2021 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid N-Line
Discussion
Hello All!
Instead of keeping my i30N, I ended up swapping out to a Tucson. This was something I had considered for a while as I wanted something larger to put my bike in the back (I'm not particularly keen on exterior racks), and also now that lockdowns are easing I want to attend more motorsport events as I enjoy motorsport photography (VERY amateur
). I wanted something that was reasonably large enough to allow me to camp the night in it, as I'm too tight to pay for a hotel, and refuse to use a tent. I had considered an estate, but I didn't want a diesel, or an expensive to run large engine petrol, and given my experience the last 3 years I was quite keen to stay with Hyundai, who don't offer one anyway.
As the N was nearing the end of its PCP I started sniffing around a base 1.6 N Line S, but the costs were prohibitive. I was all set to keep it, but with a month to go I had another sniff around, and got in touch with a dealer via Carwow. This time the offer was pretty much too good to turn down, partly because of the value of the N, but also a dealer contribution, a loyalty bonus, and the car itself being much more powerful. Luckily this car had been ordered by the dealer as stock and had already arrived at Tilbury Docks. Had it not been I would have been in for an 18 week wait "minimum"!!
This is probably quite a divisive car for PH given its an SUV/Crossover. Some might also say that the styling is challenging, but personally I really like it. It certainly stands out from the usual stuff.
Its taking me a bit of time to get used to it, mainly because it feels very wide. Its also not anywhere near as squat and chuckable as the N, which is obviously expected. My first hybrid too, so another thing to get to grips with. I've actually had to sit down with the manual for the first time ever just to understand what half the lights and symbols mean! It starts in electric and will drive on that if you are extremely gentle (I think my neighbours appreciate it after the N), and then the engine will kick in. If you are cruising with minimal throttle input it will shut off the engine and maintain momentum, and if you are off throttle completely it will also shut it off. All of this is seamless. Its very relaxing to drive.
Cabin is a big step up from the i30, finish and materials. Plenty of soft touch stuff, nice leather and suede trim, and fabric trim on the doors and IP. I would say it easily matches the Audi A6 C7 that I had. 2x 10.25 displays, and a reasonable split of buttons and capacitive touch 'buttons', they are well spaced and work fine.
N Line S trim is broadly similar to the top of the range, but with N Line specific 19" Alloys, Bumpers, Sills, Rear Spoiler and Interior trim. There is lots of automated safety, and camera/radar related kit. It also has Krell Premium Audio, Reclining Rear Seats and Rear Blinds, Tilt and Slide Panoramic Sunroof, Electric Tailgate, and the usual Android/Apple CarPlay stuff. The engine is a 1.6 Turbo Petrol (They all are) with an additional electric motor, combined power output is 230hp. Battery is under the rear bench.
It's a big change and I will miss the N, but I already love this, and now I won't be the bellend with the noisy car
Pics...
Instead of keeping my i30N, I ended up swapping out to a Tucson. This was something I had considered for a while as I wanted something larger to put my bike in the back (I'm not particularly keen on exterior racks), and also now that lockdowns are easing I want to attend more motorsport events as I enjoy motorsport photography (VERY amateur
). I wanted something that was reasonably large enough to allow me to camp the night in it, as I'm too tight to pay for a hotel, and refuse to use a tent. I had considered an estate, but I didn't want a diesel, or an expensive to run large engine petrol, and given my experience the last 3 years I was quite keen to stay with Hyundai, who don't offer one anyway.As the N was nearing the end of its PCP I started sniffing around a base 1.6 N Line S, but the costs were prohibitive. I was all set to keep it, but with a month to go I had another sniff around, and got in touch with a dealer via Carwow. This time the offer was pretty much too good to turn down, partly because of the value of the N, but also a dealer contribution, a loyalty bonus, and the car itself being much more powerful. Luckily this car had been ordered by the dealer as stock and had already arrived at Tilbury Docks. Had it not been I would have been in for an 18 week wait "minimum"!!
This is probably quite a divisive car for PH given its an SUV/Crossover. Some might also say that the styling is challenging, but personally I really like it. It certainly stands out from the usual stuff.
Its taking me a bit of time to get used to it, mainly because it feels very wide. Its also not anywhere near as squat and chuckable as the N, which is obviously expected
. My first hybrid too, so another thing to get to grips with. I've actually had to sit down with the manual for the first time ever just to understand what half the lights and symbols mean! It starts in electric and will drive on that if you are extremely gentle (I think my neighbours appreciate it after the N), and then the engine will kick in. If you are cruising with minimal throttle input it will shut off the engine and maintain momentum, and if you are off throttle completely it will also shut it off. All of this is seamless. Its very relaxing to drive.Cabin is a big step up from the i30, finish and materials. Plenty of soft touch stuff, nice leather and suede trim, and fabric trim on the doors and IP. I would say it easily matches the Audi A6 C7 that I had. 2x 10.25 displays, and a reasonable split of buttons and capacitive touch 'buttons', they are well spaced and work fine.
N Line S trim is broadly similar to the top of the range, but with N Line specific 19" Alloys, Bumpers, Sills, Rear Spoiler and Interior trim. There is lots of automated safety, and camera/radar related kit. It also has Krell Premium Audio, Reclining Rear Seats and Rear Blinds, Tilt and Slide Panoramic Sunroof, Electric Tailgate, and the usual Android/Apple CarPlay stuff. The engine is a 1.6 Turbo Petrol (They all are) with an additional electric motor, combined power output is 230hp. Battery is under the rear bench.
It's a big change and I will miss the N, but I already love this, and now I won't be the bellend with the noisy car
Pics...
Edited by WelshPetrolhead on Saturday 14th August 21:08
That looks really good. The analogy I will draw is Tesco's back in the late 70's with their uber cheap prices, and the schoolboy taunts of, "Let's all go to Tesco where Tony buys his best clothes.." etc 
Now wind on a few hundred years and Tesco's are both non-budget and truly established. Same with Hyundai who are now cranking out proper cars which can compete with the rest. They don't strive to be in the Audi/BMW/Jaguar niche (well not yet) but the products are well screwed together, have good reviews, and other automotive OEM's are taking notice. They have the tech experience and the EV Ioniq, Kona et al are already firmly established in the EV world. The i20WRC put them firmly on the map in motorsports and now this brand is starting to get acknowledged for all of their product range. Bring it on. Competition makes for better, competitively priced cars.
I've gone "full Milk Float" so not looking at hybrids anymore but if I had not then this would have been on the top of my list.
Looking forwards to the updates and enjoy the car
Now wind on a few hundred years and Tesco's are both non-budget and truly established. Same with Hyundai who are now cranking out proper cars which can compete with the rest. They don't strive to be in the Audi/BMW/Jaguar niche (well not yet) but the products are well screwed together, have good reviews, and other automotive OEM's are taking notice. They have the tech experience and the EV Ioniq, Kona et al are already firmly established in the EV world. The i20WRC put them firmly on the map in motorsports and now this brand is starting to get acknowledged for all of their product range. Bring it on. Competition makes for better, competitively priced cars.
I've gone "full Milk Float" so not looking at hybrids anymore but if I had not then this would have been on the top of my list.
Looking forwards to the updates and enjoy the car
CAPP0 said:
Did you lease/PCP or buy outright?
If it's lease/PCP, mind sharing the numbers?
It's another 3 year PCP. It'll be due Sept 2024 so depending what sort of mood the govt are in by then I could be looking at full electric then.If it's lease/PCP, mind sharing the numbers?
'Deposit' - 6950 i30N Equity, 2250 Contribution, 1000 Hyundai Loyalty (Going Hyundai to Hyundai) - 10200
373 for 36 months.
16k odd at the end.
Its 3.1% APR
To put that into perspective, an Audi A4 Avant Technik 30 TDI S Tronic, which is about the same retail, is £448 for 36 months with the same amount going in at the start.
Edited by WelshPetrolhead on Saturday 14th August 22:03
WelshPetrolhead said:
CAPP0 said:
Did you lease/PCP or buy outright?
If it's lease/PCP, mind sharing the numbers?
It's another 3 year PCP. It'll be due Sept 2024 so depending what sort of mood the govt are in by then I could be looking at full electric then.If it's lease/PCP, mind sharing the numbers?
'Deposit' - 6950 i30N Equity, 2250 Contribution, 1000 Hyundai Loyalty (Going Hyundai to Hyundai) - 10250
373 for 36 months.
16k odd at the end.
Its 3.1% APR
To put that into perspective, an Audi A4 Avant Technik 30 TDI S Tronic, which is about the same retail, is £448 for 36 months with the same amount going in at the start.
In many respects, the hybrid works in a similar way to say a Prius. It's almost imperceptible in operation and it will try to engage electric only whenever possible, such as light throttle openings. At other times it's providing electric assistance to the engine and boosts output to 230hp. The big difference between the Tucson and say a Toyota or Lexus, is the Hyundai uses a traditional torque converter auto rather than a CVT, which in my opinion is a superior driving experience.
Update.
Couple of weeks in, and 500 miles covered.
Drove back from my parents in South Wales, back to my place near Stratford Upon Avon..
Really happy with the fuel economy so far. 51 is my best to date. The figure of 45.5 at the bottom of the display is long term, so over the 533 miles.
The stereo system is brilliant, fiddled around with the equalizer and the Premium specific settings, and it produces a nice clean sound with really good bass.
Phone/Android Auto integration is really good, and creates a split screen on the display with Android one side, and a selection of widgets on the other, such as map/weather/economy/hybrid use etc.
Love the opening panoramic roof, missed having a sunroof since the Rover 25 I had years ago.
I've gone from making pop and bang sounds in the N, to my new hobby being to try and drive on electric only for as much as possible It's really relaxing to drive and it has completely calmed my driving style down.
Niggles..
When I've been out in the car doing multiple short journeys, so I'm in and out of the car, and its not parked up for too long, on start up sometimes I've had no sound from the infotainment. Instant give away is when you touch icons on the screen it should beep and it doesn't (this can actually be turned off), but there is also no audio. This is easily sorted by using the little reset button (it doesn't reset any settings, its more like a reboot), its just a minor annoyance.
Having said that I went out around various retail parks yesterday and it was fine.
If it comes back or persists, I'll just have it checked out at first service. It's no biggie.
I would much prefer rotary dial to select temperature on the HVAC. The touch sensitive panel is okay, and as said previously everything is well spaced out so less chance of a mis-touch but a dial is just better!
The perforated suede on the seats is a magnet for dust/fabric particles. It's going to be fun trying to keep that looking nice
That's about it so far. Overall really happy with the car, long may it continue!
Couple of weeks in, and 500 miles covered.
Drove back from my parents in South Wales, back to my place near Stratford Upon Avon..
Really happy with the fuel economy so far. 51 is my best to date. The figure of 45.5 at the bottom of the display is long term, so over the 533 miles.
The stereo system is brilliant, fiddled around with the equalizer and the Premium specific settings, and it produces a nice clean sound with really good bass.
Phone/Android Auto integration is really good, and creates a split screen on the display with Android one side, and a selection of widgets on the other, such as map/weather/economy/hybrid use etc.
Love the opening panoramic roof, missed having a sunroof since the Rover 25 I had years ago.
I've gone from making pop and bang sounds in the N, to my new hobby being to try and drive on electric only for as much as possible
It's really relaxing to drive and it has completely calmed my driving style down.Niggles..
When I've been out in the car doing multiple short journeys, so I'm in and out of the car, and its not parked up for too long, on start up sometimes I've had no sound from the infotainment. Instant give away is when you touch icons on the screen it should beep and it doesn't (this can actually be turned off), but there is also no audio. This is easily sorted by using the little reset button (it doesn't reset any settings, its more like a reboot), its just a minor annoyance.
Having said that I went out around various retail parks yesterday and it was fine.
If it comes back or persists, I'll just have it checked out at first service. It's no biggie.
I would much prefer rotary dial to select temperature on the HVAC. The touch sensitive panel is okay, and as said previously everything is well spaced out so less chance of a mis-touch but a dial is just better!
The perforated suede on the seats is a magnet for dust/fabric particles. It's going to be fun trying to keep that looking nice
That's about it so far. Overall really happy with the car, long may it continue!
Edited by WelshPetrolhead on Monday 23 August 21:37
Yeah, I do like that.... I will go and investigate / have a nosey at the local stealer.
ETA: just looked on their configurator. Disappointing colour palette.
I really like the metallic blue available on the i20, but it's not on the palette for the Tucson.
ETA: just looked on their configurator. Disappointing colour palette.
I really like the metallic blue available on the i20, but it's not on the palette for the Tucson.
Edited by RC1807 on Tuesday 24th August 11:48
I too need to go and find the local dealer, but in the meantime, what's the boot space like? I don't suppose by any chance the rear seats slide do they? I have two large dogs to factor into the equation! They fit in MrsC's Ateca OK but the back of that is a little more upright than this looks.
CAPP0 said:
I too need to go and find the local dealer, but in the meantime, what's the boot space like? I don't suppose by any chance the rear seats slide do they? I have two large dogs to factor into the equation! They fit in MrsC's Ateca OK but the back of that is a little more upright than this looks.
Id say the Ateca has a 'boxier' back definitely. The rear bench doesn't slide unfortunately but the back rests recline and has some variation in adjustability. In my rear seat pic the backrest is set at its most reclined. The seats will also fold to create pretty much a completely flat floor.I could take some measurements and pics for you?
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff