TEST DRIVE(s): The 2017 Hyundai Tucson 2.0 CRDi Diesel & Hyundai Tucson 1.6 GDi Turbo Petrol

Things are looking pretty interesting when it comes to Korean car manufacturer Hyundai here in Malaysia. They’ve been keeping themselves busy over the past few months with some interesting car launches. Hyudai Sime Darby Motors, the official distributors of the brand had just launched the new Elantra and also added two more variants of the Hyundai Tucson. This time I got to try both of the newly launched Tucsons – the Tucson 2.0 CRDi Diesel and the Tucson 1.6 GDi TurboPetrol. (Note -The photos below are of a silver 2.0 Diesel and a Black 1.6 Turbo petrol)

I was invited to have a go in the new Tucson variants by Hyundai Sime Darby Motors on a road trip. The journey was from Glenmarie in Shah Alam to Ipoh and back. I was paired with two other journos and we took turns driving both variants of the new Tucson. We had a go with the Tucson Diesel first and then, on the return leg, we tried out the Tucson Turbo petrol. Whilst the journey wasn’t something epic, it was good enough as I have already an initial impression of the Tucson, albeit in the normally aspirated engine 2.0 Executive I tested sometime last year.

The Hyundai Tucson CRDi diesel & 1.6 Turbo GDi.

It essentially looks the same like the Tucson 2.0 Executive I drove earlier. It should as it is basically the same urban SUV with a different engine (and a reworked suspension) underneath. Aside from the concept car looking optional 19inch tyres and wheel, it is the same car from the outside. The other noticeable change is the LED headlights with lights that follow the steering as you turn. But you get the same car basically. But I must add that with the optional wheels (17 inch comes standard), the Tucson looks very modern, sporty and complete.

“You complete me” said the Tucson to its optional 19inch wheels, which you can buy and put them on any Tucson Diesel or Turbo petrol on sale today actually.

But of course such beautification comes with a price, about RM5,000 extra to be a little more precise. That being said, it does look good and it also makes the Tucson feel a little more planted on the road. We’ll get to the driving bit in a while.

Interior or the Tucson Diesel & Petrol are similar.

Step inside and things are quite familiar. The Tucson Diesel (interior, above) feels very well built on the inside. The materials used are of good quality and good to the touch. Various bits of plastic with different textures make the cabin a nice place to sit in. There are leather seats and a leather wrapped multifunction steering wheel. There is an armrest trimmed in leather too. There are some real stitching on the doorcards which aren’t really necessary but just there to add some pizzazz to the doors I suppose. But overall, the execution of the Tucson’s cabin is that of an affordable car with some premium touches. With good build quality too.

As for equipment levels, both the Tucson here are well specified. There is a lot of kit given like Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Hillstart Assist Control, Downhill Brake Control, an electric Park Brake, smart opening rear hatch (both electric park brake and this auto rear hatch is not in the 2.0 n.a) and the 6 airbags that we take from granted. 

There is a new type of infotainment/navigation system that can be connected to the internet and can do many things. However, what we’ve found out was that the system isn’t the same as the one stated in the owner’s manual. It must have been locally sourced and trying to figure out how to pair the system with a smartphone without help from the good folks from Hyundai Sime Darby was one of those unsolvable mysteries. It isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Make sure that when you buy one of these Tucson, you get your sales rep to give you a rundown on how it operates.

Another thing you can also note is that the Tucson Turbo petrol (above) gets the same interior and equipment levels inside. You will now be short-changed here if you buy either vehicle. The only differences between the Diesel and the Petrol turbo are their performance and their handling.

As for interior space, it is spacious for a 5 seater C-segment SUV. The front seats are supportive and comfortable, the rear seats are good too. Legroom at the rear is very good and you can actually adjust the rear seat back too - whether you like a straight up position or a slightly reclined angle is possible at the rear. Boot space is also more than adequate. 

The Powertrain(s) & The Drive Experience

Basic engine specs for the Tucson CRDI Diesel (above) is that it is a 2.0liter common rail direct injection single scroll turbocharged 4 cylinder engine. A mouthful, but it gets178PS and a sizeable 400nm torque from all that tech. Maximum torque comes in at 1,750rpm to 2,750rpm meaning this Tucson has tons of pulling power from a stand still. Of course, this also means that above this, torque levels taper off causing the Tucson Diesel to feel that it has given all its got and just accelerates momentum without much rush to the redline. It gets paired to a 6 speed traditional torque converter gearbox that can handle the oodles of torque thrown at it. No all-wheel-drive in this urban specific SUV though. Not that it would really need it for the highway and trunk road drive we did the other day.

In terms of outright performance, the Tucson Diesel feels brisk but not explosive. Like all diesels, power if given down below and tapers off early. This makes it feel like its massively strong throughout but without drama. Speaking of drama, the Tucson diesel lacks any sort of drama. It is devoid of the diesel clatter inside the cabin at all. It feels all quiet and refined. So refined that if you weren’t paying attention to the speedometer you’d find yourself cruising at 160km/h before you know it. The diesel has long legs indeed. At 110km/h it barely hits 1,900rpm or thereabouts only. Because of this, the is a very quiet highway drive even with those huge 19inch optional tyres I was telling you about earlier. Handling is also good on the optional big wheels. Very planted and secure.

Now as for the 177ps/265Nm 1.6liter T-GDI 4 cylinder direct injection turbocharged petrol, it feels slightly different. In getting to that point I have to state that both feel better on the move than the normally aspirated Tucson 2.0, (which incidentally because of these two models will only be sold in the base Elegance spec and not longer offered with the fully specced Executive variant). The handling of the diesel and petrol turbo variants is tauter overall. They feel more stable on the highway at high speeds and they take corners much better. They ride slightly firmer than the 2.0 Elegance as the suspension has been tweaked to feel firmer (i.e sportier) especially on the rebound over undulating roads. Yet the ride is still pliant enough for most people.

The biggest difference in terms between the diesel and the petrol turbo is how the front end of the car behaves. The weight of the larger, 2.0liter diesel engine makes itself known over the smaller, reviver 1.6liter turbocharged petrol.

The 1.6liter makes 177PS and 265Nm torque (from 1,500 to 4,500rpm).  The engine feels light all the way to its over 5,000rpm redline unlike the Diesel which loves being on the lower side of 3,000rpm. It feels sportier with a more noticeable engine note as it pushes its way forward.  While it seems to be missing over 100Nm of torque on paper, it actually feels like it accelerates faster. It does actually, with 0-100km/h being done in 9.1seconds over the 9.3 seconds of the Diesel. Both are adequately fast for a C segment SUV actually and both should easily hit 200km/h there is enough road.

In terms of how the ride and handling differs over the Diesel, I suppose this is the case of a heavy weight boxer with a massive knock-out punch against a feather weight boxer which would also knock out an opponent by landing small punches many times. Both end up with the same result in different ways. The drawback of the Diesel is that it feels like it has given all its got at under 3,000rpm – We accelerated at 2,700rpm and upwards to find a very linear feel in terms of on-road acceleration in the Diesel.

However, in the Petrol, there was basically more drama all the way to the red line. With its faster DCT gearbox and rev happy engine, the petrol feels sportier. The diesel, dare I say, is more refined at cruising. If you want another analogy, the Tucson Diesel feels like it is having the appetizer, the main course and dessert at the same time whereas the Tucson Turbo Petrol does the complete course in order. And it then goes out with a bang too. So there is a difference in delivery of the performance.

I suppose it depends on what you want. At city speeds, it would seem that both feel the same in the cut and thrust of traffic. It is out on the highway and on longer commutes that you want those long cruising legs of the Diesel over the Petrol (not that the Turbo Petrol cannot cruise, it can).

As for outright handling, both feel stable at speeds slightly above national highway speed limit. The Diesel with those larger 19inch wheels feel more planted over the front axles than the Turbo Petrol with the standard 17 inch wheels in a straight line (but remember that the bigger wheels are an option). It is the weight of that diesel engine up front that makes a difference there most likely are different spring rates up front to counter the added weight.

 On a straight road, the extra weight feels fine as it actually makes the Tucson Diesel feel like its pummelling the road into submission. In the bends, the added weight up front makes it feel more understeery at its limits. More front end grip at first because it has more weight pushing down on the wheels up front but eventually, the extra weight has some detriment at the end when momentum and physics come into play.

So the sportier one is ultimately the Turbo Petrol. 

The diesel would surprisingly be the more refined one on longer drives (in low rpm the engine noise of both cars do not intrude into the cabin). Those on long commutes or doing sales would benefit from the Diesel. I therefore am of the opinion that the Turbo Petrol would be best suited around town (for shorter commutes) and on roads with a lot of corners (if you intend to drive fast on them) as with all diesels, the cost benefit comes into play when you drive longer distances where the fuel bills come into play and that fabulously long cruising legs come into play. Both consume fuel very economically but the diesel has that added range from all of its efficiency. Do bear in mind that there are additional servicing costs when you run a diesel – common rail turbodiesels like very good quality diesel and there is an additional particle filters to change during regular servicing.

What about faults?

We know that no vehicle is perfect especially since its super new and all that. Aside from the slightly confusing infotainment unit, I must add that the only other weak link in both Tucson was the air-conditioning freezing up in these CKD units after more than a couple of hours of running non-stop on the road (most likely the electronic temperature regulator was set too low and needed tweaking) . We had to let it rest for a while before starting it up again. It could be better especially if you are doing longer drives with the engine left on for hours at a go. But we did highlight it to the people of Hyundai Sime Darby and I also have to state for the record that the air-conditioning worked fine in the 2.0 Executive I tested earlier (as well as on the new Hyundai Elantra Turbo I tested sometime after). I also did not hear anyone else bringing up this fault so you could say we were unlucky. This is most likely a first run production issue due to local assembly. It should be fixed by now.

Between the two, it actually is a hard choice to make. I would personally go for the Diesel as it does feel more refined overall but if you think paying RM155K for one isn’t worth it, or the extra servicing costs in the long run may cause you a bit of worry, then the approximately RM10K cheaper Turbo Petrol is actually a good buy too.

Conclusion

Against other brands, I have to say that the Koreans are coming up with the best that Asia has to offer these days. I don’t feel the Japanese brands actually come close in terms of overall execution. The Tucson feels very well put together inside and out (aside from the slight fault we encountered with the air conditioning). The engine feels strong, the drive train feels good – even the dual clutch gearbox used in the Turbo Petrol feels close to a traditional torque converter feels like (and it shifts well too). 

Both the Tucson variants here are nice well thought out vehicles in most aspects. I personally wouldn't mind taking home the Tucson Diesel actually.  

SPECIFICATION & MORE PHOTOS BELOW:

HYUNDAI TUCSON 2.0 CRDi Diesel - RM155,788 (OTR Price without Insurance, Peninsular Malaysia)

Engine Capacity 2.0 liter 4 cylinder 16v common rail direct injection turbo diesel

Displacement (cc) 1,995

Max. Power  (ps) 178 / 4,000rpm

Max. Torque (Nm) 400 / 1,750~2,750rpm,

Transmission Type 6 Speed Auto FWD

Drive Configuration FWD

Equipment and more details are here

HYUNDAI TUCSON 1.6 T-GDi - RM145,588 (OTR Price without Insurance, Peninsular Malaysia)

Engine Capacity 1.6 4 cylinder 16 v turbocharged, direct injection petrol

Displacement (cc) 1,591

Max. Power (ps) 177@5,500rpm

Max. Torque  (Nm) 265 / 1,500~4,500rpm

Transmission Type 7-Speed Dual Clutch Transmission

Drive Configuration FWD

Equipment and more details are here.

PHOTOGRAPHS-

HYUNDAI TUCSON 2.0 CRDi Diesel

HYUNDAI TUCSON 1.6 T-GDi