2010 Hyundai Tucson is an SUV on a mission

Interior and exterior show Korean company is going all-out to capture the compact market

Dec 26, 2009

Special to the Star

LOS ANGELES – One of the consumer benefits of a crowded segment is the competitiveness it creates. When an all-new model is introduced, automakers know it had better be up to snuff if it's going to make an impression.

Hyundai has definitely done that with the 2010 edition of its Tucson compact SUV. It had its public unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show earlier this month; a week later, the company put journalists behind the wheel.

It goes on sale in mid-January, and pricing won't be announced in Canada until closer to that date. Oddly, Americans already know: south of the border, it starts at $18,995 (US) for GLS trim, and $24,345 for the top-line Limited.

Don't go by that, though. Our models won't be optioned quite the same. We'll get three trim lines with the addition of a base GL, and yes, cars are cheaper in the U.S.

Hyundai Canada's reps will only say that the 2010 model will be priced slightly higher than the outgoing 2009 Tucson, which ranges from $21,195 to $30,995.

Tucson was an odd duck when it was introduced for 2005, almost a twin in size and performance to Santa Fe, the company's original compact SUV, and the two were sold alongside each other.

Tucson only came into its own a couple of years later, when Santa Fe was redesigned into a larger, three-row vehicle. It slid back a bit as it aged, though: a 2008 model I tested looked lazily-assembled, with several fit-and-finish issues, and its twin Kia Sportage offered more safety features for a similar price.

(Sportage remains built on the old model for 2010, but Internet spy shots indicate that it will upgrade similarly for 2011.)

All is forgiven with the 2010 Tucson, which had me scrambling to find things to fault. Its interior is well done, its new engine does a remarkable job and its redesigned exterior is handsome. The Tucson also benefits from the lack of its predecessor's plastic cladding (a.k.a. the vinyl roof of the new millennium).

In true Hyundai copycat fashion, it now bears resemblance to the Lexus RX350.

While the outgoing Tucson comes with either a 2.0 L four-cylinder or 2.7 V6, the 2010 offers only one engine – an all-new 2.4 L four-cylinder that, at 176 horsepower and 168 lb.-ft. of torque, makes more horses than the V6 it replaces.

The base GL will come with a six-speed manual, which is mostly to advertise a lower starting price and to satisfy Quebec and Atlantic Canada, where stick shifts tend to sell in the highest numbers.

A six-speed automatic will be optional on the GL and will be the only choice on GLS and Limited models. The GL and GLS are front-wheel drive, but can be optioned to all-wheel, which is standard on the Limited. The AWD system runs primarily in front wheel, but can send up to 50 per cent of power to rear wheels when necessary. Under 30 km/h, it can be locked into 50/50 – handy for getting out of snowy driveways.

Hyundai's on the mark with this new powerplant; you won't feel the need for a V6.

Even steep mountain roads didn't tax it and, unusual for many four-cylinders, stomping on the throttle just produces smooth power without any accompanying roar or whine.

The six-speed automatic is also extremely well mated to it, with no gear hunting on the twistiest of inclines.

Power-wise, Tucson sits about the middle of its competitors, but the company says its power-to-weight ratio is better than that of the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, Nissan Rogue and Ford Escape.

Its fuel consumption is bested only by the less-powerful Jeep Patriot. A fuel-economy reminder in the instrument cluster tells you when your foot is light enough.

The ride is pleasant and it feels stable, helped by front coil springs that have a sideways slant to them, to keep the vehicle level on hard turns. There's also no rear-wheel hop on broken pavement.

The electric steering is tuned for a fairly organic feel and the turning radius is spin-on-a-dime sharp. For all that, the steering wheel snaps sharply back to centre, as if it's spring-loaded.

It's probably handy in parking lots, but I found it annoying on the road.

The new model is slightly larger than the outgoing version (although it weighs 29 kg less), and it's very roomy inside, even in the second row where there's plenty of legroom and space under the front seats for slipping one's feet.

The dash design is night-and-day over the old model, with metallic accents, textured plastics, and blue backlighting, while the seats stayed comfortable over a full day's driving.

All models include air conditioning, six airbags, active front head restraints, electronic stability control, and two new features: hill assist, which holds the trucklet on inclines for two seconds while you make your way from brake to throttle, and hill descent control which, when activated, keeps the speed to about 8 km, handy when getting down nasty cottage trails. All models also include folding rear seats, but they're not quite as good as the old ones.

Those went all the way down, and locked right into place. These new ones are close, but they're not completely flat.

The Limited includes automatic climate control and leather seats and can be optioned with a navigation system and Hyundai's first panoramic sunroof.

Of course, all of that will depend on price and it's tough to give a final assessment without knowing how much Tucson will lighten the wallet.

Everything else lines up very nicely, though, both inside and out, and on the road.

In the crowded compact SUV market, this one's going to stand out.

Toronto Star

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