The Hyundai Tucson (ix35) is a five-door compact crossover SUV named after Tucson, the county seat of Pima, Arizona. Hyundai started producing it in 2004 and renamed it Hyundai ix35 in 2010 in most markets, including Australia. In 2015, Hyundai reused the Tucson nameplate for newer and larger models. The Tucson has had three generations, including the ix35, to the present.
First Generation (JM, 2004-2009)
Production of the Tucson, aka Beijing Hyundai Tucson, varied in some countries. For instance, the first generation ran from 2007 to 2010 in Ukraine, 2005-2010 in Taiwan, and 2010-2017 in Brazil. Assembly of the vehicle took place in South Korea, Brazil, India, China, Ukraine, and Taiwan. The JM generation came with three primary engine choices and two transmission options.
The standard features for all models included electronic stability control, air conditioning, six airbags, remote keyless entry, a CD player, alloy wheels, and premium cloth seats. In the US, there were three trim levels offered, namely the base GLS, mid-line SE, and limited top-tier level. The SE featured a different alloy design, contrasting grey body cladding, AM/FM/cassette/CD, front windshield wiper de-icing grid, and fog lights.
The limited version came with leather seating surfaces, body-coloured cladding, automatic climate control, a 6-disc in-dash CD changer, and heated seats. The GLS was available only with the 2.0L four-cylinder engine, while the SE and limited version came with the 2.7L V6 powertrain.
The cars received minimal facelifts in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
Engines
The powertrain options included one diesel and two petrol engines. While the petrol variants saw no changes for the most part, the diesel engine went through changes in 2006. Here are the engine specifications for the first generation, including a variant for Italy.
- (2004-2009) 2.0L Beta II G4GF I4 (petrol) — 104 kW, 184 Nm
- (2004-2009) 2.7L Delta G6BA V6 (petrol) — 129 kW, 241 Nm
- (2004-2006) 2.0 L R-Line D4EA CRDi Inline 4 (diesel) — 83 kW, 245 Nm
- (2006-2009) 2.0 L R-Line D4EA CRDi Inline 4 (diesel) — 110 kW, 305 Nm
- (2006-2009 in Italy) 2.0 L R-Line D4EA CRDi Inline 4 (diesel) — 100 kW, 205 Nm
The 2.0L petrol and 2.0L CRDi models came paired with a standard 5-speed manual transmission and an optional 4-speed automatic with Shiftronic. The 2.7L V6 model, on the other hand, teamed up with a standard 4-speed automatic with Shiftronic.
Second Generation (LM, 2009-2015)
Hyundai chief designer Thomas Burkle and Cha II-Hoei designed the second generation of Tucson based on the ix-onic concept at Hyundai's Rüsselsheim design facility. The design of the car follows Hyundai's design language called fluidic sculpture.
Rebranded as Hyundai ix35 in most markets, the second generation debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. It went to production from 2009 until 2015 in Hyundai’s various facilities in Egypt, South Korea, Slovakia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brazil.
Engines
Several powertrains were available, including a 1.7L UII diesel, 1.6L Gamma GDI petrol, Theta-II petrol variants (2.0L or 2.4L), and 2.0L R diesel engines. The 1.7L engine came with a 6-speed transmission, while the 1.6L had a 5-speed transmission. The 2.0L engine was only available for models outside North America.
The variant of the vehicle sold in the US came in three trims, namely the GL, GLS and Limited Edition versions. The GL comes standard with a manual transmission while a six-speed transmission was available with the GLS and limited versions of the vehicle.
The 2014 models of the car have had upgrades with GDI direct-injected Theta-II engines which had more power and improved emissions.
Third Generation (TL, 2015-present)
Assembled in Algeria, Brazil, South Korea, Czech Republic, India, Russia and China, the third generation was designed by Peter Schreyer and renamed back to Tucson. The crossover vehicle officially debuted at the Geneva Motor Show on March 3rd, 2015.
Engine
The car comes with two engine choices in North America. One is a 2.0L GDI inline four-cylinder petrol engine which is a carryover from the previous generation and produces 122 kW, and a 1.6L turbocharged inline four-cylinder which produces 130 kW. The 2.0L engine comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission, while the 1.6L engine comes with 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Safety
All Tucson models feature a range of safety systems, such as dual-stage frontal impact airbags, curtain airbags for side-impact protection and torso side-impact airbags built into the front seats.
The NHTSA gave the 2009 Hyundai Tucson the following ratings:
- Frontal rating (Driver): 5 stars
- Frontal rating (Passenger): 5 stars
- Side rating (Driver): 5 stars
- Side rating (Passenger): 5 stars
The second generation of Tucson got the Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the US.
Awards
Best New Crossover Award, 2005 by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada
One of the most reliable vehicles by the Consumer Reliability Survey in 2009