Hyundai Tucson Hybrid N Line Review: Bona Fide Appeal
The Tucson facelift’s AWD drivetrain shows a thing or two to the bigger, front-pawed Santa Fe. It’s particularly appealing with the N Line trim, too.
The current-generation Tucson’s design has never failed to catch one’s attention. Those origami-like creases as well as the aggressive headlight design still looks fresh today despite an onslaught of newcomers to the market all vying for eyeballs.
With this facelift, the Tucson now keeps its game relevant by introducing all-wheel drive - a first for the model in Singapore. This trick up its sleeve means that the Tucson is now very likely more capable on the rough stuff than the larger and more expensive Santa Fe. If this is important to you, then you ought to pay close attention.
The N Line variant as tested here adds several goodies over its cosmetic upgrades, such as larger 19-inch rims (rather than 18s), a panoramic sunroof, remote parking, 360-degree cameras, intelligent headlights, ambient lighting, a Krell speaker system, head-up display, suede leather seats, front memory seats and rear blinds. This is not even the complete list, so you are truly getting a lot. For $12k more, it feels well worth it. The uplift to the interior ambience alone is enough to flick the Tucson into a more premium segment.
With the 212 hp / 367 Nm 1.6-litre TurboHybrid drivetrain like the one found in the Santa Fe, the Tucson feels sprightlier than its larger sibling, even with two more driven wheels. While not blisteringly quick, it feels more than sufficient for spirited driving. On that front, you will be rewarded if you drive the car at 7/10ths rather than going all out. It’s just not that sort of car, even if the N Line badges may make you believe otherwise. All the better as the drivetrain is truly efficient too, netting approximately 12.4 km/l during our test drive. For an AWD SUV, this is a good figure.
Even with the larger 19-inch rims, the Tucson feels uncommonly comfortable. It is well-damped and soaks up the bumps on our roads with ease. Don’t be deterred by the N Line and the connotations that come with it; this one drives like a luxury car.
On that note, the Tucson doesn’t come cheap versus its rivals, but its all-wheel drive proposition as well as the extensive list of features with the N Line make it feel well worth the dosh. In this high COE environment, it pays to be bona fide.
Photos by James Wong
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