The Tucson gets sporty

30 July 2019

Hyundai’s Tucson range in South Africa has been bolstered with a new Sport edition with bold looks, engine power and torque boost, and a deeper exhaust sound to claim its territory as the sportier version of this top-selling SUV.

When Hyundai Automotive South Africa initially launched the Tucson Sport in 2017, it was an immediate hit, with an order book that was filled quickly at the dealers. In the meantime, the Tucson has undergone a design facelift in 2018 – on its exterior looks as well as the interior.

“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 & 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 this time,” says Anderson.

The Sport is available in two derivatives: the petrol version with a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, and a diesel version with a 2-litre turbocharged engine.

The 1.6-litre petrol turbo delivers 150 kW at 5 500 r/min and maximum torque of 300 Nm at 4 500 r/min. Power is fed to the front wheels through an automatic 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), with the option of manual shift override.

The 2-litre turbodiesel also delivers 150 kW, but at lower engine revolutions of 4 000 r/min. Torque delivery from the turbodiesel is an impressive 460 Nm in an engine speed range of 1 750 to 2 750 r/min. This engine, also delivering power to the front wheels, is coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission which offers a manual shift option.

The Tucson Sport’s interior is similar to the other derivatives in the range, sporting a dashboard with a floating 7-inch screen for its infotainment system that offers features such as linkage to Apple’s CarPlay or the Android Auto application on smartphones.

In the case of the Sport derivative, the top specification level was chosen, including features such as electric seat adjustment for the driver and passenger, dual 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.

The Tucson’s upper dashboard features high-quality soft-touch material with a double stitching line for a high-quality feeling in the interior. The focal point of the centre console is the floating audio system screen, which has an ergonomic position to allow drivers to stay focused on the road. The infotainment system in the Tucson offers a satellite navigation function when used with one’s Apple cell phone and CarPlay, or the Android Auto application.

With the addition of the Sport, the Tucson range in South Africa now consists of nine derivatives with a choice between three engines – a naturally aspirated 2-litre petrol engine; the turbocharged 1,6-litre petrol engine and the 2-litre turbocharged diesel – and three specification levels. All derivatives are front-wheel driven.