2019 Hyundai Tucson - What to expect?

Hyundai UAE has got a long list of vehicles available in the Middle East. If we talk about the SUVs, we have the Grand Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Tucson, and Creta. The Tucson sits third in this hierarchy, just above the Creta. This premium crossover has been in our market for a long time now and has seen various upgrades over the years. Now Hyundai has got another update for the 2019 Tucson. We’ve already seen its highlights at the 2018 New York Auto Show. Let’s find out what are the things that we can expect in the latest iteration of the Tucson that would be launched in the UAE pretty soon.

Design

The Hyundai Tucson is already a smart and handsome car that stands out from the rest of the competition because of its unique Fluidic Design language that Hyundai started implementing in its products worldwide many years ago. For the 2019 model, Hyundai has done a few minor changes in the way the Tucson would look. But these do not change the overall silhouette of the car.

The 2019 Hyundai Tucson would be getting a pair of new headlamps. These would be LED units and would feature striking L-shaped daytime running LED lights. These daytime running lights are going to be one of the many attractive elements of the 2019 Tucson. They really give the car a modern and stylish look.

Apart from the headlamps, we are also expecting to see a newly designed front grille. It would be trapezoidal in shape and would have four horizontal chrome slats. The current model that is on sale in the UAE offers three horizontal chrome slats. We are expecting to see just the right amount of use of chrome even in the upcoming model. By increasing the number of chrome slats, Hyundai would also reduce their thickness, which, consequently, should give the car a cleaner look.

Other changes that we can expect in the 2019 Tucson include revised front and rear bumper, and a smoothened-out set of tail lights. The rest of the car is expected to remain more or less the same.

Interior

While Hyundai must have thought of keeping the external appearance of the 2019 Tucson similar to that of the current model, it would make a number of noticeable alterations in the interior. We expect to see the 7-inch touchscreen display to move up and sit on top of the dashboard unlike in the current model. Also, the air-con vents would be relocated and be placed below the touchscreen at the center console. The infotainment system is expected to fulfill the latest criteria of having equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

We are also hoping to see a new instrument cluster in the 2019 model. There could be the addition of an electronic handbrake, USB charger for the rear row of seats, and wireless charging for smartphones.

The overall layout of the interior is expected to be left untouched. It is not clear as of now whether Hyundai would color options for the seats in the new model or not.

Engine and performance

We have already heard many speculations about the engine options that Hyundai is planning to provide with the new 2019 Tucson. Now things are quite clear that we would be getting two engine options. There would be the same old 2.0-liter 4-pot petrol engine that produces 164 horses and 204 Nm of torque. We get it in the current base models.

The other option would be a more powerful 2.4-liter mill that is expected to churn out 181 horses and 237 Nm of torque. This unit would be replacing the 1.6-liter engine that comes in the current model. The biggest catch here is that the new 2.4-liter engine is not going to be a turbocharged unit but will be naturally aspirated. Both the engines on the 2019 Tucson would be mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Safety features

Hyundai likes to take safety as paramount while designing its products. The current model of the Tucson that we get in the UAE has got some really advanced safety features like Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Advanced Traction Cornering Control (ATCC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Down-hill Brake Control (DBC) and Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), 6 airbags, active headrests, and an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB).

Hyundai is planning to further enhance the safety rating of the 2019 Tucson by providing features like Lane Keeping Assist, High Beam Assist, High Beam Assist, Forward Collision Avoidance and Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, etc. It is still uncertain whether these will be provided as standard or as optional or would be implemented only in select trims.

Hyundai UAE has not released any information regarding the launch date of the 2019 Tucson in our market, but we are expecting it to reach the showrooms somewhere by the end of this year or maybe early 2019. As far as the pricing is concerned, we still do not have official numbers yet but expect to see a hike considering the fact that Hyundai has only added more features to the car and not eliminated any. We will be covering the latest news and updates about the 2019 Hyundai Tucson, so stay tuned for that.