The Hyundai people we spoke with while testing the new Tucson were excited about proclaiming this a European design. Undeniably it is, taking advantage of the current European taste for dynamic thrusting forms and aggressive angularities. This crossover is nothing if not modern. It has swoopy lines darting to and fro along its flanks, nose and tail. The side windows have not the slightest hint of being rectangular, with the little triangular windows behind the C-pillar almost squinted shut.
There can be no denying the Tucson has an athletic, muscular look, the four wheels barely contained by their swollen, stuffed-tight wheel arches. A huge, deeply slanted windshield provides excellent forward perspective for the driver, but for rear seat passengers, looking out of the Tucson's narrow side windows is a little like peering out the gun slit of an armored car.
And there will be those who find the Tucson's exterior a little busy looking, while others will find that standing next to the Tucson and looking down its door sides, it looks oddly slab-sided, bigger and heavier than it really is.
As always, there is ample room for debate about the Tucson's styling. The one point that is not debatable is this crossover's high expectations. Its styling is up to the minute, as aggressive as any crossover in the world market. For those youngish families with a taste of sportiness, Hyundai has opened the door wide.
The first thing that strikes you climbing into the 2010 Tucson is its roomy interior's reassuring feeling of harmony and simplicity. This car's chief designers and stylists may have been German, but in the Tucson there is no hint of the German tendency towards self-indulgent complexity, of making you learn all over again how to do something you already know perfectly well how to do. Decidedly to the contrary, the Tucson offers excellent ergonomics, that all but lost discipline of making a car's controls self-explanatory and intuitive. This Hyundai gets an A-plus.
The dashboard's black pebble-grain covering is handsome and anything but econo. The dashboard instruments are straightforward and dignified, with a water temperature and fuel gauge delivered in electronic readouts. To the left of the steering column are controls for hill assist, a stability-control off switch and the differential locker control.
Cruise control and audio switches are provided on the steering wheel, with phone controls partially hidden inside the wheel rim.
The center console, too, is simply laid out, offering audio controls, a navigation system and Bluetooth MP3 capability. Here we encountered one weakness in the Tucson, its forward-slanting navigation screen was all but blinded by glare on sunny days. On the other hand, it is blessedly straightforward to use, with a proper radial knob provided for tuning the audio. Defrost front and rear and individual seat-heater controls are easily selected, while XM is the satellite server of choice, and it should be.
The front seats are excellent both in terms of firm support and high-quality leather. The one-touch up/down driver's power window is one of those conveniences that once you've gotten used to it, you'll never be satisfied with less. Back seat room is lavish for two, adequate for three, and if you're looking for a third row, this is a compact crossover.
The new 2010 Tucson is a reasonably responsive driver, fully competitive with the other small utilities in its class. Its engine is smooth and quiet in normal driving, but accelerating hard onto a freeway to join the flow of traffic, its thrust is only adequate and the yowl it makes reminds you that this is after all only a small four-cylinder. But adequate is better than nothing, and in this class of vehicles, the Tucson is more than competitive.
The Hyundai-designed six-speed automatic transmission is smooth-shifting and excellent, giving the Tucson a big advantage in efficiency over other vehicles in its class. Additionally, its manual shifting capability is particularly good. In all but the most dramatically ill-advised shift requests, it gives you the gear you command.
The motor-driven electric power steering is one of the Tucson's greatest strengths. It is perfectly calibrated, giving you firm steering response, flawless road feel and no excuse to become uninterested in the driving experience. Absolutely first class.
The Tucson's ride and handling are good, but in our drives we discovered an oddity. We drove both the front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive and found a surprising difference between them. The all-wheel-drive chassis's ride was noticeably harsher than the front-driver's. This proved particularly true when driving the top-of-the-line Limited AWD with 18-inch wheels. This is not to say that the AWD chassis is terrible, and if your planned use for your vehicle dictates all-wheel drive for climatic reasons, then the AWD Tucson will serve your purpose. But if you have no particular need of AWD, save some money, $1500 is the AWD premium, and get a gentler front-wheel-drive package.
Otherwise, the Tucson had good brakes with firm pedal feel and exemplary modulation, and the chassis had only mild roll in brisk cornering, as would be expected of a vehicle engineered and tuned in Germany. Additionally, the Tucson is a very clean Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle, satisfying one's environmental good intentions. All in all as utilities go, a satisfying driving package.
The 2010 Hyundai Tucson GLS 2WD ($18,995) comes with cloth upholstery, air conditioning with air filter, AM/FM/satellite radio/CD/MP3 audio with six speakers, iPod/USB input jacks, IPod cable and roof antenna, power windows/doors/locks, remote keyless entry, trip computer, tilt steering, front and cargo area power outlets, bottle holders in all four doors, rear armrest with cupholders, 60/40 split fold-down rear seatback, bodycolor rear spoiler, underfloor cargo storage, rear wiper and washer, 17-inch steel wheels. The GLS is also available with an automatic transmission ($19,995). The Tucson GLS AWD ($23,195) includes all-wheel drive, the automatic and leatherette upholstery.
The optional GLS Popular Equipment Package ($1,700) adds telescoping steering wheel, 17-inch alloy wheels, auto up/down driver window, leatherette wcloth inserts, leather-wrapped wheel and shifter, Bluetooth hands-free phone, illuminated vanity mirrors, steering wheel audio controls, cruise control, bodycolor door handles and heated mirrors, privacy glass, roof side rails, engine cover. Navi Package ($3,700) includes the Popular Equipment Package, navigation system with 6.5-inch screen, rearview camera, premium audio with external amplifier and subwoofer, automatic headlights.
Tucson Limited ($24,345) and Limited AWD ($25,845) upgrade to leather seating, heated front seats, power driver seat with lumbar, dual-zone temperature control, solar glass, cargo cover, chrome grille and door handles, foglights, front wiper de-icer, side repeater exterior mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels. The Limited Premium Package ($2,850) adds sunroof, navigation system with 6.5-inch screen, rearview camera, premium audio wexternal amp and subwoofer, delete roof rails.
Safety features on all Tucson models include electronic stability control, traction control, hill-start assist, downhill brake control, four-wheel disc brakes, ABS, EBD, brake assist, six airbags with rollover sensor, active front adjustable head restraints, lane-change assist turn signals. All-wheel drive is optional.