The sharp-looking Korean now looks sharper still.
Hyundai’s ever-popular contender in the mid-size SUV space, the Tucson, has received a mid-life update to keep it fighting fit despite its age. Doing battle with cars like the Volkswagen Tiguan, Kia Sportage, and Mazda CX-5 will do that to you.
Up front you’ll find a new set of LED headlights flanking a sharper, more angular interpretation of the brands’ signature Cascading Grille. You’ll also find new fog lights that are framed rather nicely by LED daytime running lights, which are of the light-bar variety rather than individual diodes. Always appreciated.
And at the rear, you’ll find new LED taillights and a new bumper, while there are new alloy wheel designs across the range. While the nip and tuck could be described as minor, the overall effect has left the Tucson looking quite a bit more contemporary than before, something that will undoubtedly work to its benefit.
The cabin sees some substantial changes, too. The interior is headlined by a new 7.0-inch touchscreen display, mounted like a tablet atop the dash, replete with Android and Apple smartphone mirroring capabilities. There’s also Qi wireless phone charging, as well as USB ports to service front and rear passengers.
The Tucson has gotten smarter with age, too. There’s now adaptive cruise control available, along with driver drowsiness monitoring, automatic high beam, and a 360º camera system (though that last one is still under consideration for our market).
There will be the offering of semi-autonomous ADAS systems across the range, but there’s no telling where they’ll be offered as standard and where they’ll be featured as options.
Drivetrains for local cars are not expected to vary wildly though, with a 2.0-litre N/A petrol with 121kW/203Nm, a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol with 130kW/265Nm, and a range-topping turbo-diesel 2.0-litre with 136kW and 400Nm. What won’t be carry over is the suspension setup, which we’re informed will feature bespoke tuning for our market. Should be fun to drive, then.
Pricing for the 2019 Hyundai Tucson has not yet been finalised, though the sharpened-up SUV is expected to make Aussie landfall in the third quarter of this year.
For more information on Hyundai, check out our Showroom.
