World Hyundai Matteson is proud to present the all new Hyundai Tucson!
The 2010 Hyundai Tucson is in stock now!
To celebrate the launch of this vehicle, Hyundai is celebrating with a 24 month lease for only $239.00 month!! This is a very hot vehicle and a very hot deal, so come on out today.
Hyundai Tucson Review
Hyundai Tucson proves it’s time to buy a Hyundai
Game Time
Hyundai needed a more-competitive small crossover-utility vehicle to get U.S. buyers to pay attention in a market segment dominated by Honda CR-V, Ford Escape and Toyota RAV4 — the three best-selling SUVs of any kind.
So the South Korean car company chose a design from its Frankfurt unit and made sure it would accommodate every gadget typical of bigger, fancier machines. And WOW, did they produce!
But it did not bother to make room for a V-6. Those are passe at Hyundai these days, and a four-cylinder should be quite enough, thank you. And at 31 MPG and plenty of power, why would it?
A variety of pre-production 2010 Tucsons tested around here seemed more refined, more comfortable and more agile than those key competitors.
Notice the much-longer Hyundai warranty (60,000 miles overall, 100,000 miles powertrain). Or the all-wheel drive (AWD) that lets you lock it into true four-wheel-drive mode (50% of power to each end). And how about fuel-economy ratings 5% to 10% (1 to 3 mpg) better than those of key rivals?
By whatever name, the styling is dramatic: sweep and swoop and angles and edges. Will it wear well or soon seem outdated? For the moment, it looks good. Oddly color-sensitive. Nice in white, a color worn well by almost no vehicle. The rear end of this CUV reminds us of a Veracruz, which is a very high compliment indeed. What about that four-banger-only business? Tucson has the perverse advantage of comparing the new powertrain with a ho-hum (at best) V-6 in the old Tucson. Wouldn’t take much to seem better. And this engine roars!
Abetted by Hyundai’s self-designed, excellent-shifting, six-speed automatic, the Tucson’s 2.4-liter, 176-horsepower four felt lively, smooth and capable in a day rolling up miles on rural canyon roads, freeways and
the Pacific Coast Highway in heavy traffic. More pleasant to drive than rivals’ four-bangers. All have similar power, but Tucson models generally weigh less. And despite being 3 inches longer and an inch wider, the 2010 Tucson base model weighs 61 pounds less than the 2009.
Did the four feel like a V-6? No. Did that seem to matter? No. Was the experience undercut by any sort of coarse, bust-a-gut roar you often get in four-cylinder vehicles? No. Floor it and go, liking the sound and sensations. Simple and satisfying.
What else the drives showcased:
- Dandy manual. The six-speed stick shift, offered only in the base GLS with front-wheel drive, was an easy joy. Light-touch clutch, little worry about killing the engine or jerky shifts.
- Panoramic sunroof. Hyundai’s first. Handsome option for those who can’t stand being unenlightened from above. It is really a beautiful feature and were sure most will want the upgrade.
- Roomy interior. You’d think you were in a midsize machine, especially back-benchers.
- Clean, classy accommodations. Hyundai’s a champion at presenting all the dials, instruments and other hoo-hah you need in stunning simplicity that looks and feels inviting.
Less is More
Manual-shift mode for Tucson’s automatic transmission is via the floor lever. Period. No goofy steering-column shift paddles that are useful to Grand Prix racers loath to lift a digit from the wheel at 200 mph but laughably silly in many modern family cars.
Good down-the-road dynamics
Based on the commendable Elantra chassis, Tucson had modest body lean for an SUV. Electric power steering was well-tuned, with good on-center feel on straight roads and responsive nturning and road feel in the snaky stuff. Brakes felt good, though nearly every automaker has room to approach the Audi standard of suddenness in the “whoa” pedal.
Hyundai is Hot
Sales up 6.2%, Autodata says, in an overall market down 23.9% through November. Only others up this year: Kia, 7.2%; Subaru, 13.6%.
The 2010 Tucson suggests that Hyundai will be among the winners for quite some time.
Wait, what?
Compact, four-door, five-passenger crossover-utility vehicle that’s different in almost every detail from the vehicle of the same name it replaces.
Two flavors: GLS and Limited, each available with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD).
- When? On sale NOW
- Where? Designed in Frankfurt, tweaked in California.
- Why? Needed a serious rival to Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape, which currently outsell Tucson
in the U.S. about 10-to-1. NOT FOR LONG - How much? Base GLS FWD manual starts at $19,790 including $795 shipping. High-end Limited AWD with
premium package is $29,490. - How potent? Optional V-6 has been discontinued. Only engine is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that Hyundai calls
Theta II, rated 176 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 168 pounds-feet of torque at 4,000, mated to six-speed automatic
transmission with manual-shift mode. Six-speed manual available on GLS FWD only.
Passenger space: 101.9 cubic feet. Cargo space: 25.7 cu. ft. behind second row, 55.8 cu. ft. when rear seat’s folded.
Tows up to 2,000 lbs. Turning circle diameter, 34.7 ft. Carries 1,091 to 1,294 lbs. of people, cargo and accessories, depending on model.
How thirsty?
FWD automatic rated 23 miles per gallon in town, 31 highway, 26 in combined driving. FWD manual: 22/30/25. AWD automatic: 21/28/24.
Trip computers in preproduction test cars registered:
- GLS AWD automatic: 22.3 mpg (4.48 gallons per 100 miles) in mixed driving including suburbs, freeway and
winding canyon roads. - GLS FWD manual: 26.8 mpg (3.73 gal./100 mi.) in suburbs during heavy traffic.
- Limited AWD automatic: 28.7 mpg (3.48 gal./100 mi.) in a mix of suburbs and winding, hilly canyon roads that
were driven mainly in second and third gears. - Burns regular, holds 14.5 gallons.
Overall: Could be the new champ among small SUVs. We sure think so!
