Hyundai details updated Tucson SUV
BY ROBBIE WALLIS | 8th Aug 2018
HYUNDAI Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has announced pricing and specification for its updated Tucson medium SUV range that ushers in a new entry-level variant, tweaked styling, greater active safety and driveaway pricing at launch for its four most affordable variants.
The entry-level Active, which previously kicked off at $28,590 plus on-roads, has been replaced by the new Go that has a driveaway price of $27,990 for the entry-level 2.0-litre petrol manual through August.
Other variants offered with initial driveaway pricing are the petrol automatic Go ($29,990), and the equivalent Active X versions, at $30,990 for the manual and $32,990 for the auto.
Recommended retail pricing for the entry-level Go starts at $28,150 for the 2WD petrol manual, down $440 on the superseded Active. Still topping the range is the turbo-diesel, all-wheel-drive Highlander, which is $1350 dearer at $48,800.
Like the outgoing range, four specification levels will offered – Go, Active X, Elite and Highlander – with three engine choices including the 121kW/203Nm 2.0-litre aspirated petrol engine, the 130kW/265Nm force-fed 1.6-litre petrol donk and the 136kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel unit offered across the range.
No changes have been made to the engine line-up except for the turbo-diesel, which swaps out the existing six-speed automatic transmission for an eight-speed unit that Hyundai says helps to reduce fuel consumption.
The Tucson gets some light visual updates, including a sharper iteration of the signature cascading grille, tweaked headlights and tail-lights, and new wheel designs.
Hyundai says the new range packs more standard specification than the outgoing model, with the entry-level Go offered with a new floating-style 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, exterior mirror turn signals, rearview camera, six airbags, automatic headlights, LED daytime running lights, 17-inch steel wheels with a full-size spare, cruise control, power windows, roof rails, tonneau cover and Hyundai Auto Link.
The Go comes with the 2.0-litre petrol unit driving the front wheels via a six-speed manual or auto, or the turbo-diesel with all-wheel drive.
Moving up to the Active X, which shares its powertrains with the Go, adds 17-inch alloy wheels, tyre pressure monitor, rear parking sensors, leather-appointed seats, a larger 8.0-inch satellite navigation system with DAB+ digital radio, eight-speaker audio, two-way electric lumbar support, power folding and heated exterior mirrors and a rear console USB port.
Next up is the Elite, which is offered with the 2.0-litre petrol auto, 1.6-litre turbo petrol or 2.0-litre oil burner, and gains 18-inch alloy wheels, power driver’s seat, smart key and push button start, rain-sensing wipers, privacy glass, alloy garnish on power window switches, chrome exterior door handles, matte grey side garnish insert and a luggage net.
The Elite gains Hyundai’s SmartSense safety pack as standard, which includes blind-spot warning, driver attention alert, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, high-beam assist, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, active cruise control with stop & go, dual-zone climate control, electronic parking brake, mirror puddle lamps, glovebox cooling and drive mode select for all-wheel-drive variants.
Go and Active X buyers can option the SmartSense pack on automatic variants for $2200.
Topping the range, the Highlander – which is offered with either the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol or 2.0-litre diesel – adds 19-inch alloys, LED headlights and tail-lights, front parking sensors, wireless phone charging, panoramic glass sunroof, power passenger seat, heated and ventilated front seats, smart power tailgate, 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster display, electrochromatic rearview mirror, heated steering wheel, driver’s knee bolster, solar glass, matte grey front and rear skid plates, twin-tip exhaust and Hyundai Auto Link Premium.
Like other Hyundai models, the Tucson has undergone an Australia-specific suspension and steering tune.
Through the first seven months of the year, Hyundai has sold 11,770 examples of the Tucson, down 19.1 per cent year-on-year but still enough to be the second-best selling model for the brand behind the i30 small car (17,158).
The Tucson sits fourth on the medium SUV sales ladder, behind the Mazda CX-5 (16,080), Toyota RAV4 (13,623) and Nissan X-Trail (12,127) and ahead of the Honda CR-V (10,100), Mitsubishi Outlander (9187) and Kia Sportage (8301).
2018 Hyundai Tucson pricing*
| Go 2WD petrol | $28,150 |
| Go 2WD petrol (a) | $30,650 |
| Go AWD diesel (a) | $35,950 |
| Active X 2WD petrol | $31,350 |
| Active X 2WD petrol (a) | $33,850 |
| Active X AWD diesel (a) | $39,150 |
| Elite 2WD petrol (a) | $37,850 |
| Elite AWD petrol (a) | $40,850 |
| Elite AWD diesel (a) | $43,150 |
| Highlander AWD petrol (a) | $46,500 |
| Highlander AWD diesel (a) | $48,800 |
*Excludes on-road costs
