Hyundai’s new Tucson SUV will cost from £18,695 when it goes on sale in the UK this September. The SUV made its global debut at the Geneva motor show back in March.
The replacement for the current ix35, the Tucson measures 4475mm long by 1850mm wide, with a height of 1645mm and a wheelbase of 2670mm. Those dimensions make it longer, wider and lower than the outgoing ix35.
Having retired the original Tucson in 2010 to make way for the ix35, Hyundai has now reversed that decision in the hope of making the Tucson a more global product.
"We made the decision to have the same name for global products worldwide," explained Hyundai Europe's chief operating officer Thomas Schmid. "Almost everywhere called the car the Tucson apart from Europe, but our studies showed that awareness of the name among customers was no different.
"It gives us a synergy around the world that brings advantages - and it allows us to signify the significant step forward in the product and the design that we have made with this car. It's our belief that Tucson will lift perception to a new level among customers, who have not seen this level of quality or craftmanship from us before."
The Tucson takes on a more rugged appearance than the ix35, and features Hyundai's prominent front grille design. A clear resemblance to the larger Santa Fe can be seen. Hyundai design boss Peter Schreyer said: "We tried to make an SUV, but make it bolder and stronger.
"When we do something like this, of course, we have in mind that it needs to be successful globally. It needs to be a good product and then it can be successful in all markets."
Engine line-up revealed
Powering the new Nissan Qashqai rival will be two petrol and three diesel engines, all meeting Euro 6 emissions standards.
A 1.6-litre petrol engine is available in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms, producing 133bhp and 174bhp respectively.
The diesel line-up kicks off with a 1.7-litre unit producing 113bhp and also includes two versions of the firm's 2.0-litre powerplant, available in a choice of 134bhp and 181bhp forms. The 2.0-litre option will also be available with four-wheel drive. Although Hyundai will showcase several of its mild-hybrid engine options in Geneva, officials say no hybrid option has yet been confirmed for the Tucson.
Transmission options include a six-speed manual, six-speed automatic and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Hyundai says the Tucson, built on an all-new platform which will also be shared with the new Kia Sportage, offers a generous amount of interior space. It has 513 litres of luggage capacity available with all the seats up - smaller than the outgoing ix35 but 83 litres more than the Nissan Qashqai.
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A massive improvement!