2019 Hyundai Tucson Reviews

The midsize SUV segment is a busy place. There are dozens of options to choose from, but we've assembled three of the most important players.Those models are the all-new Toyota RAV4 GLX, which is up against the Hyundai Tucson Active X and Kia Sportage SX Plus. All are petrol-powered, front-wheel drive, and automatic.Which is the best of the bunch? Read on to find out!

The Hyundai Tucson was never going to be left looking out of place amidst the Korean company's more aggressively-styled SUV line-up - and so what you see here is the mid-life update of the popular mid-size SUV. Admittedly, the Hyundai Tucson 2019 model doesn't look exactly like the smaller Kona or larger seven-seat Santa Fe, both of which are more... evil looking. But there are some minor cosmetic changes for this updated Tucson model - and the underlying story here is that the amendments go beyond the metal.The Tucson's tech has been upgraded, and so have the drivetrains - plus the model range has been tweaked. How does it all stack up? Let's get down to the nitty gritty.

We take a city-friendly 2WD 2019 Hyundai Tucson Elite off the bitumen and into the bush. It's a compact SUV more suited to cafe-hopping than creek-crossings. What could possibly go wrong?

Oh, look. It’s another upper-mid-range SUV, but should the Tucson elite be the standard to which other SUVs are measured?

The entry-level model in the Hyundai Tucson 2019 range is the Go, which is available with three different powertrain options.List pricing (before on-road costs) starts at $28,150 for the entry-level Go 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol six-speed manual, which replaces the previous base-model Active. The Go can also be equipped with a 2.0-litre petrol paired with a six-speed automatic (FWD) at $30,650, or with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel matched to an eight-speed auto at $35,950.The Go has standard features such as 17-inch steel wheels with a full-size spare, a 7.0-inch touchscreen media system with six speakers, a reversing camera, Bluetooth connectivity, a single USB port up front, Apple CarPlay (for your iPhone) and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, a digital driver information screen with digital speedometer and trip computer, cruise control, manual air conditioner controls, front fog-lights, roof rails, auto projector halogen headlights and LED daytime running lights.Buyers can option both the Go with the 'SmartSense' safety pack at a cost of $2200, and that brings not only extra high-tech safety gear, but some additional desirable equipment, too.The pack adds blind spot monitor (also known as lane change assist), driver attention warning, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, auto emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning with active lane keep assist (with power steering intervention), rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control (which works down to 0km/h). It also adds dual-zone climate control, a cooled glovebox, electric park brake, electric folding and heated side mirrors, and puddle lamps to the base two grades.All Hyundai Tucson models come with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, life-time capped price servicing, and 10 years' roadside assist if you service your car at a designated dealership.

The second-level up the ladder in the 2019 Hyundai Tucson range is the Active X model, which is available with a choice of three drivetrains.

The third-highest grade of 2019 Hyundai Tucson is the Elite model, which can be had with a choice of three drivetrains.The Elite is auto-only: the FWD 2.0-litre petrol lists at $37,850, or you can have it with a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol with AWD and a seven-speed dual-clutch auto for $40,850, or a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel auto AWD, at $43,850.The Elite mimics the equipment offered in the Active X, including tyre pressure monitoring, rear parking sensors to complement the reversing camera, an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with built-in sat nav, DAB / DAB+ digital radio, an eight-speaker sound system with subwoofer, leather seats, two-way electrically adjustable driver's seat with electric lumbar adjustment, heated and folding exterior mirrors, and front and rear USB power outlets.But stepping up to this grade also adds 18-inch alloy wheels, adds a fully powered driver's seat, smart key (not the full keyless entry set-up - you still need to push a button on the door handle) and push-button start, rain-sensing wipers, tinted windows and rear park assist as well as various aesthetic touches. This spec still has projector halogens - not even HID or xenon lamps, which is disappointing at this price tag.At the very least, the Elite gains the full complement of safety gear (which is offered as the 'SafetySense' pack in the lower two grades), including: blind spot monitor (also known as lane change assist), driver attention warning, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, auto emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning with active lane keep assist (with power steering intervention), rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control (which works down to 0km/h).All Hyundai Tucson models come with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, life-time capped price servicing, and 10 years' roadside assist if you service your car at a designated dealership.Plus, Tucson Elite buyers have access to GPS navigation system map updates when they service their car.

The top of the range model in the 2019 Hyundai Tucson lineup is the Highlander, which is available with all-wheel-drive only, and automatic only, too. The Highlander can be had with the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol dual-clutch auto with AWD at $46,500 plus on-road costs, or with the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel AWD auto at $48,800.Equipment highlights for the Highlander include 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and LED tail-lights, front and rear parking sensors, a panoramic sunroof, a power adjustable passenger seat to complement the powered driver's seat, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, a power tailgate, 4.2-inch colour LCD screen in the dash, wireless phone charging, auto-dimming rearview mirror and various aesthetic differentiators.That's on top of the extensive kit offered in the Elite grade, including smart key and push-button start, rain-sensing wipers, tinted windows, a tyre pressure monitoring system, a reversing camera, an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with built-in sat nav, DAB / DAB+ digital radio, an eight-speaker sound system with subwoofer, leather seats, two-way electrically adjustable driver's seat with electric lumbar adjustment, heated and folding exterior mirrors, and front and rear USB power outlets.Being the high grade, Highlander models get the full complement of safety gear (which is offered as the 'SafetySense' pack in the lower two grades), including: blind spot monitor (also known as lane change assist), driver attention warning, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, auto emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning with active lane keep assist (with power steering intervention), rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control (which works down to 0km/h).All Hyundai Tucson models come with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, life-time capped price servicing, and 10 years' roadside assist if you service your car at a designated dealership.Plus, Tucson Elite buyers have access to GPS navigation system map updates when they service their car.