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Hyundai's small SUV breaks cover
New entry-level Tucson makes its debut at Toronto auto show
By Bill McLauchlan
Thursday, February 19, 2004
Continuing with its tradition of using Southwestern city names for its sport-utility vehicles, Hyundai is expanding its model line with the all-new Tucson. Smaller than Hyundai's hot-selling Santa Fe, the 4-door Tucson made its national public debut in Toronto at the Canadian International AutoShow last week. It will go on sale this fall as a 2005 model.
Designed to compete with the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander compact SUVs, the stylish Tucson combines a masculine, athletic look with lots of utility. It's designed to be a versatile companion to Canadian lifestyles and provide outstanding value in equipment, style and owner image.
The 2005 Tucson boasts a spacious, well-configured interior with lots of room and comfort for driver, passengers and their gear. It also offers a large, flexible and durable cargo area, with fold-flat rear seats and a folding front passenger seat. The latter can be folded forward to offer extra storage room or a work space for the driver. It can also be fully reclined as a seat for added comfort. The rear floor mat is removable and exposes a durable, easily cleaned plastic floor with multiple tie-down spots to help secure cargo.
Buyers can choose from two engines, both already found in the larger Santa Fe model. Base model equipment is a 2.0-litre, 140 horsepower, 4-cylinder unit with Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) or a 173 hp, 2.7-litre V6. This V6 comes with a variable length, tuned intake system for smoother power delivery across the entire rev band. Both standard 5-speed manual and optional 4-speed automatic transmissions are available, as is the choice of front- or all-wheel drive. The latter routes up to 99 per cent of the Tucson's available power to the front wheels. As road conditions or torque demand changes, the AWD system automatically diverts up to 50 per cent of the available power to the rear wheels. It monitors throttle position, front wheel angle and slippage. As conditions change, power is automatically routed to the wheels with the best traction. A dash-mounted AWD lock button also allows the driver to manually 'lock' the driveline into all-wheel drive for a 50/50 torque split.
The new entry-level Tucson should offer a great driving experience from its fully independent suspension (a MacPherson strut/coil spring layout up front and multi-link/coil rear), responsive power assisted rack and pinion steering, and power assisted disc brakes.
Among its other technical highlights, the Tucson features 4-wheel disc brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, power windows and door locks. Additional features include heated outside mirrors, tinted glass, roof rack side rails, rear intermittent wiper and an AM/FM/CD stereo system with six speakers.
Available options include anti-lock brakes, traction control, power/tilt sunroof, fog lamps, remote keyless entry with alarm and rear privacy glass.
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