2010 Hyundai Tucson review

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The second-generation Hyundai Tucson is new for 2010 and replaces the previous model that had been on sale since 2004.

With a more stylish, European design that signals a new direction for the Korean company going forward, potent engines and improved levels of quality, the new Tucson promises to offer an alternative choice in the compact SUV field.

It’s a pretty competitive sector of the market with the Japanese contingent at one end of the spectrum with the more road-focused Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V running through to the off-road biased Land Rover LR2 and Mercedes-Benz GLK.

Though it is offered with four-wheel drive, the Tucson is not really designed to be taken through taxing off-road sections – think of it more as a tall five-door family hatchback rather than a desert-loving off-roader. And it’s the family angle that’s been looked at highly in the Tucson with high-level seating for all, plenty of oddment storage options and a hard-wearing interior to ensure the cabin stands up to the trials of being lived in by children.

It’s also pretty good at carrying large loads should you frequent furniture stores at the weekend – the rear bench splits 60/40 and can be folded flat to provide more room than its rivals. Even with the seats in place there’s space for three full seats of gold clubs, should you like to take your friends out to the range.

There’s a new engine on offer in the 2010 Tucson – a 2.4-litre four-cylinder with 176bhp – which is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. A 2.0-litre version with 164bhp is also offered. Keen drivers can change up and down through the gears by means of the gearstick, but the gearbox is pretty good at knowing what it’s doing itself so can happily be left in Drive. Six versions are available, from a two-wheel drive version to the fully-specced 4×4.

SOURCE: http://automiddleeast.com/2010-hyundai-tucson/