When I first saw the all-new second-generation Tucson beside the previous model, I had a hard time believing that they were the same. As John Vernile, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Canada said, "The original was getting a bit dated; it is time to replace it”. He went on to tell us that he believes that "the existing competition is similar (in design) that they are vanilla”. He may well be right. At the front, the fascia, bumper and headlamps have morphed into a sleek and rounded form that lets air flow around the front better. From the sides, the alloy wheels set off a muscular design of curves, bulges and corners that make the Tucson stand out. At the back, tail lamps are as up to date as any SUV and the sheet metal finishes off the design rather than looking like the designer’s pen ran out of ink.


Powertrain
A new 2.4-litre DOHC inline four-cylinder gets variable valve timing on both cams to raise power output to 176 horsepower and 168 lb-ft of torque. The V6 engine of the previous generation has been discontinued. Power output between the old six and the new four are close and consumers purchased nearly half of the previous generation with the old four, so Hyundai felt that having just a four-cylinder engine would not hurt sales.
Transmission choices consist of a six-speed manual on the base GL model and a six-speed automatic on GLS and Limited that is also optional on the GL. Front-wheel drive is the order of the day for the GL and GLS. Selectable all-wheel drive is standard on the Limited and optional on the GL and GLS.


Suspension
Engineers have been hard at work not just improving the quality of the suspension but the size of the components. Up front, MacPherson struts with gas inserts and a 25-mm stabilizer bar do the work. The coils on the struts are offset so that they handle cornering loads better and improve handling. To help keep the front light, the stabilizer bar is hollow.
In the rear is a multi-link setup that replaces a dual-link rear suspension. This change has allowed the coil springs to be mounted differently and to be a bit shorter. Locating arms are lower as well and the sway bar is now mounted at the back of the subframe.


Interior
Tucson is still a five-passenger vehicle, but is a bit more spacious on the inside. Rear legroom has increased. Hip shoulder, knee and headroom have all been improved upon for the rear-seat passengers. Up front, bucket seats have slightly different padding to provide good lateral support and good thigh support for a broad range of leg lengths.
On upper level models, the steering column is a tilt/telescopic unit. At all levels the power assist is electric. The steering wheel frames the large and easy-to-read tach and speedometer. The centre stack contains the HVAC and stereo equipment. Down low in a shallow tray is an iPod adaptor. I would like to see a USB port added because forgetting a memory stick is no big deal. Forgetting your iPod can be expensive.
Cargo space with the seats up is pretty generous and able to hold four or five carry-on luggage cases. Access through the liftgate-style rear hatch made life easy. Liftover height is average and that makes getting everything from groceries to building hardware much easier.


Driving
Tucson is much closer to an all-round vehicle than it was in its previous generation. Corners and switchbacks were done with a minimum of body lean and a maximum of comfort as long as you kept speeds reasonable. If you exceed this and let physics take over, the front will make plenty of noise before going, but it will go around corners at speeds where you think "no way”!
In the city, the Tucson can easily zip about in heavy traffic thanks to large mirrors and a great greenhouse area. Parking wasn’t much of an issue. The Tucson fits into parallel spaces easily and the optional parking aid system works well. If you are in an angle parking situation, backing out is still easy thanks to that large greenhouse area.
I managed to get some time in both the manual and automatic six-speeds. In my mind, the manual is not for use in town. If you do a lot of commuting and not much stop and go then the manual is fine. Stops and starts, getting to highway speeds and handling switchbacks, the automatic does all that as well as the manual and with very little, if any, hunting for gears. All the shifts up or down were done sharply and crisply.
This Tucson has improved so much over the previous generation; it is difficult to believe that they came from the same company. Watch out Toyota, Hyundai is coming!