New Hyundai Tucson review

If the Hyundai Tucson name makes you think of Tucson, Arizona with its wild frontiers and gunslingers, that's actually quite appropriate.

You see, the Tucson is in a gunfight with lots of other sharp-shooting family SUVs – and needs to be darned quick on the draw to see off its rivals in this highly competitive car class.

To help it out, Hyundai gives Tucson buyers plenty of choice when it comes to engines, including no less than three types of hybrid (although there's no diesel these days). It's available as a full hybrid or a plug-in hybrid while the standard petrol engines can be had with mild-hybrid tech. Plus, an update for 2024 has refreshed the interior, with a new touchscreen and driver's display set-up.

Hyundai Tucson video review

So when the gunsmoke settles, is the Hyundai Tucson the best family SUV to ride off into the sunset in or will you want to leave it stabled?

Read on to find out how we rate it against rivals ranging from the Ford Kuga and Kia Sportage to the Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq – plus premium brand offerings including the Volvo XC40...

The entry-level Hyundai Tucson engine is the 159bhp 1.6 T 160 petrol, which comes with a manual gearbox and can officially hit 0-62mph in 9.9 seconds.

If you upgrade to the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox you get 48-volt mild-hybrid (MHEV) tech, making it slightly faster, and the choice of front-wheel or four-wheel drive.

Further up the range is a full hybrid – the 212bhp 1.6 T 215 Hybrid, with a battery big enough for short bursts of electric driving in stop-start traffic. When the engine and motor work together there’s plenty of pep for overtaking, with an official 0-62mph time of 8.2 seconds.

For even more electric running, there's the range-topping 1.6 T-GDI Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), which gets 249bhp and will officially go up to 43 miles on electricity alone. That’s one of the better electric ranges you’ll find in a PHEV family SUV with the Ford Kuga and Kia Sportage PHEVs close behind. It’s fast enough to feel fun, and is super slick to drive in EV mode, but its six-speed auto box is a bit hesitant to shift down a gear if you need a burst of acceleration.

The Tucson rides softly at low speeds and over gentler undulations with reasonable aplomb, but is more jarring over sharper potholes and ridges than cars with a bit of extra give in their springs, such as the Skoda Karoq and Volvo XC40. It’s not as pronounced as it is in a Kuga though.

The entry-level Tucson Advance is the most pliant version as it comes with smaller 17in wheels with plumper tyres, which help to round off sharper abrasions.

At higher speeds the Tucson isn't as calm as a Sportage, especially on the 19in alloy wheels you get with N Line trim and above, or if you go with the Hybrid or PHEV (because of their extra weight).

The Tucson's relatively small steering wheel and light weighting create an early sense that this will be a fairly spry family SUV – but it’s not. When you’re driving sedately it flows along happily enough, but if you push harder the steering doesn’t build up much weight and you find it’s not that easy to place accurately on the road.

The balance of the grip between the front and rear wheels isn’t as cohesive as it is in a Seat Ateca, Kia Sportage or VW Tiguan. They don’t lean as much either, making them more stable, agile and engaging to drive spiritedly.

At low speeds, the Tucson is pretty refined. The PHEV is hushed when running in electric mode and the petrol engine doesn't become vocal unless it's worked hard.

There’s a fraction more wind noise on a motorway than in a Volvo XC40 while there’s more road noise than in a Kuga or Sportage. The suspension twangs over expansion joints, while a light vibrating buzz filters up at times through the steering column.

In addition, the Tucson wasn’t as stable when coming to a halt in our high-speed braking tests as the Kuga and Sportage.

“The brakes on the Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid versions are a bit fickle when it comes to their progression because of the regenerative braking system. That said, I’ve driven hybrids with more abrupt brakes.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

The Hyundai Tucson’s driving seat isn’t as high up as in the Volvo XC40 – something to think about if you want that lofty SUV driving position. Still, it's supportive through corners and comfy on long journeys thanks to standard-fit electrically adjustable lumbar support.

Premium and N Line S come with electric adjustment, while range-topping Ultimate trim also includes a memory function. There’s also a superbly placed armrest on top of the centre console and another, matching it, on the driver’s door.

A 12.3in digital driver's display is standard and easy to read at a glance. All the buttons and physical dials on the dashboard are positioned closely around you, making it extremely easy to adjust the temperature. There are some touch-sensitive controls that are trickier to operate them by feel but at least they’re not ones you'll use frequently.

The Tucson's front pillars are not particularly wide but because they’re set at quite an angle they get in your way a little through tighter corners or at T-junctions. The rear pillars are very chunky so you’ll almost certainly end up relying on the parking aids.

Thankfully, you get front and rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera as standard (they are on most Hyundai car models), while N Line S trim and above introduce matrix LED headlights that automatically adjust to avoid dazzling other road users when on high beam. 

Top-spec N Line S and Ultimate trims gain a 360-degree camera and a system called a Blind Spot View Monitor (BVM). When you flick the indicator on, a camera feed shows you an image of what’s in your blind-spot in the digital instrument display. It's a potentially handy addition, requiring a simple glance down at the instruments while swapping lanes.

All Tucsons get a 12.3in infotainment touchscreen positioned beside the driver's display. It’s as crisp as the best flatscreen TVs and has smart graphics.

The infotainment menus are straightforward and the software is responsive enough to inputs, if not quite as snappy as the best touchscreens, including the ones in the Skoda Karoq and VW Tiguan. The icons could be a little larger to make them easier to aim for too.

Hyundai’s penchant for giving you lots of kit means sat-nav, Bluetooth connectivity, DAB radio, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring come as standard. All versions get wireless phone-charging and a six-speaker sound system. Moving up to Premium trim upgrades the stereo to an eight-speaker Krell system.

Since the Tucson's 2024 update, we’ve tried higher-spec versions and the interior materials feel good to touch. They're soft and dense where it counts, and the buttons come with a well-damped action.

The updated interior looks smarter than in earlier cars, especially on the dashboard, with a better finish overall. It’s a step up from the Ford Kuga interior, which has more hard plastics.

The dollop of premium panache you get in, for example, the XC40 is still missing though. The plastic sheen to the Tucson’s leather seats and the faint flex when you lean against its centre console see to that.

“I found that the twist-operated gear selector low down on the steering column took some time to get used, but it does free up some space on the centre console.” – Dan Jones, Reviewer

If you ate all your greens as a kid and grew up tall and strong, the Hyundai Tucson’s generous proportions will see you right. There’s plenty of leg room, plus at least as much head room as any family SUV offers. It also feels broader and airier than many rivals, including the Seat Ateca.

The front door bins are on the small side but the roomy glovebox and various trays and cubbies dotted around mean you won’t struggle to hide your paraphernalia.

The rear seats are great for taller folks, so if you regularly ferry around adults as well as youngsters, this is definitely one to check out. The Tucson will take two six-footers in the back comfortably, even with the front seats slid well back. There’s lots of room for their feet under the front seats and the head room is excellent.

When you add a passenger to the narrow middle seat, things get a bit pinched, mainly around the shoulders, if all the passengers are burly adults. The Ford Kuga offers a little more space for feet on either side of a small hump on the floor.

The rear door bins are small, with just about enough room for a 500ml bottle in each, but there's a fold-down armrest in the middle with integrated cupholders.

The rear seats don’t slide back and forth as they do in the Kuga and VW Tiguan but they do recline so your passengers can snooze.

The back seats fold down in a very useful 40/20/40 split, helping to maximise the space available for passengers and any longer pieces of luggage. As with the Kuga and the Kia Sportage all Tucsons get handy remote levers just inside the boot that fold down the rear seats.

At up to 620 litres, the Tucson’s boot space is among the biggest you’ll find in the family SUV class. However, it’s worth noting that that figure is for the non-hybrid petrol version. The MHEV and regular hybrid cars get 577 litres while the PHEV has 558.

We did our carry-on suitcase test on a Tucson PHEV and managed to fit seven cases below the parcel shelf. That's up there with the Volvo XC40.

There’s also a bit of underfloor storage in most models, although the PHEV sacrifices that to the battery pack. All versions except entry-level Advance come with an electric tailgate.

“The wheel arches intrude a little, but the boot is still usefully wide and the floor sits flush with the bottom of the tailgate opening. I just think it's a pity that you have to step up to Ultimate trim to get remote release handles for the seat backs.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

The Hyundai Tucson comes with plenty of kit as standard but you do pay for that privilege. It commands a higher starting price than the Kia Sportage, the Seat Ateca and the Skoda Karoq but about the same as a Ford Kuga and slightly less than a VW Tiguan.

If you want a regular hybrid (HEV) Tucson, you have to match it with one of the higher trims, so it works out more expensive than a Sportage with the equivalent engine. Meanwhile, the upper trim levels push the Tucson into the premium territory occupied by the BMW X1, the Range Rover Evoque and the Volvo XC40 (and the Evoque will depreciate much less).

The Tucson PHEV's low CO2 figure of 22g/km and competitive 43-mile official electric range will make it the cheapest option as a company car. When the battery is drained, you can expect MPG to be in the mid to high 30s from the 1.6-litre petrol engine. The 1.6 T-GDi 230 Hybrid (HEV) produces as little as 129g/km, putting it in a lower BIK tax bracket than the entry-level petrol 1.6 T-GDi 150 manual. The MHEV with an automatic gearbox produces 142g/km.

Earlier versions of the Hybrid clocked up 49.6mpg in official testing and we managed just over 40mpg in a real-world test. That’s not as good as some diesel family SUVs but compares well with petrol rivals. The MHEV isn’t quite as frugal, but mid to high 30s MPG is easily achievable if the trip computer is to be believed. Meanwhile, the entry-level petrol should be in the low to mid 30s for MPG.

Entry-level Tucson Advance models come generously equipped, with 17in alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, keyless ignition, rear privacy glass and ambient lighting.

N-Line models bring 19in wheels and sportier exterior styling, faux leather and suede-like upholstery, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats, sun blinds integrated into the rear doors and additional safety features.

Premium trim has heated rear seats and part-leather upholstery for not too much more money.

At the top of the range are N Line S and Ultimate trims, which add three-zone climate control and a panoramic sunroof. The only difference is that N Line S has sportier styling. Both push the Tucson’s price close to the plusher Range Rover Evoque and Volvo XC40.

The Tucson finished in a respectable 12th place in the family SUV class in our 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey – just below the Qashqai and above the Sportage. As a manufacturer, Hyundai performed very well, coming seventh out of 32 manufacturers.

You get a five-year, unlimited-mileage Hyundai warranty. That’s better than most rivals offer, with the exception of Kia, which covers you for up to seven years.

The latest Tucson achieved the highest five-star safety rating when it was tested by Euro NCAP in 2021. Airbag protection for the driver’s chest in a front collision was rated as marginal but the car performed well everywhere else. There’s plenty of safety kit as standard to help you avoid an accident in the first place.

For example, every Tucson comes with automatic emergency braking (AEB), a driver attention warning system, speed-limit recognition and trailer stability assist. You also get a system that will automatically apply the brakes after a collision to ensure you don’t roll forwards and have a secondary impact.

Stepping up to N Line trim adds a Highway Drive Assist feature that adjusts your steering for you in order to keep the car centred in your chosen lane (you must keep your hands on the wheel though).

“Big discounts are available on the Tucson, but I'd urge potential buyers to do their sums, because the Tucson loses value quicker than some rivals.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

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