2022 Hyundai Tucson Long Term Reports

Last month, I didn’t get to drive the Tucson as much as I would like, mainly because the automotive world has been very active. Which basically means that we’ve been travelling constantly, and the Tucson has been safely parked at my house. However, this year, we did have a mild summer, and there has already been a lot of rainfall in Delhi NCR. Now rainfalls are almost always a good thing – unless you’re a cricket fanatic – but in our country the result of a rainfall usually is also severe waterlogging. The scene is no different in Delhi, and the extensive rainfall has meant that virtually two or three times a week I’ve faced waterlogged roads on my commute. But, with the high ground clearance of the Tucson has allowed to tackle those waterlogged roads with ease. Of course, I’ve avoided using the biggest traps, like underpasses, but overall, this ability to drive through the water has made my commute much smoother. Also, knowing that you have this safety net makes sure that you don’t get worried every time it starts raining and you have to go somewhere. In the month of July I have a couple of long drives coming up, and I have to say, with the Tucson and its long-distance cruising capability, I’m really looking forward to all of them. This is primarily because the torque of the diesel engine makes high-speed driving a breeze, while still delivering excellent fuel efficiency. At the same time, the various creature comforts - like the climate control, ventilated seats and the Bose sound system make the journey much more comfortable.

Of late, we’ve been hearing a lot about running costs, and part of the reason I’m bringing this up is recently my colleague was using the Grand Vitara, which, with its strong hybrid delivers phenomenally low running costs of around `4 per km. I’ve never really paid attention to the running costs of my cars, but this piqued my curiosity, and I checked what the running costs of the Tucson were like. If I look at the historic fuel efficiency of the car, it has been averaging between 11 and 12km/l, which in today’s diesel prices in Delhi – `90 per liter – translates to about `7.5 to 8 per km. At times, when driving leisurely, I’ve also seen the figures climb to 15km/l. Frankly, my belief is that as long as the large SUVs give me double-digit efficiency figures, I’m quite happy with it. Of course, I can’t compete with the low running costs of Hybrids or EVs, but fact is, I find these diesel machines deliver a much better driving experience for me.

So, yeah, I might not be running as cheaply as some of my colleagues, but I’ll take the enjoyment of the torquey machine with higher running costs over a compromised driving experience any day. Other than that, the Tucson has been a delight on many fronts, the torquey engine gives it great grunt whether in city traffic or on the highways, and maintaining high three-digit speeds is effortless. I do feel, however, that the eight-speed gearbox is a tad on the lazier side – you feel this while driving in the hills particularly – and the sport mode provides much better response. But selecting the sport mode does make the steering overtly heavy and therein lies a compromise.

Recently, the Tucson saw a lot of highway action. First, I had to go to my hometown on a couple of errands, and later a colleague needed a bigger car to take his family on a short holiday. In both trips, we once again discovered how the Tucson makes for an excellent long-distance hauler. Its big and comfortable seats are a pleasure to spend time in, especially with the ventilated function, which is really great in our glaringly hot summers. At the same time, Hyundai’s cars feature excellent air-conditioning and noise isolation, which means you’re enclosed in your cosy cocoon, irrespective of the outside conditions. Plus, given its 416Nm of torque, high-speed cruising on our new highways is a breeze for the Tucson.

And if you’re a sedate driver, doing 600km on a single tank of fuel is quite easy, which makes your journey that much more comfortable, for you don’t have to stop for refuelling frequently. Now, most of our new highways have one significant flaw – bumpy expansion joints. They keep interrupting you every few hundred metres, and here, the suspension of the Tucson feels a tad too soft. Every time you cross a joint at high speeds, there is a bit too much bobbing. Other than that, there’s not much that I can find to complain about the Tucson.

While I reported last month that the Tucson’s seats need cleaning, my procrastination has been pretty strong this month too – and there’s also a lot of work pressure – so the Tucson’s seats still remain a bit dirty. I should really get that leather cleaner quickly and clean them up, maybe it will happen this long weekend itself. Other than that, the infamous ‘Low Urea’ light has turned up again, and while I’ve gone and bought the liquid, filling it is a two-man job, so that’s another task to be taken care of.

The Urea warning aside, the Tucson continues to perform impressively, ticking over without any fuss. I have a couple of road trips coming up very soon and am looking forward to covering some big distances in the SUV. Sometimes, improvements to some aspects of a car can come from unexpected sources, and while the sound quality of the Bose stereo system was quite good, I changed the Apple iPhone cable, with which I connected my phone, to a better-quality cable designed for in-car use – for those who want to know, it’s a AudioQuest Forest cable – and immediately noticed a slight improvement in sound quality and sound stage both. And, since it’s not too expensive – I have become an audiophile over the years, and yes, fine audio equipment can be startlingly expensive – I consider it quite a worthy upgrade.

Couple of months of driving the Tucson around, and I have to say there are many aspects of the SUV that make it a fantastic daily driver. First up, step into the cabin, and with its comfortable seats and the incredible amount of standard equipment it has, makes the cabin a great place to be. The seats are both heated and ventilated – in this year’s brutal Delhi winter, the heated seats were a boon . The Bose stereo continues to impress me with its sound quality, and the overall levels of comfort in the cabin really does spoil you.

Then, of course, there’s the low running cost. Sure, diesel might not be the buzzword today that it used to be a few years ago, but diesel-powered cars are simply frugal. With a light foot, I regularly see figures of up to 14-14.5km/l, but my regular leadfooted driving gets me around 11.5km/l, which is more than good enough for me. Highway commutes show that travelling over 600kms on a single tank of diesel is a breeze in the Tucson, and if you’re a sedate driver, you can easily cross the 700km mark. If there is one drawback, though, is that you need to fill up AdBlue every 7-8,000kms, as the warning for the AdBlue levels pop up rather early. If any of you own the Tucson or are planning to buy one with a diesel engine, one pro tip, get a funnel with a flexible downpipe to make filling the AdBlue easier – you can easily find one on Amazon.

And, what I’ve dreaded since the day I got the Tucson has already happened, the almost white coloured seats are now properly dirty, and one of these weekends, my job is going to be to make sure to clean them. Other than that, the Tucson is performing flawlessly.

Regular readers of the magazine will remember that I have a bit of a soft spot for the Hyundai Tucson. I’ve driven two of them as my long-term cars in the past. And recently, the new generation Tucson joined our long-term fleet a few weeks ago, and since then, it has been my new long-term test car. Part of the reason why I love the Tucson is its powerful diesel engine, which not only gives it adequate performance but is also quite frugal, which means low running costs for me.

Now, I must say that the new Tucson has really taken the game forward in terms of design, features, and opulence in the under-30 lakh segment. Its edgy look, with that unique front end, really attracts attention and has earned compliments on multiple occasions. The dual-tone interior really looks plush, and while the light-coloured seats get dirty quickly, it adds to the overall appeal of the cabin, which is a good place to spend time in. What also helps is that this version of the Tucson comes loaded with full bells and whistles. Its Bose audio system is one of the better audio systems that I’ve come across in recent times. Given the harsh winter in Delhi this year, the heated seats seem to be a valuable feature. And the ventilated seats, too, will be quite useful once the summer hits with full force. In terms of performance, Hyundai has mildly increased the power and torque figures of the Tucson’s diesel powerplant – 184bhp and 416Nm. However, it’s the improved fuel efficiency that’s even more noticeable – for now, it is easily offering about 15-20 per cent better fuel economy than its previous-generation counterparts, even though my driving style and road conditions remain the same.

While the audio system and the multimedia layout are generally kickass, I do wish that Hyundai had equipped the Tucson with wireless CarPlay, for it would add to the overall convenience. If there is one thing that needs improvement, it’s the steering, which lacks the excellence of the steering seen in other Hyundai products. But that’s ok. I’m sure Hyundai will fix the issue when the facelift version of the Tucson will arrive in a few years’ time. Despite this, I’m certainly enjoying my time with the new Tucson because of its improved opulence and better fuel efficiency.  

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