The all-new Hyundai Tucson is the first Hyundai CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) to be designed and engineered in Europe at Hyundai’s Frankfurt-based design and technical centers. It features precedent-setting engineering including advanced weight saving technology and the eco-efficient Theta II 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine delivering up to 31 mpg on the highway. True to Hyundai form, the Hyundai Tucson applies life-saving safety technologies as standard equipment while offering, for the first time, Downhill Brake Control (DBC) and Hillstart Assist Control (HAC). Likewise, to keep its passengers informed and comfortable Tucson integrates Hyundai’s first panoramic sunroof, touch-screen navigation and a Bluetooth hands-free phone system.
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The 2013 Hyundai Tucson’s athletic shape is now complemented with more agile handling, responsive steering and improved body roll control. These enhancements make the new Tucson more fun-to-drive. Hyundai Tucson uses MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension systems for more precise wheel control and a smoother ride. All four wheels are controlled by coil springs and fade-resistant gas-charged dampers. Stabilizer bar diameters have also increased. The front suspension now has a new 25 mm hollow stabilizer bar to save weight versus the predecessors 21 mm solid stabilizer bar. The rear suspension has a new 18 mm solid stabilizer bar versus the predecessors 14 mm stabilizer bar. Larger stabilizer bars keep the vehicle very flat during cornering and help provide quick turn-in response.
Rack-and-pinion Motor-Driven Power Steering (MDPS) also contributes to the Hyundai Tucson’s nimble and refined handling dynamics while saving fuel and reducing interior noise. The MDPS system uses the vehicle’s electrical system for power (unlike the older hydraulic system), allowing for increased fuel economy and calibrated steering efforts through all vehicle speed ranges.
Due to the suspension geometry and wider track width that enables greater turn angles, Tucson’s turning circle is 34.7 feet – an advantage Hyundai Tucson drivers will appreciate in their daily driving and parking. In fact, Tucson’s turning diameter bests Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
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The Hyundai Tucson was engineered to be more fuel efficient than its predecessor and chief competitors like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The 2013 Tucson accomplishes this while being 3.3 inches longer and one inch wider than its predecessor and having a longer wheelbase than Honda CR-V, Ford Escape and Subaru Forester.
Hyundai Tucson features the Theta II 2.4-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine. The Theta II engine delivers about the same amount of power and acceleration as its predecessor’s V6 engine with 20 percent better fuel economy than the old four-cylinder engine. In fact, the Tucson is more fuel-efficient than Honda CRV, Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape four-cylinder engines boasting an impressive estimated 23 mpg city/31 mpg highway fuel economy rating with the available six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC and front wheel drive. Tucson features low rolling resistance silica tires to contribute to the 31 mpg highway. With AWD (All-Wheel Drive), Tucson delivers an estimated 21 mpg city/28 mpg highway exceeding the primary competitors AWD versions including Subaru Forester.
The Theta II is rated at 176 horsepower (26 percent more than its predecessor) and 168 lb.-ft. of torque. This high-tech, all-aluminum, 16-valve engine features Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) on both camshafts and a Variable Induction System (VIS) for better engine breathing. In the green states, the 2013 Hyundai Tucson is certified as a Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) which means it is as clean as a hybrid.
