{"id":27306,"date":"2021-05-06T16:12:49","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T20:12:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=27306"},"modified":"2021-05-06T16:12:49","modified_gmt":"2021-05-06T20:12:49","slug":"payne-thats-a-hyundai-tucson-ute-is-hi-tech-head-turner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/05\/payne-thats-a-hyundai-tucson-ute-is-hi-tech-head-turner","title":{"rendered":"Payne: That’s a Hyundai? Tucson ute is hi-tech head-turner"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson might have been designed after the jagged edges of the Santa Catalina Mountains that surround the compact SUV\u2019s Arizona namesake. Or the chiseled stones that flood the street markets of Tucson\u2019s annual Gem and Mineral Show. Or maybe the Lamborghini Aventador\u2019s dramatic lines, since Hyundai\u2019s design chief Luc Donckerwolke\u00a0once penned the Italian sports cars.<\/p>\n

Whatever its inspiration, the Tucson is one of the most striking compact utes in the U.S.\u2019s biggest volume, non-pickup segment.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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From its big front grille to its sculpted flanks to the crazy quilt of shapes out back, the Hyundai looks like it was pieced together with shards of glass. Linger over the triangular shards in the big grille. Or the pie-piece taillights. Or the triangle-choked mesh below the rear bumper. The tri-theme reminds me of Ford\u2019s oval obsession with the 1996 Taurus, one of my favorite wagons from last century.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cYou have to take a risk\u00a0to get noticed,\u201d said Hyundai chief designer Chris Chapman, a Yankee whose Los Angeles studio was tasked with designing the brand\u2019s biggest U.S. seller.<\/p>\n

Hyundai\u2019s U.S. team also knows the segment\u2019s formidable competition and American customers\u2019 habit of living in their cars for long commutes and trips. Segment leaders like the Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue\u00a0and Ford Escape not only offer unique exteriors but roomy, livable interiors.<\/p>\n

Now that Tucson\u2019s gemstone exterior had my attention, the interior is a study in Home & Garden practicality. Unlike the aforementioned Taurus, which carried its oval exterior theme inside, the Hyundai\u2019s exterior and interior designs are apples and oranges.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Make that triangles and rectangles.<\/p>\n

The interior is built from simple, practical right angles. A pair of chromed lines border the cabin like a picket fence around an Arizona horse ranch. It\u2019s lovely, and \u2014 but for the console \u2014 uninterrupted.<\/p>\n

Look closely, and that\u2019s because there isn\u2019t a hood over the instrument cluster. Like a Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Tucson\u2019s standard liquid crystal display screen (LCD) goes hood-free since it doesn\u2019t reflect the sun\u2019s glare. It makes for crisp\u00a0digital graphics as well as a less-cluttered cabin. Slick.<\/p>\n

Hyundai\u2019s obsession with simplicity continues into the console with twin,\u00a0stacked\u00a0rectangular touchscreens. The upper (expandable to 10.25 inches on upper trims) handles infotainment functions, the lower takes care of climate. Engineers and designers are always at war over ergonomics, and the designers won this battle\u00a0with a clean, touch-only interface. Honda tried this in its last-gen CR-V and ultimately caved to consumer preferences for a volume knob.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Hyundai buyers may ultimately demand the same, but the Tucson\u2019s design is more elegant than the Honda, so we\u2019ll see. For now, the driver can easily adjust volume using thumb tabs on the steering wheel while the passenger can poke at the screen\u2019s up-and-down volume arrows.<\/p>\n

The design theme continues through the lower console with the transmission function actuated through a (rectangular, natch) push-button shifter. The space-saving device opens acres of room for console storage and cupholders.<\/p>\n

Room is the priority beyond the front seats. Every compact SUV wants best-in-class claims, and Tucson drops the mic\u00a0with class-leading leg and cargo room. Rear seats are\u00a0pickup-roomy. I easily sat behind my big\u00a06\u20195\u201d self with inches to spare before my knees met the front seat.<\/p>\n

Continuing the Tucson’s\u00a0appeal to giant Yankees, the cargo area is also best in class. Flatten the rear seats and you can transport a jumbo LCD television screen back there to go with the tiny LCD instrument display up front. If you have a family that spends a lot of time in the back, Hyundai offers option like heated rear seats, multiple USB ports\u00a0and a panoramic roof.<\/p>\n

Once an attractive, conservative family hauler, the Hyundais have been dressing to the nines for the roaring \u201920s. Tucson follows the Hyundai Elantra, Veloster\u00a0and Sonata with extreme wardrobe makeovers. The racy styling has been complemented with more pep under the hood, too. The Sonata, Elantra and Veloster have all received N-badged performance versions with taut suspensions and more ponies under the hood.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Tucson is content to leave the fast footwork to its siblings.<\/p>\n

The compact SUV options an N-line trim, but it\u2019s a showpiece only with blacked-out trim and bigger wheels. Crack open the hood and you won\u2019t find a 295-horse (Sonata N) or 275-horse (Veloster N) furnace within \u2014 just a pair of reliable, sippy four-bangers. That\u2019s in keeping with the Tucson\u2019s determination to get you to your destination unruffled.<\/p>\n

I tested both the 187-horsepower\u00a02.5-liter 4-banger and 227-horse\u00a01.6-liter turbo 4 hybrid, and they are almost indistinguishable (save the hybrid\u2019s better low-end torque) under the cane given the cabin\u2019s boardroom quiet. Credit slavish attention to detail as engineers have applied triple-layer lamination to the front windshield, a beefy firewall, and extensive sound-deadening throughout the cabin.<\/p>\n

The compact yacht doesn\u2019t encourage heavy left foots anyway. This is no Mazda CX-5 or Chevy Equinox with corner-carving ambitions. The Tucson wants you to admire its wardrobe as it saunters by.<\/p>\n

Tucson competitors Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape have big hybrid ambitions in the compact SUV space, with both targeting 30% hybrid sales. Hyundai won\u2019t give any sales goals, but don\u2019t expect the usual Hyundai price bargain. The 37-mpg Tucson hybrid \u2014 Hyundai\u2019s first effort in this segment \u2014 is priced right on top of ($32,835) the 41-mpg Ford Escape hybrid ($32,990) when equipped with my essential features (AWD, blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control).<\/p>\n

It’s just a $1,250 premium over the standard 2.5-liter, meaning you\u2019ll get your money back in under four years at $3 a gallon of gas courtesy of the hybrid\u2019s 30% better fuel efficiency.<\/p>\n

Given the cabin quiet, I\u2019d be content with the 2.5-liter. In keeping with its smartphone-like LCD screens, the Tucson boasts wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Climb into the comfy front thrones and the Tucson recognizes your phone. Simply bark your destination to Google Maps and you\u2019re on your way to the next destination.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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In Tucson, my destination was Arizona Zipline Adventures in the middle of the desert. Like Michigan winters and sandy coastlines, its slippery terrain rewards a good all-wheel-drive system, and Tucson comes equipped with an electronic transfer case that is lockable for maximum traction below 20 mph.<\/p>\n

Like a Jeep, the Tucson\u2019s four wheels churned happily away in unison in order to maintain traction. And like a Lambo, I couldn\u2019t stop looking at its angles.<\/p>\n

2022\u00a0Hyundai Tucson\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vehicle type: Front engine, front- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger\u00a0SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $26,135, including $1,185 destination fee ($37,454 2.5-liter Limited AWD and $38,704 Hybrid Limited as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 2.5-liter 4 cylinder; 1.6-liter turbo-4 mated to an electric motor and 13.8 kWh lithium ion battery<\/p>\n

Power: 187 horsepower, 178 pound-feet torque (2.5-liter); 226 horsepower, 195 pound-feet torque (hybrid)<\/p>\n

Transmission: 8-speed automatic (2.5-liter); 6-speed automatic (hybrid)<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 8.5\u00a0seconds (2.5-liter, Car and Driver est.); towing capacity, 2,000 pounds<\/p>\n

Weight: 3,651 pounds (2.5-liter Limited)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA mpg 24 city\/29 highway\/26 combined (2.5-liter); 37 city\/36 highway\/37 combined (hybrid)<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Daring exterior; spare, high-tech interior<\/p>\n

Lows: No volume knob; no FWD option for hybrid<\/p>\n

Overall: 4\u00a0stars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson might have been designed after the jagged edges of the Santa Catalina Mountains that surround the compact SUV\u2019s Arizona namesake. Or the chiseled stones that flood the street markets of Tucson\u2019s annual Gem and Mineral Show. Or maybe the Lamborghini Aventador\u2019s dramatic lines, since Hyundai\u2019s design chief Luc Donckerwolke\u00a0once penned the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27306"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27306"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27307,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27306\/revisions\/27307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}