2016 Hyundai Tucson Review

Compact crossovers are hot-ticket items; American motorists just can’t get enough of these elevated hatchbacks. To cash in on this vehicular bonanza, the folks at Hyundai have totally redesigned the Tucson for 2016.

Undoubtedly, Hyundai wants this car-based utility vehicle to make a big splash. But will it sink or swim? Can it keep this brand’s sales afloat? To find out, the company invited us to an appropriate place, Minneapolis. It’s true that Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, though perhaps its nickname should really be the Hyperbole State. As a native Michigander, I don’t need any lectures about water, after all, we’re the GREAT LAKES STATE, so shut your trap, Minnesota!

With the Tucson’s 60/40 split rear seat in the upright position, you get about 31 cubic feet of cargo space. But fold the backrest down, and that figure doubles. Both of these measures exceed what’s offered in rivals like the Jeep Cherokee, though they’re slightly behind other products like the Honda CR-V or Ford Escape.

Making it a snap to load cargo into the hold, Hyundai offers something known as a Smart Power Liftgate. With the key fob on your person, just stand near the hatch for a few seconds and it pops open all on its own. This is perfect if your hands are full with groceries, luggage or even bags of shredded financial papers. If you’re cooking dinner or a company’s’ books this Hyundai is a happy partner in crime.

If you need to haul passengers instead of destroyed evidence the Tucson is game as well. Its back seat is surprisingly spacious, with unexpectedly generous amounts of leg and headroom. Additionally, the seat cushion is at an ergonomically correct height so even adult riders should be happy back there for hours at a stretch.

But do yourself a favor and sidestep this engine; what you really want is the turbocharged one-six. This force-fed ‘banger delvers just 11 more ponies than its un-boosted brother but, more importantly, it provides 195 lb-ft of low-end twist, which is important in a crossover vehicle that’s designed for heavy hauling.

Further differentiating this powertrain from its naturally aspirated counterpart is the transmission. It’s matched to a segment-first seven-speed dual-clutch automatic for quick shifts and enhanced fuel economy.

The thriftiest version of this compact crossover is the front-drive Eco model. They sticker at 26 miles per gallon city, 33 highway and 29 combined. The all-wheel-drive Limited version we evaluated was slightly less economical returning 24 mpg around town, 28 on extra-urban routes and 26 combined.

Tucsons can be equipped with things like lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection is also offered. This technology uses optical and radar sensors to scan the road ahead. If it detects that you’re approaching an obstacle too quickly, it can apply the brakes to lessen – or even prevent – a collision. It functions at speeds ranging from five to 43 miles an hour.

Underway, the 1.6-liter turbo engine’s 195 lb-ft of twist comes on strong in the lower rev range, which is perfect for urban driving, especially if you’ve got a load of passengers or cargo weighing things down. Unfortunately, with such abundant basement-level torque. the engine does seem to run out a breath; it’s hardly gasping for air at highway speed, but it’s enthusiasm does taper off a bit as the tachometer needle sweeps toward redline.

Pleasing driver and passenger alike, this powerplant is thoroughly isolated; hardly any vibration makes its presence felt in the cabin. Overall, it’s remarkably polished for a mass-market four-banger.

Regrettably, the new Tucson’s seven-speed dual dry-clutch automatic transmission isn’t quite as smooth. It’s curious why Hyundai chose to go with one of these gearboxes in such an important vehicle, especially considering how many issues other automakers have had, namely Ford with its PowerShift unit. Perhaps Hyundai product planners made this move in the name of fuel economy. Dual-clutch gearboxes tend to be more efficient than their torque converter-equipped counterparts.

Unfortunately, company engineers haven’t completely managed to exorcise the dual-clutch demons found in so many other vehicles equipped with these transmissions. On several occasions, I noticed the Tucson’s gearbox shudder slightly at parking-lot speeds. Also, when taking off from a standstill, there seemed to be quite a lot of slipping before the clutch locked up.

Beyond this, downshifts can take a little longer than you’d like as the computer circuits and electronic actuators rifle through the ratio stack in search of the appropriate gear. Wait times are hardly brutal, but they could be a beat or two faster.

Aside from enhanced fuel economy, dual-clutch gearboxes tend to shift faster than other automatic transmissions. The Tucson’s is plenty quick going from gear to gear though it doesn’t seem appreciably fleeter than a good torque-converter automatic.

All of these gripes aides, this transmission really isn’t that bad; in fact, it’s one of the best mass-market dual-clutch units available today, it’s just not quite as refined as a traditional self-shifting gearbox.

As for the rest of the new Tucson’s driving experience, it’s every bit as composed and quiet on the road as any of its rivals; its cabin is practically like a road-going anechoic chamber it’s so silent. The steering is class appropriate, though some additional feedback would be appreciated. For the most part, it seems a bit dull. Also, the A-pillars could stand to slim down a bit, but couldn’t we all?

Despite a couple slight disadvantages, the new Tucson is spacious, incredibly refined and more comfortable than you might expect. Without doing a direct comparison test it’s impossible to tell if this is a best-in-class crossover but I can say it’s certainly near the top.