Does it have turbo?
Why yes, yes it does.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
2016 Tuscon Limited 1.6T
Pros: Great Value, tons of neat features, bountiful torque
Cons: Jerky transmission, less than stellar rear ward visibility
Hyundai has made some remarkable vehicles recently, starting with the Sonata back in 2011 they set the new standards within the mid size segment, and the brand new Tucson is no exception. This beautifully appointed compact crossover has a lot of bells and whistles that you would expect from high end vehicles. Starting with the base model, it’s already packed with nice amenities like 5" touch screen with rearview camera, automatic headlights with LED daytime running lights, and heated front seats.
The New Tucson is a well sculpted crossover with lines and curves you would not expect, it’s much more handsome than the plain jane Honda CRV or Ford Escape overall the styling is quite sporty with hints of Mazda CX-5 and Volkswagen Tiguan. For the 2016 model year it has grown about 3 inches overall, with 1.2 inches growth within the wheelbase, and the width has grown 1.1 inches to increase overall cabin space. The increase of space is welcomed, the interior has a very spacious feel and with the optional panoramic sunroof the cabin feels airy and open. Hyundai has mentioned through out their marketing material have used high strength steel and adhesive to increase body rigidity, this is definitely felt when driving over rough terrain the body does not squeak or rattle.
The base engine is a 2.0L Gasoline Direct Injection unit with 164 hp and 151 lb-ft torque mated with a traditional 6-speed automatic, optionally like our tester you can get a 1.6L Turbo Gasoline Direct Injection with a 7-speed Dual Clutch transmission. The 1.6 has 174 horsepower but the impressive specification is the torque, it produces 195 lb-ft between 1500rpm and 4500rpm. While driving the dual clutch is programmed to stay within the torque band keeping the engine revs low improving fuel economy. With a blip of the throttle this little SUV will keep up with traffic and make merging on to highways a breeze, if you are so inclined you are able to toggle the shift lever to the right and manually control the gears yourself. Putting this power to the ground is Hyundai’s latest AWD system, on normal driving condition 100% of the power is sent to the front wheels, but when the rear wheels detect slip up to 50% of the power can be sent backwards. On the centre console there is a toggle button to lock the centre differential to apply power to front and back axles evenly when conditions get rough. There’s also something Hyundai calls Active Cornering Control, what this system does is send power to the wheels with the most traction to reduce understeer it can also brake the inside wheel to produce a torque vectoring effect. Lastly if you do take the Tucson off road there is a Downhill Brake Control to assist the drivers when crawling down steep hills.
On the road the Tucson does drives similarly to the sporty Mazda CX-5 although there’s not much feel with the electric power steering the Tucson is able to handle curves and switchbacks with ease. The overall feel is sporty and light, with instant torque the Tucson is able to provide a joyful experience not found in comparable CRV or RAV-4. The suspension tuning is stiff enough to handle body roll relatively well for a 3700 lb SUV, while the 19" wheels and tires are just soft enough to absorb pot holes without providing the passengers with a jarring ride. During long distance drives the Tucson remained comfortable and quiet, the sculpted leather seats provided enough bolstering for lateral support, front seat lumbar support is ample, and the head rest is plush. Featured in the top of the line model are a pair of cooled seats, which aid the typical hot summers on leather seat problems and on cold winter days front and rear seats are heated. Most of the interior is fitted with plush leather or soft plastics, the fit and finish is superb with minimal gaps throughout, the lower door cards were made from hard plastics which can feel cheap but they do deflect kicks and wear when entering or exiting the vehicle.
Like most if not all Hyundai products pricing has always attracted a lot of their buyers, the Tucson starts at $24,399 and it tops out at $39,599. At that price it undercuts most of it’s competitors and tops out at nearly the same. At the top of the list there are a lot of technology such as forward collision mitigation braking, lane departure warning, panoramic sunroof, power assisted rear tailgate, heated steering wheel,and led headlights. But of course, with any compact cross over safety is a key factor and Hyundai did not spare any expense here neither. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the Tucson a Top Safety Pick plus, it features 6 air bags for all around protection, and LATCH child seat safety anchors for the outside rear passengers.
With any vehicle there’s bound to be some things that could be improved upon, starting at the power train the 7-speed dual clutch is great once the car is up and running however during take off or low speed maneuvering it’s dull and could be jerky, paired with the slower reaction time of drive by wire it’s not as responsive as it could be. All in all, the 2016 Tucson is a fantastic people mover for families or anyone that which likes a comfortable higher riding vehicle with enough toys and gadgets to overload the common senses, priced fairly in the compact crossover segment this SUV shows a lot of potential and is sure to take away sales from it’s competitors.
In the Limited and Ultimate trim you get these nice scuff plates
Interior features bright white LEDS
overhead LEDs
gauges are easy to read with a trip computer in the centre that doubles as a navigation pointer
shift lever is leather wrapped and has nice stitching
Yes! it can fit Dixie, a German Shepard Husky mix easily in the back with room the spare, and she didn't find the rear bumper to be too high.
Coming up will be a short video of the Tucson, compiling video seems to a little more work that I had 1st imagined, and as always feedback is always greatly appreciated.
Thank you Hyundai Canada for the vehicle, and "cho" for letting use Dixie as a model
Words and Photos by: Jimmy Mak
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
The banners on the left side and below do not show for registered users!
