Hyundai Tucson, the recently launched premium SUV from the South Korean carmaker has already bagged over 200 booking in India. Hyundai launched the third-generation Tucson in India only last week, on 14th November, and although bookings for the SUV began few weeks before the launch itself, considering the segment the SUV caters to, this is quite a big feat. Interestingly, 75 per cent of these bookings is for the diesel trim whereas, 55 per cent of the overall bookings are for the top-spec diesel automatic. Currently, the SUV is sold in India at an introductory price of Rs. 18.99 lakh to Rs. 24.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
As mentioned before, this is the third generation Hyundai Tucson that has come to India and the car has been positioned between to Hyundai Creta and the car maker's flagship SUV Santa Fe. We have already driven the car and shared our experience with you in our review. In India the car competes with the likes of Honda CR-V and Ssangyong Rexton. While Honda sells 40-50 units of the CR-V on an average, in a month, the Ssangyong Rexton's monthly sales have been far less then that.
The Hyundai Tucson is not a new name in India. We did get the first generation of the Tucson a little over a decade ago and slow sales prompted the Korean automaker to skip the second generation of this compact SUV. But seeing the recent surge in demand for premium SUVs in India, Hyundai felt there was definitely a market for the Tucson. And the latest booking numbers have surely proved them right.
Coming to the car itself, the new Hyundai Tucson comes in both diesel and petrol options and will be offered in a total of three trim levels and five variants - 2WD MT petrol, 2WD MT Diesel, 2WD AT GL Petrol, 2WD AT GL Diesel and the top-of-the-line 2WD AT GLS that only comes in diesel option. In terms of styling the SUV looks like a baby Santa Fe with bolder and aggressive styling. The SUV also offers exterior features like - double barrel projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights, Hyundai's signature chrome-slat grille, plastic underbody cladding with front and rear skid plates and side skirts.
The cabin of the new Hyundai Tucson gets dual-tone black & beige treatment with fabric upholstery on the base trim and leather upholstery for the higher trims. There is a well-laid-out dashboard with a multifunctional steering wheel and the feature list includes - dual-zone climate control, rear AC vents, 10-way power adjustable driver seat, and keyless entry. Other comfort and convenience features include - 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cruise control, powered tailgate with height adjustment and electric parking brake. Dual airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking camera and rear parking sensors come as standard safety features across variants.
Under the hood, the new Tucson comes powered by a 2.0-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel engine. The four-cylinder dual VTVT petrol unit develops 153bhp and 192Nm of peak torque, while the diesel unit churns out 182bhp and develops 400Nm of peak torque. Both engines will be available with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.
