Hyundai Tucson 1.6 DCT Turbo S S/R Review
Simply Better

Getting behind the wheels of the 2018 Hyundai Tucson, a car that has received several accolades, the foremost questions on my mind were, “is it better? And if so, how has the car improved?”. After spending some time with this third generation Tucson, I can say that the car is clearly and unequivocally, simply better.  

When the previous generation, 2016 Tucson, was launched, it won not one but two of our annual OneShift awards. The car not only won the COMPACT SUV OF THE YEAR award, but it also took home the coveted award of ONESHIFT CAR OF THE YEAR 2016. 

Two years on from that award-winning car, this 2018 Tucson has undergone a major redesign with a whole host of tech upgrades throughout the car. The car is now available in four petrol variants: 2.0 MPi, 1.6 Turbo, 1.6 Turbo “S” and the 1.6 Turbo “S” with sunroof which is our test car.

On paper, the 2018 Tucson may look like it has retained the previous 1,591cc turbocharged powertrain that produces maximum power of 175bhp and 265Nm of torque but combined with its new in-house manufactured, fast shifting 7-speed Double Clutch Transmission, the car is now 0.2s quicker from 0 to 100km/h (now at 8.9s, compared to 9.1s previously). Hyundai says this is due to the friction reducing technologies and the new software that they’ve programmed to make the most of its 7-speed DCT gearbox.  

Externally, the car looks more muscular and buffed than before, and while it retains that signature Tucson look, the 2018 Tucson has been given new front and rear fascias. It has a new cascading grille, and the headlights have been updated with LED daytime running lights as well as a bright and beautiful 5-lens full LED headlight that’s only available on the Turbo “S” models. Rear tail-lights have also been given the LED upgrade with this redesign. Hyundai added a new shark-fin antenna and together with the chiselled lines on the car further gives it character.

Size-wise the car has grown ever so slightly, from 4,475mm in length previously to now 4,480mm. Other than that, its height, width and overall wheelbase remain the same as before. 

The 2018 Tucson has good safety features like its six airbags, and our test car came with Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTR). During our test drive, we found that both the BCW and RCTR worked well. While I’m an advocate and a stickler for proper checking of blind-spots, I feel these features will be especially useful for novice drivers who may be lacking in experience or confidence.

If you’re the sort that loves a spacious boot, the Tucson won’t disappoint. It offers 513 litres of boot space, and this expands to almost 1,503 litres when the rear seats are folded down! 

The powered tailgate is another useful feature in that it takes away the ‘heavy lifting’ that some SUV tailgates require. With the Tucson, you can open and close the boot with just the touch of a button.

You’ve heard of the BMW feature that lets you open the boot by simply kicking the empty space below the car boot? Well, the Smart Tailgate feature takes convenience up another notch. You just have to stand (while in possession of the car key fob) for more than five seconds in the boot area of the car. After five seconds, the tail-lights will blink, and then voila! The tail-gate will open up on its own! So convenient!

My kids love the panoramic sunroof and the great views of the trees and buildings that the sunroof offers. Another well thought out feature is the built-in wind deflector that pops up automatically when you open the sunroof. This wind deflector helps to minimise that pulsing noise that you sometimes get when you drive with the sunroof open.