2020 Hyundai Tucson review & buyer's guide
There’s been another update for Hyundai Tucson, with full specs and pricing below. So, should you buy the new one now, or grab a bargain run-out model?
STOP! If you’re about to drop a deposit on a current Hyundai Tuscon, you need to put down the credit card, and check-out my first-look at the all-new 2021 model here >>
The 2020 Hyundai Tucson had a modest upgrade of the existing model, so don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all-new. Engines carry over, as does the eight-speed transmission with the diesel, but the big difference is a safety upgrade.
DOWNLOAD: Full official specifications >>
In order of increasing largesse, the lineup starts with the Tucson Active, then Active X, before reaching Elite and finally Tucson Highlander. So essentially they’ve boned the old ‘Go’ variant, which had a few too many unsavoury connotations.
2020 Tuscon is an upgrade of more than just the typical hair and makeup.
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A new safety standard
It’s hard to fault Hyundai Australia for their safety pack called SmartSense (because, apparently every good brochure needs a at least one made-up proper noun with two capital letters...)
The pack is now available on all variants, from base Active to Highlander and it’s brilliant. Previously, on Elite and Highlander because those features are included standard in the pricier variants.
Importantly, some of the features in the safety pack are not compatible with a manual transmission. The automatic braking and adaptive cruise only work with an auto, which is why safety pack is available on automatics only.
Let us also thank Hyundai for still offering Tuscon with the option to change gear on one’s own.
SmartSense (safety pack) features
Speaking of those features: SmartSense gives you camera-based auto emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist and driver attention alert.
There’s some lesser stuff as well that it comes packaged up with, but they’re the main features designed to save some poor bastard’s neck, perhaps yours, that one fateful night. It includes dual-zone climate control air conditioning, electronic parking brake, a chilled glovebox and drive mode selection. Which are actually pretty significant inclusions on the base model, when you think about it.
There’s a glace cherry on top of course: With the safety pack, you also get adaptive cruise control - the radar based cruise control that adapts to congestion - which is awesome. There are two kinds of “Forward Collision Mitigation”, aka at emergency braking - one which uses the camera to stop you in an emergency situation at urban speeds (on Active and Active X), and the version also using radar (as part of adaptive cruise control) which will adapt your speed and stop if necessary, at freeway speeds, on the Elite and Highlander models.
So this means nearly all the essential cutting-edge safety stuff is available across the range - although in the lower models you don’t get the clever cruise control, which is annoying. But, having collision-avoidance across the range is one of the best reasons to give a base model Tucson the flick, in favour of the Elite.
2019 Tucson model range & features
Inside the tablet-style multimedia system is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard across the range, as in current versions of i30, Kona and Santa Fe.
The diesel Tucson is paired with the eight-speed automatic transmission, which delivers improved performance, refinement and economy - another good reason to consider a run-out MY2019 model.
Officially the 2019 Tucson is currently priced from $28,990 drive away - up $1000 from before the addition of the safety gear, so there’s been some cost recouping - for the Active base-model with a manual gearbox and petrol engine. It’s offered that low to get your attention, but there’s better value to be had further up the ladder.
Tucson Active and Active X are available with the 2.0-litre petrol four with direct injection and a six-speed manual or six-speed auto transmission - that comes with front drive - for $2000 extra with the auto.
There’s also the 2.0-litre diesel with the new eight-speed auto and all-wheel drive, which is another $5000 above thee petrol and there’s no manual with the diesel. That extra coin might seem a lot, but you’re getting a much gruntier diesel engine, the new eight-speed auto, and all-wheel drive.
So it is a bit of a hike up in price to the diesel, but you’re getting a lot of additional engineering and capability.
More on petrol Vs diesel >>
There’s no manual transmission availability in Elite or Highlander. Elite has three engines - the two just mentioned and the 1.6 turbo petrol with the seven-speed DCT - that’s also with AWD.
More on 2WD Vs AWD >>
And, with Highlander you choose between the 1.6 turbo or the 2.0 diesel, both with AWD, because there’s no front-drive atmo petrol option on those top-spec variants.
All Tuscon variants, regardless of engine or transmission, offer 1600kg braked towing capacity, which is decent in this category.
2020 Tucson pricing
This is drive-away pricing, which includes on-road costs like registration and stamp duty, but if you’re buying brand new, don’t be fooled by that bullshit ‘dealer delivery’ charge.
It’s $28,990 for the manual petrol Tucson Active. Active X starts at $31,990 for the petrol manual - so that’s a $3000 step up.
Tucson Elite starts at $42,041 for the 2.0-litre atmo petrol four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission. So that’s $13,000 more than Active, and it’s $10,000 more than Active X, which remains pretty good value to me - if you can live without the top-spec wankey fruit in Highlander - we’ll get to that.
The Elite is $45,167 if you step up to the 1.6 turbo petrol seven-speed DCT with AWD (that’s $3000 up from the atmo petrol front-drive Elite). And it’s $2400 on top of that for the diesel. So, that’s $47,567.80 for the diesel Elite.
Highlander is $51,500 for the 1.6-litre turbo petrol and $53,453 for the diesel. That’s a $5885 step up from the Elite, diesel for diesel.
2019 Tucson Features
Hyundai says every 2019 Tucson features more standard equipment than the preceding model. Even the Active.
TUCSON ACTIVE
Drilling down into the standard equipment, Tucson Active comes standard with a rear view camera, auto headlamps, Bluetooth, power windows, 17-inch alloy wheels with full-size spare wheel and tyre (that’s good for driving in ‘Straya) plus auto headlamps, a 7-inch multimedia system on that floaty tablet thing with Apple CarPlay & Android auto. Plus you get the SmartSense safety gear with auto emergency braking, albeit with no radar adaptive cruise control.
So that’s not exactly a family of 12 living on a roundabout in Islamabad, is it? If you’ve ever seen poverty up close, that’s not it.
TUCSON ACTIVE X
Tucson Active X jumps up to 18-inch alloys with tyre pressure monitoring, rear parking sensors, there’s a splash of leather, eight-inch sat-nav, DAB+ radio and eight speaker Infinity audio system, heated, power folding wing mirrors and USB power for row two, to shut the kids up...
That’s a fair bit of extra stuff for $3000 extra.
TUCSON ELITE
Tucson Elite comes with 18-inch alloys, a power driver’s seat, proximity key and push-button start, a chilled glove box, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, privacy glass, a luggage net, plus of course all the additional radar-guided adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and auto high-beam, above the Active X’s safety pack.
Elite is therefore is the real value model in the range in my view.
TUCSON HIGHLANDER
Tucson Highlander gets all the fruit - except auto parking. In addition to all the stuff lower down in the range, there’s 19-inch alloys, LED light package front and rear, front parking sensors, panorama glass roof, solar glass, a power front passenger’s seat (both front seats are heated and ventillated), and a heated steering wheel - useless in Darwin, brilliant in Cooma. There’s an auto tailgate, a sexier instrument cluster, auto-dimming interior mirror, and the wireless phone charging pad.
So, that’s quite a bit more polish over Elite, for $6000(ish) more. It’s just a question of whether you really need all that. Still, just for kicks, go and see how much they’d charge you extra for all that crap at Land Rover or Audi - I don’t know how they can look you in the face.
New vs run-out & competitors
A new Tucson is still the same Tucson, only better equipped. The Active and Active X have gone back up in price slightly, and the Elite and Highlander have done the same but with a wider gap from the base models.
Just getting adaptive cruise in Elite and the big safety injection in the case of Active and Active X - is reason enough to consider a good new deal. Although, if you’re truly strapped for cash, the run-out is de-valued as a result of being superseded.
It’s a good medium-sized SUV - check out the Mazda CX-5 and Kia Sportage at the same pricepoint. The Mazda gets a space-saver spare and annoying auto engine stop/start. Or, if you want a larger five-seater, with massive cargo space at 512-litres (seats up) or 1801-litres (seats down), check out the Subaru Outback >>.
Hyundai and Kia both do extensive suspension and steering tuning for our delightfully challenging Shitsvillian roads - so that’s good.
If you don’t need seven seats, this is the size of SUV you want - because stepping up from a Tucson to an equivalent Santa Fe or Sorento is going to cost you an additional $10 grand.
If you’re thinking about buying a Tiguan from the Monkey Spankers, keep in mind it may have a bigger boot (615-litres vs 488) but that’s because it has a space-saver spare under the boot floor, adaptive cruise control is only standard on the top-spec, and that’ll be $2000 for a panoramic sunroof. All while running on 95RON premium petrol, because there’s no diesel. There’s also something disconcerting about higher grade Tiguans weighing just 1600kg but being listed as towing 2.5 tonnes (braked).
You could just pay a stern German woman in a latex jumpsuit to strap you to a metal frame once a week and whip you enthusiastically for an hour. This will be cheaper and, ultimately, less painful.
More detail at Hyundai's Tucson pages >>
Conclusion
The Hyundai Tucson is a very well-equipped mid-size SUV which, despite a minor price increase, remains exceptionally good value.
Adding auto emergency braking and other safety gear to the base model automatic is a step up in its value proposition.
It’s up to you to decide on a new updated model or a run-out 2019 model.
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