Souped up Hyundai Tucson Sport returns

Just like with the pre-facelift Hyundai Tucson, all is not lost. The local team has come up with their own sporty version of the Tucson. And there is no reason why this new model will not have the same success the previous one did.

“After the midlife upgrade of the Tucson, the time was ripe to create another Sport derivative, with mainly the same treatment as before, but with the attractive looks that came with the upgrade to the Tucson,” says Stanley Anderson, Sales and Operations director at Hyundai Automotive South Africa.

“We have again fitted the Tucson with bespoke black rims and a body kit that gives it a very sporty look without being overbearing. Tucson customers have really taken to the Sport after our first ‘experiment’, so we could confidently repeat the exercise”.

The difference, for the petrolheads, is the turbodiesel offering and only automatic transmissions for this model and the petrol. The standard 2.0-litre turbodiesel delivers 131kW of power and 400Nm of torque, but in Sport spec, the Tucson now offers 150kW and 460Nm, thanks to some software tweaking.

Power is sent to the front wheels via a traditional eight-speed automatic transmission, which means your daily commute will be a fuss-free endeavour, but with a healthy dose of extra urge.

I have to be honest, the diesel will probably be the better everyday pick, due to its more relaxed power delivery and oodles of torque. But there is one downside to using this engine-and-gearbox combination, there is quite a bit of turbo lag, and the gearbox itself is hardly made for race starts and similar type driving.

The petrol version, with its 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, as well as its double clutch seven-speed DCT transmission gets some software and a quieter-performance exhaust. It is somewhat more alive than the diesel. Also driven through the front wheels, the traction light is called into duty almost every time you pull away from a traffic light.

Although it will take some getting used to the sensitivity of the throttle, the response is almost instant and, for me, this is definitely the derivative I would opt for because of its fun, hooligan-type nature.

The Tucson Sport is based on the Elite spec model and this means you get the full house of luxury and safety. You get a floating seven-inch screen for the infotainment system that offers Apple’s CarPlay or the Android Auto application on smartphones. And there are features such as electric seat adjustment for the driver and passenger, dual-zone climate control, rear air vents, rear parking assist cameras and a rear-view camera with a display on the infotainment screen – and a panoramic sunroof.

Another standard feature is the extra USB port in the rear, delivering additional power to recharge the devices on board if needed, to keep the kids and the adults entertained.

Safety comes in the form of Blind Spot Detection and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, dual front and side airbags and curtain airbags that offer protection for rear passengers as well. Wrapping up the safety is the Vehicle Stability Management system that keeps the Tucson Sport stable on wet, slippery or rough roads, as well as Hill Start Assist Control to prevent roll-back when pulling off against an incline.

The Tucson is priced at R654 900 for the 1.6 T-GDI and at R664 900 for the 2.0 CRDI with both models getting a five-year /90 000 km service plan, a seven-year/200 000 km warranty and roadside assistance for seven years or 150 000 km plan as standard.

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