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Hyundai Tucson (pic from www.usatoday.com)

Tinashe Makichi
The all new Hyundai Tucson 2016 comes with exciting style and versatility that motoring fanatics have been looking for on the local market. Hitting local dealer’s showrooms this month, the redesigned 2016 Hyundai Tucson features a revised exterior, updated interior and all-new drive train. Hyundai’s recent consumer research showed compact SUV buyers thought of the existing Tucson as a sportier, stylish and modern compact SUV compared to others in the segment, and the automaker wanted to enhance those characteristics for the 2016 model.

The vehicle boasts of a 2,0 litre four cylinder engine that has a conventional six-speed automatic. It does the job without drama. The global vehicle manufacturer first pulled the drape off the redesigned 2016 Tucson at the Geneva auto show in March, but now it is expected to be launched in Harare today.

The Tucson is an international product built in two factories, one in the Czech Republic and the one in South Korea. All new Hyundai Tucson is 1,1 inch wider than its predecessor, 3,0 inches longer, and there’s a 1,2 inch greater stretch between the axles. Hyundai claims greater interior space and cargo volume as a result. The new structure is said to be stiffer, and the suspension of struts up front and control arms at the rear has been redesigned.

According to Hyundai, the all new Tucson greatly ramps up its list of high-tech safety features. New items on the vehicle include forward collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning (undoubtedly a good idea given those large C-pillars), lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive headlights.

Also on the list of available goodies are front and rear seat heaters, ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, and a hands-free power lift gate. The vehicle’s power leather seats have a wide range of adjustments, and they are more supportive and comfortable than the cloth seats in the base version. The new Tucson’s other big push is in the area of connectivity. Its navigation system can support Yelp, Pandora, and Apple Siri “Eyes Free.”

Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics comes in three different levels of service, and some features can be controlled by an Android smart watch. The first point in the new Tucson’s favour is its design. From its familial hexagonal grille to the sculpted lines of its body to the visual impact of its wheel design, the Tucson has a premium look that makes the outgoing model look like an economy car.

This upscale feel continues inside, where the design of the dashboard and console has an elegant simplicity, and thickly bolstered seats look expensive. In as much as the vehicle looks elegant, lots of hard plastic trim at lower trim levels has somehow come up with some criticism. Less cargo space on the vehicle also limits the vehicle’s competitiveness to other SUV’s already on the market.

Hyundai Tucson is the South Korean automaker’s smallest crossover SUV, but also one of its most popular vehicles. Its new 2016 model has a thorough redesign that boosts economy, interior space, and handling. Such feature puts the all new Tucson in the same league with the likes of Toyota RAV4, Honda CRV, and Ford Escape.

This is reflected in the vehicle’s wedge shaped exterior with alloy wheels, tinted windows and a standard five inch touch screen display with rear view camera. Options on the all new Tucson includes LED headlights, 19 inch wheels and a panoramic sunroof which extends the stylish and upscale nature of the vehicle. The frame of the new Tucson consists of 51 percent high-strength steel, up from 18 percent in the previous model and held together with stronger adhesives versus the welds on the previous model.