Hyundai Tucson

Kirstie_H · November 2003

What do you think about this upcoming compact SUV? Here's what Edmunds.com has to say.

csandste · November 2003

Will the Kia version look only slightly different (Optima v. Sonata) or will it have a different look. Although Kia badly needs Hyundai's better platforms, I hope they don't become like Chrysler/Plymouth and Dodge in the nineties.

This is the only size suv I'd be happy with. Although I like the looks of the baby Mitsubishi a bit better, I really am happy with my '01 Elantra.

iluvmysephia1 · November 2003

SUV currently being developed by Kia, which may or may not be called Sportage BTW. Yep, they will look pretty much the same(each company will incorporate their own body design "flavor" if you will)and they'll share powertrains. FWD will be the propellant for the wheels and AWD will be available as an option, The engine will be the 2.0L 4 cyl.with an optional 2.7L V6 and both manual and automatic tranny's will be for the pickin'. Since they're both going to the CVVT engine of choice I'm pretty sure this Tucson will have that as well but stay tuned for more on that later. The details will start flowing as this one gets closer to American sales lots.

nymphetamine · November 2003

Other posts mention Kia, well Kia should just get out of the SUV business, with their dismal sales and dull designs.

I don't like Hyundai Santa Fe, but it is unique, and when Porsche developed their own SUV it was the Santa Fe design they "borrowed" from.

This Tucson sketch looks very interesting, kind of like the long lost cousin to the Isuzu Vehicross and to that I say its about time!

hyundairep · December 2003

The Tucson is being built directly on the Elantra platform and has nothing to do with future or currnet Kia products. This vehicle is it's own dog. I am sorry iluvmysephia1, but you have been misinformed

csandste · December 2003

next gen. Elantra platform. Kia will get the platform for its new Spectra/Cerado a year ahead of Hyundai, same as the mid-gen updates for Sonata v. Optima.

Even though the Optima is the same car its resale values are much worse than Sonata. I would expect that once the current gen. Spectras and Sportages are a faint memory that Kia prices will creep up.

I'm a bit worried that all models will be as close together as the sonata and optima, although Tucson does look different than Sportage replacement. I don't want to see a 90's Chrysler/Plymouth and Dodge situation develop.

iluvmysephia1 · December 2003

will DEFINITELY look different, there will be no clouding of the two companies' car designs, even though they'll share platforms. Like I pointed out their design departments are entirely separate(as are their finances), Hyundai just owns a 51% stake in Kia. They'll share platforms to save money but their unput in design remains proprietary to each company and their earnings do not pool together either. That is an important distinction to make clear.

csandste · December 2003

Sure wasn't the case with Optima/Sonata.

jchan2 · December 2003

literally a Sonata with a different grille, rear end and badge?

bored · December 2003

Pretty much, but the Optima was created before Kia and Hyundai mentioned that they were to just share platforms and not looks.

The Optima has changed a lot since its introduction. The Sonata and Optima now no longer share the exact same interior, their front end, and rear ends are not the same, although the sides are pretty much identical.

jchan2 · December 2003

give the car away. The Kia has chrome handles on the upper trim lines. I don't know if the Hyundai has it on the LX model, but I'm certain the Optima SE V6 has the chrome doorhandles.

snowman2596 · January 2004

I know there is a huge market out there for smaller SUVs, younger buyers looking for value in both price and quality--and I have no doubts the Tucson will find an immediate and very loyal following. To that I say it will be very well deserved. I just feel its time Hyundai went larger, not smaller. With a growing family, I wish they would. However, if the Tucson is anything like my Santa Fe, a second vehicle would most definitely be in order.

iluvmysephia1 · January 2004

Santa Fe" SUV for the future. Hyundai will be popping out several new models in the next several years and a bigger SUV is on the design plate right now.

jchan2 · January 2004

model could possibly be a rebadged Sorento. I've heard Hyundai is thinking of designing a minivan, which would also spawn a Kia cousin, to replace the current poor MPG Sedona.

saber86 · January 2004

yeah i think tucson is to compete with the cr-v and rav4. so will the new sportage. the next santa fe will be larger and i am hoping it would be something like highlander and pilot size. i think you are correct they are working on bringing a new truck based suv something like explorer in size. the new minivan which will be based on next generation sonata platform. autoweek had a good article on future products from hyundai several months back.

so have you decided what your next vehicle is going to be yet?

iluvmysephia1 · January 2004

South Korean. My '01 Sportage 4x4 has around 63,800 miles and is running very strong. Things are changing so fast in the industry and more offerings are appearing so fast that my "futures" list changes, or grows, almost monthly. My wife and I both like sitting up a little higher like in the Sportage so the new-gen Sportage is probably my front-runner(as well as Hyundai's Tucson). I still LOVE the Hyundai Tiburon GT V6 and I'm taking a look at the new Kia Spectra debuting in March. Lastly, I like the Chevrolet Aveo hatch...something tells me that car is quickly going to become the best value in a new car in America(actually every car I've mentioned in this category is a great value-the Aveo's just the lowest costing one). How about you-you gonna pull the trigger anytime soon? BTW-I'm a year or two away from trading in at least!

saber86 · January 2004

I know what you mean about sitting up higher with suv than driving a car. Sometimes I drive my wifes o2 cr-v and i do like sitting up higher. I have a camary now and will wait to see what the new santa fe looks like. I am hoping it would be size of pilot/highlander or maybe little bigger.

insomnia610 · January 2004

Hi folks in America... Hyundai finally decided to build the new hardtop convertible..
http://www.cetizen.com/bbs/zboard.php?id=board&no=20352&b- - _type=&category=2&c_type= i am kinda excited to see that because only cars that i see in Korea are Hyundai, Kia and GM Daewoo... i see some bmw, lexus, audi and benz around in there days and there is no korean made convertible yet... I went to Washington state about a couple months ago, and i saw these korean cars... and i checked them out... they were hyundai elantra and sonata and i was kind of surprised, because they were equipped with crappy stuffs... i just got my elantra, and its equipped with dvd navigation, mp3 player, ABS and traction control, leather seats, and climate control. I paid about 21000 US dollars..
well good times folks

iluvmysephia1 · January 2004

get kinda short-changed on appointments in our South Korean cars. What brought you to Washington state, vacation? I'm just curious, that's my home state where I was born. About the Elantra, people here are paying $12,000-$14,000 for their Elantra's in US funds but they're lacking some of the things you enjoy there in South Korea.
Good to hear that the Hyundai Tiburon CCS(Coupe Concept Study) is going to become a reality and the Tiburon Convertible is really going to be real!

iluvmysephia1 · February 2004

the Chicago Auto Show yesterday. The compact Tucson will be Hyundai's new entry-level truck, execs revealed. The 2005 Tucson arrives this summer with a choice of four-cylinder or V-6 engines, a flexible interior and all-wheel drive available. The interior seats five; the rear bench splits and folds forward, and when coupled with the folded front passenger seat, creates a longer cargo area than some compact utes. The engines availabe will be as follows: 2.0-liter four and front-wheel drive in base GL models; GLS and LX models get the company's 2.7-liter V-6. All of the new Tucson's come with six airbags, including side curtains for both rows, standard. AWD drive can be ordered with either engine. Four-wheel disc brakes are also standard, along with 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, tinted glass, and roof rack side rails.

jrock65 · February 2004

Not a bad design. I like what I see in the pictures. The 2.0 seems a little underpowered compared to the competition, but they do offer the V6 option. I'd like to see Hyundai upgrade their engine power in the future; not necessarily to the level of Nissan, but hopefully to the level of Toyota.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2004

SUV will be built upon the Hyundai Coupe platform. I was reading from a Hyundai UK website. Interesting nonetheless...the Hyundai Coupe, of course, is the same car as the Hyundai Tiburon in the U.S. The Tucson will be built using monocoque construction and will sit on a highly-modified version of the Hyundai Coupe platform. Feel free to help research this out more fully for the U.S. market as I am speaking of the Hyundai Tucson for sale in the UK. In the UK they will be able to order one with gas or diesel engines and either 2WD or 4WD choices. Hyundai is banking on the diesel engine to be the engine of choice there. There will be a 5-speed manual tranny or 4-speed semi-automatic. The Tucson uses a "torque-on-demand' 4WD system. The car will run in FWD until it detects loss of traction, at which time the 4WD will cut in. It will revert to 2WD when adequate traction is again detected. In addition, at speeds of up to 30kph, the driver can select a permanent 4x4 for extra control when needed at the touch of a button.
The UK Hyundai Tucson will go on sale there in the fall with prices starting at 15,000. Pounds or Euro's for that 15,000 price? Dunno.
Hyundai will hopefully bring a lot of this feature content to the U.S. Torque-on-demand should be a popular feature here in the U.S.

6thbeatle · February 2004

i like the new tucson. it's cute, and has character. i wish they had designed a better-looking interior though. too much grey plastic--very dull and dismal.

andil1 · February 2004

Very disappointed to see no mention of a sunroof on the Hyundai site. I've had one on each car since 1976 when I had a crank open type on my Audi Fox! When Hyundai introduced the Santa Fe, they waited a year or so before offering a sunroof as I recall.

shado4 · February 2004

There WILL be a sunroof option on the Tucson. If you read the press release info on the HyundaiTucson web site it clearly states that a sunroof with tilt feature will be an available option.

Also, if you look closely at the pictures from the Chicago auto show, you will see a glass sunroof on the blue Tucson. That blue color, by the way, looks absolutley stunning! I hope Hyundai offers that color when the vehicle is put on sale later this year.

andil1 · February 2004

for the sunroof info. I had been looking at feature and spec listings and noticed it wasn't there. But I found the press release to which you referred. Also, yesterday there was an hour on the WGN Network about the Auto Show which I taped. When I fast forwarded through it, I saw a quick glimpse of the Tucson. When I stopped the picture I could clearly see the sunroof, plus the back hatch opens upward instead of sideways like the CRV and RAV4. I like that. The hatch glass is supposed to be able to be popped open also according to one of the articles.
I doubt that Hyundai would show the blue color unless it was to be available. The marketing department probably spent a great deal of time deciding which was the right color for the introduction! First impressions....

shado4 · February 2004

I also like how the hatch will open upwards instead of sideways, and that the glass area will also be able to be opened independently of the hatch.

One thing I really like about the Tucson is that the spare tire is NOT mounted on the rear hatch like the Liberty, RAV4 and CRV. I can't tell from the pictures, but I hope the spare is located on the inside of the Tucson below the cargo area floor and not mounted underneath outside the vehicle like pickups and some other SUVs.

All in all, it looks very promising. I'm looking forward to a comparison test and seeing the Tucson in person. If it's as good as it looks on paper, I hope Hyundai will offer an owner loyalty bonus when I trade in my Elantra!

6thbeatle · February 2004

the crv was designed for japan, where people drive on the left side of the road. for this reason, the rear door on the crv is hinged on the right side, making it ideal for tokyo streets, not so good here.

in korea, people drive on the right side of the road, so ease of maintenance and access should be the same as domestic vehicles since no conversion of the tucson's design is necessary for the north american market.

ask anyone who's ever tried to change the oil on certain japanese vehicles and you'll hear some pretty salty language to describe the ways a human hand can be abused. the tucson will make hyundai an even bigger player, along with the new convertible, luxury full-size sedan and truck on their way.

jchan2 · February 2004

from the Edmunds pics, the exterior isn't bad, the interior looks fine, and the price should be low.

rctennis3811 · February 2004

I hope the Tuscon does well, being Hyundai's first attempt in the compact ute segment. With the price, features, and warranty, it may prove to be a viable competitor to the sadly disappointing Equinox.

shado4 · February 2004

...a Hyundai Tucson at the Pittsburgh Auto Show today. It looked like the same one being shown at the Chicago Auto Show (same brilliant blue color with light tan interior). However, it was on a rotating platform that prevented anyone from actually sitting inside.

In person the Tucson looks really sharp, with styling that is more mainstream and less "quirky" than the Santa Fe. The hood/fender bulges are less pronounced than on the SF, and the side body panels are clean and smooth, without the sharp edges and angles present on the SF. The windows were dark tinted from the rear passenger doors backward. In the back you could clearly see some stamped lettering in the metal above the license plate area. One side I believe said HATCH and the other side said WINDOW, leading me to believe that there are two concealed buttons or levers, one which opens the entire hatch and one which opens just the glass window. The Tucson does not have a uniquely separate pull handle to open the hatch like the Santa Fe. I also liked the dual oval chrome exhaust tips exiting from below the rear bumper...very sporty looking.

Lighting on the Tucson looks nice as well. The car was displayed with its parking lights on. I particularly liked the way the small round light found on the inside of the main headlight unit lit up, with horizontal cuts on the edge of its enclosure so that you could see it from the side. The taillights are nicely done as well, with a top and bottom bulb on each side that, when lit, produces the illusion of what looks like dozens of small LED's. Each taillight is bisected by a white horizontal strip that houses both an amber turn signal bulb and the backup light.

I was able to get close enough to see a little bit of the interior through the open driver's door window. From what I could see, the materials looked very appealing and top notch. Various shades of tan appear both on the dash and on the door panels, giving the Tucson a more upscale look. A moonroof was on this vehicle, but its position relative to the driver's seat made it look like it was placed a bit too far back. There appeared to be some sort of storage compartment in front of the moonroof, along with map lights. Sure wish I could have been able to sit in it.

The Hyundai reps at the auto show said that the Tucson was scheduled to be available by late August or early September. I myself am looking forward to driving one with the V6 ASAP.

jchan2 · February 2004

may be the only downfall compared to the RAV4

iluvmysephia1 · February 2004

this cool, new mini-ute(Hyundai's first mini-utility)from Hyundai. Your including little details is most pleasing, for example, the fact that the windows from the back doors on towards the rear are tinted. Also a very helpful description of the lighting, which, BTW, sounds very appealing in this rig. I agree, I like Tucson's more mainstream styling, it looks better than anything Toyota or Honda or Buick, etc. has produced so far, easily. I won't include Kia because I drive a 2001 Kia Sportage 4x4 and prefer the looks of my little SUV better, even though most people would agree the Sportage's styling is outdated compared to the new Tucson, I still prefer it, though. However, this new offering from Hyundai and Kia's soon to be released mini-ute that may or may not be named Sportage are intriguing and are more than likely what I will pull the trigger on for my next vehicle purchase. Keep the reviews and information coming!

hoody · February 2004

yeah I'm just as interested in this as I am in what the Toyota RAV4 for 05 will look like..... I plan to be buying one or the other this fall for sure, so the more info posted the better.... I'm still looking for any info on the 05 RAV4 if anyone has a site.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2004

body design freshen-up for '05? It's design right now looks really modern as it is. I looked at one yesterday and thought it was a Kia Sportage like mine for just a second. They both have that spare tire on the back and both look like little Jeeps. Both are handsome as well. The Toyota holds it's value better, of course. IIRC the Toyota RAV4 is FWD and has no 4WD option, though. Is that correct? Does it have a part-time AWD option or is the '05 RAV4 going to offer that? I really like the looks of this new offering from Hyundai they're calling Tucson...anybody notice that both of Hyundai's SUV's are named after cities in the deserty Southwest region of America? There's a theme intention going on there.

hoody · February 2004

iluvmysephia1 I have no idea what the 05 RAV4 will look like, I was asking for info if anyone had it is all..... As for the 04 looks, yeah its a cool little mini UTE...... I was looking at the Hyundai Santa FE for a long time, but changed my mind after a few things...... seen the Tucson pre pic and liked it, have been keeping up on it too.... yeah the RAV4 does sorta look like the KIA Sportage, but is no way in that catagory... the Toyota ia a far better make..... I have been driving my 88 dodge caravan since it was new, and its on the last breath hah.... am just holding out till Sept.... to see what Toyota does with the 05 rav4..... and to take a physical look at this 05 Hyundai Tucson to compare the 2...... the Tucson will have to "prove" itself to me, since it won't hold its resale value like the rav4.

jchan2 · February 2004

the RAV4 is optional with on demand AWD.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2004

since asking that I have seen that information posted in some other threads. Good info.!

jchan2 · March 2004

wonder what the Tucson's price range might be.

inharmsway · March 2004

I read between $16000 and $22000 someplace.

Niels

alpha01 · March 2004

The RAV4 wont be changed very much, if at all, for 2005. A complete redesign may appear for 2006, though. If you investigate a bit, the RAV4, though not redesined, was SIGNIFICANTLY improved for 2004, with the addition of a new engine, stronger brakes, standard stability control, new instrmentation and dash, and optional side curtain airbags, to name a few.

~alpha

jchan2 · March 2004

not bad considering the larger Equinox is going for $22K sticker (base price)

redsantafe · April 2004

I ran across a Tucson close-up video last week.. amazing!! The center stack is trimmed in brushed chrome, chrome on the tail pipes, fold flat seats are much needed and side curtain airbags. I'm jealous and thinking about trading my '03 Santa Fe. The Tucson went on sale in Korea last Thursday (3/25) and they sold 4,000 units in the first day alone. Word of mouth will spread fast on this product.. maybe to the level of the beetle a couple years ago.

iluvmysephia1 · April 2004

Wow-quite a comparsion if that's the vehicle you're referring to. The Tucson does look really good and Kia's new Sportage(which may or may not be named Sportage)under development looks sharp in early pictures as well. Good times for mini-uters!

jchan2 · April 2004

for Hyundai dealers as the wait list will be long and people will be paying full sticker price on it.

iluvmysephia1 · April 2004

a fuel cell Tucson at the same time it's building the production petrol model! Whoa! Top speed for the fuel cell Tucson is 93 while top speed for the fuel cell Santa Fe SUV is only 77. Little bit of car trivia to pass the time, with, eh? Hummm...a fuel cell Tucson. Maximum total miles per energy fill right now is something like 186 miles, though. That should be improved.

mike91326 · April 2004

My dealers service manager told me that the Tucson, Santa Fe, and Elantra will likely have a turbo diesel option for 2007. They will be legal in all 50 states, due to the new ultra low sulfur diesel fuel coming in 2006. He said expect 30 - 40 MPG.

bikerpa · April 2004

That's excellent news - I've been waiting for inexpensive, high-quality turbodiesels to show up around here. A TD Elantra GT would be a sweet alternative to a TD Golf or GTI (or even Jetta). My only regret is that my '95 sonata won't last me long enough to wait for one.

shooterd · April 2004

Are the numbers that Edmunds has in their specs section correct for luggage and cargo space?? I mean, how could this thing compete with a CR-V (maximum cargo space of 72 cubes) with a supposed maximum cargo space of 28 cubes and luggage room of 11 cubes? Was just wondering if there were confirmation of these numbers anywhere. I'd consider buying one of these if the numbers here were more in line with the CR-V. I know the pictures certainly "look" like there's more room than that.

shooterd · April 2004

Ok, kind of answering my own question here. Wouldn't you know that I'd find an article I hadn't seen before AFTER I posted this that discusses interior cargo room and what they are guessing the true total cargo room might really be.

http://www.autosite.com/Previews/2005-hyundai-tucson.asp

"Hyundai claims that maximum cargo capacity is 39.9 cubic feet, which would rank it at the bottom of the segment – we suspect this measurement does not include any space above the vehicle’s beltline, and we’d guess that the Tucson could actually hold about 60 cubes of cargo."

orangelebaron · May 2004

I tried getting on to Hyundai's Korean website to no avail...won't go through. Anybody have any luck?
I was going to buy the Elantra GT... but I can wait a few months...the Tucson seems even more practical.

Hyundai Tucson

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