Source: Hyundai.com
The all-new 2016 Hyundai Tucson arrived on a cold February day looking particularly sunny and bright in a striking ‘Caribbean Blue’ shade. I immediately smiled at this compact crossover SUV that boasted a lot of extras as standard features. I was excited to have it all to myself for a week.
What’s New
The redesigned Tucson boasts a roomier interior and I saw that right away. The front feels just right for many adults and the back is able to easily and comfortably transport regular sized grown up people versus just a few teens or kids still in safety seats. This new model is safer and has more technological upgrades than the previous model that shine through on your daily drives as well. A turbocharged GDI 4-cylinder engine that is also fuel-efficient completes this crossover SUV.
On the Inside
Source: Hyundai.com
Each time I get a new car to review my immediate take is how it looks on the inside. It’s not about latches for car seats or how little ones fit in the vehicle or where the cup holders are so much as how does it feel to be a passenger in all seats and how effective and comfortable do I feel as the driver on a day-to-day basis. For me, that begins the second I sit in the vehicle. The Tucson with its leather seats, heated in the front and back felt well done. The trim is nicely stitched and comes through on the dash and door panels too. The leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob are standard on this model and feel nice to the touch. There is a 60/40 split rear seat that makes it practical as well as roomier allowing the Tucson to feel like much more than a compact crossover.
The centerstack with its 8-inch touchscreen display and navigation system with BlueLink system feel restrained and easy to use. There were no guessing games about how to configure things, nothing felt out of reach and it is not a crowded dashboard. It’s just sensible and complete without a lot of fuss and that is not always a bad thing.
Source: Hyundai.com
I definitely have fallen hard for the Hyundai panoramic sunroof. It doesn’t just add additional light to the interior of the Tucson but cheer as well. It enhances the daily driving experience for both front and back seat passengers and is a welcome touch on this vehicle day or night.
Drive Time
While driving the 2016 Hyundai Tucson I noticed it had the usual steering feel that the company offers across its vehicles. It’s smooth and fluid without a trace of stiffness or feeling too loose. It’s one of the things I like most about the brand. That and their braking system which I love, but oddly emits a sound almost like a horn honking no matter which model I drive when the brakes are depressed too fast. I know it cannot be just me that has encountered this with their cars.
On the highway or in the town the Tucson performs well. It gets about 26 combined mpg (24 city/28 highway) roughly. Acceleration is always smooth and I never felt jerked around during my drives. This car is easy to shift and a surprisingly can be fun to drive due to its quick reflexes and engine. The Limited I tested comes with Blind Spot Detection and a Rear Cross-Traffic Alert that I always appreciate especially when driving in adverse conditions like we have had this past winter.
Final Thoughts
The 2016 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD is a comfortable 5-passenger vehicle that really seats five comfortably. Driving it is easy and feels smooth in all ways. It competes well in its compact crossover segment even giving a bit more leg room and cargo space than its competitors. It is also a fuel-sipper making it more enticing when pricing out these vehicles. Hyundai offers its customary 10-year/100,000 mile warranty as well more on this model. Priced to start at $22,700 for the base model (2.0 liter engine) the model reviewed starts at $31,300 with a total MSRP of $32,510. If you can afford that price in a compact crossover SUV it is definitely worth taking a look at and testing out.
