The Motorist 03 | Page 30

HYUNDAI TUCSON Making waves: Hyundai’s new Tucson. We recently had great the opportunity to sample the all new Hyundai Tucson 1.6 T GDI Elite DCT. The previous Tucson was a car liked by many South Africans, judging by how many we’ve seen on the roads. Now since I’m the married one in the team with prospects of children in the near future, I was tasked to spend some time in the new car. If the boys thought they were being funny by assigning me to test this car, the joke was on them because the car is quiet lovely. First impressions: Upon inspecting our test car, the first thing that struck me was DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) gearbox. It’s is always a good thing to see in a car like this, because it means that gear changes should be fast and smooth. At the heart of the car is the 1.6 litre turbocharged engine, which seemed small to me, even though it packs 130kW/265Nm. After driving it, it became clear to me that I had underestimated the Tucson, because it lifted its skirt and headed swiftly for the horizon. It’s not very fast but it’s fast enough get the kids to school on time when you’ve hit the snooze button many times. The vehicle is very smooth in general and quite graceful overall. It’s very evident that Hyundai have put a lot of effort into refining the new Tucson. From its seamless gear changes, the ride comfort and good seating position, it’s a good place to be in. What impressed me the most inside the car was how ergonomically friendly it is, as I often get frustrated when things are too busy. That being said, the infotainment system could’ve been designed with a slightly larger screen. Does it work in the city? Taking the vehicle around town where most of these mid-sized SUVs live, one notices how it blends in well. In some cases it even stands out due to its stylish design and American looks. Due to sensors and cameras, I found it very easy to park in tight spots that one will inevitably encounter in the city. Boot space is ample with 488 litres which can grow to 1478 litres with the seats folded down. At night the LED lights around the headlight give it a modern “Tron-like” look. Standard specification on the top of the range model includes a host of features such as electric seats, front and rear parking sensors, rear view camera, panoramic sunroof, blind sport recognition, roof rails and the list goes on. Bang for buck: Now here’s the interesting thing, For R519 900, the Tucson is square in line with the BMW X1 2.0i sDrive in terms of price. The difference is that the BMW will be a “Plain Jane” compared with to the fully kitted out Tucson. On the one hand you have renowned German engineering, but on the other hand gone are the days when cars like Hyundai and KIA were deemed unreliable. In fact, these cars have won many customer satisfaction awards of late. The Hyundai is honestly the better b