2016 Hyundai Tucson review, road test

Hyundai focuses on style, refinement and comfort for its third-generation Tucson.

Published on Jan 31, 2017 07:00:00 AM

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The finely judged balance between ride and handling is a black art which Hyundai hasn’t quite mastered yet. But to give credit where it’s due, the carmaker has made great strides in this area. Driving dynamics are no longer a weakness but there’s still some way to go before a Hyundai can be called ‘fun-to-drive.’ As for the Tucson, we can at best term it ‘easy-to-drive.’ The steering is quite light in Eco and the tight turning circle makes the Tucson city-friendly. It’s a softly sprung car, so compliance is pretty good. It doesn’t thud over bumps and potholes and isolates passengers fairly well, but the low-speed ride is a bit fidgety, especially on the heavier diesel and there’s constant movement felt on uneven roads. At highway speeds, the Tucson is pretty stable and inspires confidence.

The steering is fairly quick and feels nicely connected to the road. This is a step up from earlier Hyundais that felt a bit too disconnected, and there’s a bit of extra weight too. It’s just that the slight vagueness when pointing straight ahead is still there and it doesn’t weigh up consistently either.

Also, the Tucson’s soft setup means that on an uneven surface it pitches up and down a fair bit. Push the nose-heavy Tucson hard and it will understeer strongly, although body roll is quite controlled, and it feels more like a tall hatchback than an SUV.

However, the hunkered-down stance of the Tucson has compromised its off-road credentials. It’s not the absence of 4x4, but rather the poor angle of the approach (the protruding chin can get perilously close to the ground whilst off-roading) and the limited wheel travel that makes it easy to hit the bump stops with a jarring thud on a dirt trail.

The brakes, however, are superb with a very progressive feel and immense stopping power.