There has been so much emphasis (and deservedly so) by Hyundai's PR folks on the Tucson Hybrid and the Tucson PHEV Plug-In Hybrid that it has been almost six years since the last time a gasoline-powered Tucson showed up in my driveway.
The Tucson has been a solid contender in the compact SUV segment. It may only sell half as many units as the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V, but 200,000 vehicles a year is nothing to sneeze at and that puts it firmly in the 15 most popular passenger cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the U.S.
Among the gasoline models, there are five trim levels, beginning at $28,605 (not including destination). Our test vehicle was the XRT all-wheel drive, with a starting price of $34,165.
Hyundai calls XRT “the rugged trim with off-road styling additions” and that’s wordy but accurate. There’s nothing in the way an XRT is equipped that makes it any more capable off-road than any other Tucson, and like every other Tucson, you can get one in front-wheel drive instead of AWD. The black front and rear lower fascias, black side cladding and 18-inch alloy wheels are strictly for show.
All gasoline-powered Tucsons have the same 187-horsepower four-cylinder engine, all take about nine seconds to get to 60 mph from a standing start and all get the same EPA fuel economy estimate of 28 mpg combined city/highway for FWD models and 26 (24 city/30 highway) for AWD models.
While that acceleration number sounds uninspiring, it is a comfortable vehicle on city streets, urban freeways and interstates. I had a meeting that required a 216-mile roundtrip while I had the Tucson, and not only does it cruise quietly, it did better than the EPA’s mileage estimate---settling in around 32.5 mpg on the highway.
There’s also a remarkable list of standard equipment for the money. That includes a comprehensive suite of active safety features, LED headlamps, taillamps and daytime running lights, keyless entry with pushbutton start, a hands-free power liftgate, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear air vents, synthetic leather-trimmed seats, a power driver’s seat with lumbar support, ambient interior lighting, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, four USB ports, wireless device charging and a 12.3-inch touchscreen with AM/FM/HD Radio, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as a 90-day Platinum trial of SiriusXM Satellite radio.
Hyundai’s model is to make most equipment standard on a given trim level, and there were only two extra-cost options on our test vehicle---the Ultimate Red paint ($470) and carpeted floor mats ($210), so with $1,395 inland freight and handling, the bottom line on the window sticker reads $36,240---a price well below the average new car these days.
The Tucson has tough competition in the RAV4 and CR-V, but before you make a decision on the purchase of a compact SUV, the Tucson is absolutely worth your consideration and a test drive.
