In theory, the SUV is a sensible choice: more room for your cargo, more ground clearance when roads are snowy or unpaved, and more traction when climbing slippery hills. It’s the trade-offs that make traditional midsize SUVs a less ideal choice: poor fuel economy, high purchase price, and difficulty maneuvering and parking.
Small CUVs were a response to these trade-offs, but they went to the other extreme and created trade-offs of their own: cramped interiors, a lack of refinement, and a general lack of ruggedness.
To differentiate the Hyundai Tucson from the small CUVs on the road, Hyundai engineers decided the Tucson needed to offer the best of both worlds, combining the rugged utility of a midsize SUV with the maneuverability and refinement of a car. Once you experience it, you’ll understand why the Tucson is the right vehicle for our times.
It’s one of the key principles of geometry: rectangular shapes hold more than those with curves and sloping sides. So when designing a utility vehicle—particularly one that’s smaller by nature—boxier is better. The challenge, then, for Hyundai designers was to turn that boxy utility into graceful exterior design. See for yourself how the Tucson’s exterior design combines function and form.
Hyundai is a company with a history of safety-oriented firsts, and the Tucson is no exception. Hyundai was the first popular brand to make side-impact airbags standard across their lineup. In 2005, the Tucson was the first under-$20,000 vehicle sold in the U.S. to include six airbags and Electronic Stability Control as standard equipment. Including these technologies is part of the reason that the Tucson also boasts five-star crash test ratings in the government’s front- and side-impact crash tests. Because when it comes to safety, we believe in making progress, not excuses.
Just because you want a smaller car doesn’t mean it can’t have a grown-up feel. When developing the Tucson, our engineers strove for a refined, sedan-like driving experience with low noise and vibration levels and a smooth ride. The expensive purr of the optional V6 doesn’t hurt either.