Last week, Hyundai Motor Philippines introduced its first hybrid models in the local market. We’ve already taken a closer look at the Santa Fe Hybrid. This time, let’s check out what its smaller sibling, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, has to offer.
Like the Santa Fe, this electrified Tucson packs a 1.6-liter Smartstream turbocharged engine under the hood. Thanks to electrical assistance, the hybrid system has a total system output of 232hp and 367Nm of torque, delivered to the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. We don’t have fuel-economy figures yet, but we look forward to seeing how this fares in real-world driving.
The Smart Regenerative Braking system should contribute to getting more miles out of your fuel budget, as it automatically varies the level of regen under braking to recapture energy more effectively and use that to charge the battery. The e-Dynamic Driving system is available here, too, electrically managing traction, handling, and torque vectoring.
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For those using this as a family car, there’s also a ‘Baby mode’ in addition to the usual Eco, Smart, and Sport. Basically, it smooths out acceleration to make car rides more comfortable for your young passengers.
It’s not just the powertrain that’s new here. The exterior has undergone some minor changes as well, with a refreshed grille and bumpers, new 19-inch alloys, and a choice of seven colors: Pine Green, Phantom Black Pearl, White Cream, Shimmering Silver, Amazon Gray, Deep Sea, and Cashmere Bronze.
Inside, the changes bring the Tucson’s cabin on a par with those of its newer stablemates. The dashboard architecture has been fully redesigned, andnow incorporates the digital instrument panel with the 12.3-inch panoramic infotainment display into one seamless-looking curved unit. Useful touches include a floating-type console box, a wireless charger, and smartphone integration via Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
For safety, the Tucson Hybrid comes with Hyundai SmartSense, which includes smart cruise control, a surround-view monitor, side-parking distance warning, and assists for blind-spot collision avoidance, forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, and lane following.
The price of entry for hybrid propulsion and all these features is P2,290,000 for the Hyundai Tucson HEV GLS. That comes standard with an HEV warranty coverage of five years or 200,000km, and a High Voltage Battery warranty good for eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes first. Hyundai has also released the pricing for the non-hybrid variants: P1,980,000 for the diesel-powered Tucson and P1,680,000 for the gas-propelled version.
Do you think the Tucson can now better challenge its main contenders in the compact-crossover segment, in the same way the Stargazer is now giving its fellow entry-level seven-seaters a run for their money?
More photos of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid 2024:
