertrains are based around a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, varying from mild to heavy electrical assistance – the broadest array of powertrains anywhere in the Hyundai line-up. 

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The range opens with a 157bhp petrol, followed by a 48V 157bhp mild-hybrid; a more powerful 212bhp mild hybrid is next in line, then the range is topped by a 252bhp plug-in hybrid offering 271lb ft of torque and an electric-only range of 39 miles. 

The Tucson is available with five trim levels – Advance, Premium, N Line, N-Line S and Ultimate – and, depending on the powertrain, a manual or automatic gearbox and front- or four-wheel drive.

VersionPower
1.6T 160PS157bhp
1.6T 160PS 48V Mild Hybrid157bhp
Hybrid 1.6T 215PS212bhp
Plug-in Hybrid 1.6T 252PS252bhp
  

DESIGN & STYLING

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Hyundai Tucson review   rear driving lead

This Tuscon was launched into a world where a new family SUV was released seemingly every week, but even so long after its arrival, its striking looks still help it stand out from the crowd. 

In 2024, Hyundai's designers squared off the Tucson’s dramatic front grille, added larger headlights and fitted new skidplates at the front and the rear. 

As is the trend these days, a prominent light bar runs across the Tucson’s tailgate. It looks smart, particularly with those new rear light clusters and their wing-like detailing.

It possesses a brassily bold nose that might not be to everybody’s tastes, but we think this is one of those occasions when it’s deftly judged. 

The nub of good design: not so outlandish that it will wilfully put people off yet distinctive and attractive enough for others to want little else.

The new Tucson sits between the compact Hyundai Kona and the seven-seat Hyundai Santa Fe and is a little larger than the car it replaced back in 2020 – although, at 4.5m long and 1.85m wide, it’s still compact enough that it remains manoeuvrable and simple to park.

Some of its powertrains offer a six-speed manual gearbox, but there’s also a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission or a six-speed automatic. 

All cars are available with either front or all-wheel drive, apart from the petrol model, which is FWD-only. 

As a full hybrid, the Tucson gets a 1.49kWh battery mounted beneath the boot floor and a 59bhp electric motor between the engine and gearbox for a total output of 212bhp. 

The 1.49kWh pack is bigger than the Toyota RAV4 hybrid’s 1.1kWh battery, and when you remember that a 18kWh battery will get a PHEV up to 30 miles of electric range, it’s clear to see how useful a pack of even just 1.49kWh could be.

If you choose Ultimate trim, there’s the option of a Tech Pack, which brings with it electronically controlled dampers on the MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension.

There are selectable drive modes with that, with Sport turning the dials red.

INTERIOR

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Hyundai Tucson review   full interior

The Tucson’s interior was always admirably designed and striking as the exterior, but some key changes were introduced in 2024. 

It has a new dashboard, which is much tidier and more practical than the previous one, and a new storage compartment above the glovebox.

We would prefer a proper lever rather than individual buttons for the gear selection, as they require you to look down.

Other changes include a new centre console design with integrated wireless phone charging and USB-C ports.

Hyundai has also brought back some physical switches for controlling the cabin ventilation, thankfully, and buttons to quickly access key features including the sat-nav, media and vehicle settings.

There are two digital displays, connected to create the illusion of one, full-length screen. The fresh-looking set-up consists of a 12.3in digital instrument cluster and a 12.3in infotainment touchscreen

There are several buttons beneath the touchscreen, then controls for the climate control and then even more clearly marked buttons for the likes of heated seats and steering wheel and parking sensors. 

Hyundai’s changes include reducing the number of features controlled by touchpads, removing the ‘touchscreeny’ feel of before.

The front seats are broad and comfortable, with faux-leather material and attractively stitched. Rear passengers do just as well, with decent head and leg room, and although the width of the centre passenger’s perch is restricted in any car, there’s a broad armrest when there are just two aboard, or the entire centre section can fold.

The rear seat bench doesn’t just split and fold 40/20/40 but also has various stages of reclinement – handy if your youngsters want to doze off.

Behind all of that is a competitively sized 616-litre boot with a broad opening and largely plastic, durable-looking sides, although a few extra hooks and catches wouldn’t hurt. 

As a result of the changes, the Tucson is a much more pleasant place to sit in terms of usability and general convenience - both significantly improved over the previous version. 

Hyundai Tucson infotainment and sat-nav

Like almost every manufacturer, Hyundai has put its infotainment system within a touchscreen, but it isn’t too troubling to use by global standards. 

The system is pretty straightforward to navigate and the graphics are clear, and there’s wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay included as standard.

It’s frustrating having to dive into several menus to turn off some of the more annoying assistance systems, but Hyundai has also added some steering-wheel-mounted buttons for controlling those.

One turns off the lane-keeping assistance, while the other allows you to customise its function and directly access the ADAS menu with a single button press. We like that a lot.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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Hyundai Tucson review   front cornering

The front-wheel-drive Tucson hybrid shines something of a light on the typically inverse relationship between weight and efficient, effortless drivability. 

It effectively shares its 1.6-litre hybrid powertrain with the four-wheel-drive Kia Sorento, but with 400kg less mass to lug around, it makes a much more persuasive go of being a family SUV with heightened green credentials.

I ended up leaving the paddle shifters alone during quicker driving. They’re just a bit too slow. It seems this is a feature aimed more at those with things to tow, which is fine.

Performance is punchy without being exciting. The six-speed automatic gearbox can be a bit slow on the uptake, but the electric motor’s instantly available torque nonetheless makes for fairly effortless roll-on acceleration. 

The Tucson is reasonably swift off the line, too, but can succumb to fairly violent axle tramp on greasy surfaces if you’re apish with your inputs. Exercise a bit of restraint, though, and it’s possible to extract a more than respectable 0-60mph time: we recorded 7.6sec on Millbrook’s damp one-mile straight.

The brakes provide decent stopping power and pedal feel, with the Tucson needing a reasonable 54.1m to come to a standstill from 70mph.

There are times when the hybrid shuffles along in full-electric mode. Response is largely smooth and there are steering-wheel paddles if you want to control what gear the car is in (an extended pull on the up paddle puts it back in Drive). 

In full-auto mode, there’s an occasional hesitation while the system tries to decide exactly what kind of response it should give.

Grip and traction are good, and there’s a digital readout to show where power is being apportioned. 

In PHEV guise, the Tucson produces 252bhp and 271lb ft, but this increase in power is also impacted by an increased kerb weight of 1924kg. Its 8.1sec sprint from 0-62mph is respectable but beaten by the 7.5sec offered by the Tiguan eHybrid.

The Tucson’s electric-only range of 39 miles is only modest, easily surpassed by the new MG HS PHEV's 75 miles. However, this should realistically be enough for most short journeys. 

You will notice the PHEV’s strong, motor-enabled throttle response, with a smooth power delivery. This is largely thanks to the optional four-wheel drive system, as fitted to our test car.

On the move, the Tucson is more dependable than exciting, but in truth, that’s what Hyundai has rightly aimed for. This is one of those cars with which you feel instantly familiar.

RIDE & HANDLING

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Hyundai Tucson review   rear cornering

By family SUV standards, the Tucson has its head on straight when it comes to handling balance.

The steering is accurate, light in its set-up and suitably swift in its responses without feeling overtly athletic or rewarding. Resistance builds in a readable fashion as you wind on lock and load up the chassis, allowing you to gently guide the Tucson through corners confidently. 

Good steering helps engender confidence in the Tucson’s ability to corner in a nimble, stable and competent manner, with decent grip and controlled transfer of weight.

This lighter-touch approach seems to be a key point of difference between Hyundai and Kia: the Tucson lacks the cloying, false-feeling sense of weight you so often find in cars from Hyundai’s sibling brand, where it's arguably employed to achieve a more sporting sense of feel.

Vertical body control is perhaps slightly more tightly controlled than is the norm for the class, but a small degree of easy-going body roll is still evident through faster, tighter bends.

This marginally firmer set-up can occasionally lead to a bit of side-to-side jostling over rougher surfaces, but there’s almost always enough give in the suspension to see off mid-corner impacts with little fuss. 

Meanwhile, outright mechanical grip is easily abundant enough for the vast majority of driving environments that typical Tucson buyers might be exposed to, but you don’t have to try too hard to unearth an unsporting amount of understeer.

In short, then, while it’s usefully nimble and dynamically trustworthy, there isn’t too much here for keener drivers to really get excited about.

That’s not to say the Tucson is a completely unenjoyable car to point down a challenging stretch of B-road, but secure, stable and sensible ease of use is higher up its list of priorities than outright driver engagement. And given the tasks and duties cars such as this are primarily required to fulfil, that’s as it should be, really.

Being a taller, heavier SUV, the Tucson is never going to be the sort of car you’d relish piloting around a fast, technical track such as Millbrook’s Hill Route. And yet for the most part, it composes itself very tidily indeed.

Body roll is present, and while you can feel its weight shifting around through successive directional changes, the rate of transfer never feels alarming.

Grip is largely good, and its electronic stability systems don’t feel overly intrusive when you do start testing the Tucson’s adhesive limits.

Of course, push too hard through particularly tight corners and the Hyundai’s nose will plough on in a straight line – and it will do so quite suddenly if you’re really not careful – but such transgressions are easily corrected.

Although the gearbox can be a bit slow to kick down, the torque fill provided by the electric motor helps to mask any accelerative lull that results. There’s plenty of punch on tap here to push the car up even the steepest inclines at a reasonable lick.

Comfort and isolation

Credit to Hyundai: it has near as dammit nailed the Tucson’s driving position. The front chairs err on the firmer side of things but provide good support for your thighs and torso, while excellent adjustability in the seat base and steering column allows you to position yourself close to the wheel without leaving you hunched over the pedals. 

With a taller hip point, visibility is good enough for trundling around town or sitting on the motorway, although the fairly steeply raked A-pillars that lend the Tucson its swept-back looks can slightly obscure your line of sight during cornering.

At a cruise, the cabin is generally pretty isolated, save for some wind whistle around the large door mirrors, and although road roar is present, it’s far from a grating experience.

We recorded 67dB of cabin noise at 70mph, a figure that stacks up well against 68dB readings taken in 2.0 TDI versions of the Audi Q5 and Volkswagen Tiguan a few years back.

Ride comfort is generally good, save for the aforementioned jostling on more lumpen, unevenly surfaced stretches of asphalt. At town speeds, the Tucson can come across as a touch firm by family SUV standards, but it still manages to smooth over most secondary impacts with little fuss. 

So the Tucson is a comfortable car over long distances, if not quite as accomplished as the Honda CR-V. It’s more comfortable at higher speeds than on more uneven, slower B-roads. 

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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Hyundai Tucson review   front driving lead

Whereas the seven-seat Sorento never feels like more than a jumped-up mild hybrid (and struggles to put serious daylight between itself and conventionally powered rivals in terms of fuel consumption), the lighter Tucson fares considerably better. 

We're fairly impressed by the Tucson hybrid’s fuel consumption. This is, after all, a petrol-engined family-sized SUV that has to generate its own electric power, yet it returned a solid 40mpg in our hands, including a morning of performance testing. 

Hyundai is the cheaper than both the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, but after four years will be worth 40% of its original value (its two rivals 39%).

This is primarily down to the supplementary electric motor having greater scope to take over proceedings and being better able to run for longer periods without being interrupted by the petrol engine.

With sufficient charge in the drive battery, it’s possible to move away from a standstill on electric power alone – provided you’re gentle with your throttle inputs. Similarly, you will often need to lift off the throttle entirely to access EV mode when up and running, and again adopt a lighter touch to continue running as such.

Employ this more mindful approach, however, and it’s possible to see the sorts of fuel consumption figures you’d typically expect from a hybrid – particularly in stop/start urban environments.

On shorter trips around town, our testers were able to get close to 50mpg from the Tucson hybrid. The Tucson PHEV has the potential to return even higher figures. 

Pricing is close between the Tucson and its immediate rivals, although it's well-equipped and feels grander and more premium inside than the Hyundai badge might suggest.

Priced at £34,000, the Tucson significantly undercuts rivals including the Ford Kuga and the Volkswagen Tiguan. Compare it to the CR-V in PHEV guise and it’s almost a staggering £15,000 cheaper.

Standard equipment is really rather good. Entry-level Advance models get 17in wheels, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, ambient lighting and keyless entry. 

Premium cars gain larger 18in wheels, scuff plates, leather and cloth seats, wireless phone charging, heated seats in the front and back, plus more advanced safety equipment such as adaptive cruise control and junction turning warning. 

N Line cars get more aggressive styling, 19in wheels, red detailing and N Line seats. N Line S, meanwhile gets electric seats with ventilation functions, a panoramic sunroof, blind spot monitoring and more powerful LED headlights.

VERDICT

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Hyundai Tucson review   parked

The arrival of the Mk4 Tucson felt like a significant milestone in Hyundai’s story, and its mid-life update has made it an even more compelling choice. 

Its bold, dashing exterior still stands out against many of its rivals while the interior is a smart and functional place to sit, with swathes of premium materials that really push the model upmarket. Add in competitive interior space and it’s a great place to sit. 

New Tucson shows that Hyundai can do both style and substance

The Tucson’s appeal is developed further by a selection of electrified powertrains that are both powerful and potentially very frugal.

Its ride and comfort are also strong points, while its handling feels well-matched to British roads. 

Of course, the Tucson isn’t perfect. The gearbox can be slow-witted and driver engagement isn’t the order of the day, while the newly introduced ADAS can get in the way of an otherwise relaxing and enjoyable drive. Its styling might be a bit too jazzy for some, too. 

But these are small complaints about what is still an otherwise a very sensible and recommendable family SUV. It seems that strong equipment, attractive pricing and a cast-iron warranty may no longer be the primary reasons why you would pick a Tucson over one of its European rivals.

Matt Prior

Matt Prior
Title: Editor-at-large

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013.

Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car. 

Into all things engineering and automotive from any era, Matt is as comfortable regularly contributing to sibling titles Move Electric and Classic & Sports Car as he is writing for Autocar. He has a racing licence, and some malfunctioning classic cars and motorbikes. 

Hyundai Tucson First drives