Hyundai Tucson Hybrid review

Hyundai Tucson Hybrid verdict

Many SUVs feel and look the same nowadays, but the Hyundai Tucson stands out for more than just its striking exterior. It’s incredibly comfortable to travel in and boasts an incredibly smart and roomy cabin. Throw in Hyundai’s excellent five-year warranty, plus a plethora of standard equipment and you’ve got an SUV that appears to have been perfectly designed for family life.

Range details, specs and alternatives

The Hyundai Tucson is the South Korean maker’s best-selling model and sits above the hybrid and fully-electric Kona in its lineup. Classed as a mid-sized family SUV, the Tucson finds itself in one of the hottest segments in the car industry right now, acting as a rival for the likes of the Peugeot 3008, Ford Kuga and Toyota RAV4.

The Tucson's standout design feature is a series of LED lights that look like part of the grille when turned off, but transform its nose when illuminated. Hyundai used to have a reputation for building dull cars, but things have truly been turned around, and now the South Korean manufacturer sells some of the most distinctive models available. There are more interesting design aspects further around, with sharp body creases, chrome detailing and claw-like tail-lights.

Underneath its heavily-sculpted exterior, the Hyundai Tucson shares many of its parts with the Kia Sportage. Buyers can choose from mild, full and plug-in hybrid powertrains, but it’s the ‘self-charging’ full-hybrid we’re focusing on here – we’ve reviewed the Tucson PHEV separately.

The Tucson Hybrid is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine, electric motor and 1.49kWh battery, which produces 227bhp in all. Power goes through a six-speed automatic gearbox and then straight to the front wheels – earlier models were also available with four-wheel-drive.

From a standstill, the hybrid Tucson will reach 62mph in a brisk, if not terribly exhilarating, eight seconds. Perhaps more interesting to prospective owners is the fact that it’ll return up to 50mpg and CO2 emissions of 127g/km.

Hyundai offers the Tucson Hybrid in five trim levels: SE Connect, Premium, N Line, N Line S and Ultimate. The entry-level SE Connect model comes loaded with kit as standard, reducing the need to step up the trim level ladder. All cars get a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, dual-zone climate control and a reversing camera.

Opting for the mid-spec Premium car adds nice-to-haves such as LED headlights and heated seats, while N Line and N Line S cars get sportier bodykits with painted wheelarch cladding and several other model-specific cosmetic touches. Ultimate tops the range with ventilated leather seats, a panoramic sunroof and a powered bootlid – it is rather expensive, though.

Click here to see why you can trust DrivingElectric reviews, or for a more detailed look at the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, read on for the rest of our in-depth review...