Introduction

The new Hyundai Tucson has proved to be a runaway success for its maker. And not just in the overseas market; it also commands a handsome waiting period in India. Furthermore, it does not look like the waiting period will come down anytime soon.

But, is the new Tucson really that good? Especially when it comes to living with it, driving it daily, and taking road-trips? There is one way to find out - the CarWale long-term test.

As is our format, we will cover over 10,000km in the Hyundai Tucson. We will drive it to work every day, take it on a few long and short road trips, and throw in the reluctant family and some friends in the rear seat to see if they give it a thumbs up.

We will also touch upon the ease of driving through Mumbai's peak traffic, the fuel economy we get, and the comfortable cruising speed on highways. Finally, we will tell you what is good and what is not about owning the new Tucson. We will also dedicate a few lines to what it is like to live with ADAS on our roads.

Our Tucson

The Tucson we have, expectedly, is the top-spec Signature trim. It is powered by a four-cylinder, two-litre diesel engine. It is mated to an eight-speed torque converter automatic. The engine puts out over 185bhp of maximum power and has a near-flat torque that peaks at 416Nm.

Our long-term Tucson is also an all-wheel drive. And that means come rain, hail, snow - or a sandstorm - it should see us through. In fact, this car got us across to Kargil from Sonmarg via the snowed-in and icy Zojila in November last year. And without too much of a fuss.

There is a fair bit of kit on the Tucson Signature version too, but one would expect that, given it is priced at almost Rs 43 lakh on-road in Mumbai. Apart from ADAS, it has heated and cooled seats with electric adjustment and memory function. There is a two-zone climate control system, a nice-looking multimedia system, a panoramic sunroof, driving modes, and wireless charging. We will delve deeper into these features' effectiveness in our long-term test.

What’s next?

Next month, we will get better acquainted with the Tucson by going on a 3,000km road trip. The route will have good roads and bad; arrow straight highways and winding back roads. There will be fog and sand, and fields and wildlife. In the end, we will tell you what works and what does not on the Tucson as a highway car.

Product Details

Make: Hyundai

Model: Tucson

Version: Signature AWD R 2.0L

Kilometres this month: 230km

Fuel Efficiency: 14.3kmpl

Price: Rs 42.8 lakh (when tested, OTR, Mumbai)

Photography: Kaustubh Gandhi