Hyundai Tucson Highlander 2021 Review

Make no mistake, this is new territory for the Hyundai Tucson.

Already a foundation in Hyundai’s brand-building and meteoric sales success in Australia since the original vehicle landed in 2004, the Tucson has grown to become a household name with families, fleets and a growing legion of SUV buyers alike – especially with the third-generation model that went on sale from 2015.

For 2021, the new fourth-generation Hyundai Tucson mirrors Hyundai’s push upmarket, with more interior space, vastly more technology and safety and a range of new engines.

The caveat here is the Tucson range is opened initially by a carry-over 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol drivetrain.

The 2021 Hyundai Tucson starts at $34,500 plus on-road costs and tops out at $50,000 plus ORCs.

There is a choice of three grades for 2021: the eponymous Tucson, the mid-grade Elite and the flagship Highlander tested here. All have the option of being specified further with a sporty N Line pack.

At the entry level, the Hyundai Tucson is powered exclusively by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, while both the Elite and Highlander grades have another two powertrain options from which buyers can choose: a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel.

We’ll cover those in further detail below, but the turbo-petrol isn’t due until May/June and the diesel is set for showrooms in July.

For reference, the previous-generation price-leading Hyundai Tucson Active manual opened the bidding at $29,640 plus ORCs, which makes for an eye-watering $4860 increase in entry price, but when you add an automatic transmission the difference is a slightly more palatable $2360.

The top-spec Tucson Highlander 1.6-litre turbo-petrol is now priced at $50,000, representing a price rise of just over $3000.

Standard features on the entry Tucson include 17-inch alloy wheels with full-size spare, keyless entry, LED daytime running lights (DRLs), halogen dusk-sensing headlights, leather-clad steering wheel and gear shifter, a roof pack and trailer package.

Infotainment is controlled via an 8.0-inch centre screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and combined with four USB ports (two front, two rear). There’s also a separate 4.2-inch digital display within the instrument cluster.

On the safety front, base grade vehicles score seven airbags (including centre airbag), autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with junction and turn assist, blind spot collision avoidance, forward collision avoidance assist, lane keeping assist, rear-view monitor with guide lines, park distance warning, and much more.

The new Tucson is expected to receive a maximum five-star safety rating when it is tested by Euro NCAP in the coming weeks.

At the top end of town, the flagship Highlander (from $46,000) brings added tinsel in the form of 19-inch alloy wheels with full-size spare, larger 10.25-inch infotainment display, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, multi-MFR LED headlights, LED tail-lights, silver skid plates and chrome mouldings, heated seats front/rear, electric front seats with ventilation and driver’s position memory, heated steering wheel, Bose sound system, LED cabin lights and ambient mood lighting, auto-dimming rear-view mirror and powered tailgate.

A remote smart park assist system, 360-degree overhead camera, blind spot view monitor and parking collision avoidance assist are also added.

All three Hyundai Tucson model grades can be ordered with the N Line Option Pack, which adds between $1000 and $3500 to the price (depending on grade) and is expected to be taken up by 50 per cent of customers.

The pack adds 19-inch N Line-specific alloy wheels, a sports body kit with silver N Line accents, unique daytime running lights, LED headlights and tail-lights, an N Line steering wheel and leather-trimmed interior. It also adds the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.

The entire Hyundai Tucson line-up is backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. According to Hyundai, the petrol variant costs $1595 to service over five years/60,000km based on 12-month/15,000km intervals.

Petrol versions of the Tucson have a 1650kg braked towing capacity while the diesel can haul 1900kg.

At the entry level, the 2021 Hyundai Tucson is powered exclusively by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (115kW/192Nm) fitted standard with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Elsewhere, the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine (132kW/265Nm) due in May/June is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel (137kW/416Nm) that follows in July combines with a conventional eight-speed auto.

Models with the turbocharged petrol and diesel engines come with all-wheel drive, while the naturally-aspirated engine is front-drive only.

This is basically the same powertrain line-up as the current series, albeit upgraded to provide improved performance and economy.

Notably, a manual transmission option is not available on the 2.0-litre petrol, as was the case previously.

More advanced mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants are expected to join the Australian line-up once they become available for this market.

All Tucson models in Australia have a MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension design. Hyundai says it has adopted the global suspension tune for its Australian Tucson vehicles, having signed off following evaluation on local roads.

Dimensionally, the latest Tucson is 4630mm long (+150mm), 1865mm wide (+15mm) and 1665mm high (+5mm). The wheelbase is also 85mm longer to 2755mm, helping create more interior space.

As anticipated, the major drawcard for the new 2021 Hyundai Tucson lies in its advanced technology – both in terms of safety and convenience.

This much is clear upon settling into the soft, comfortable driver’s seat. Our Highlander test vehicle, finished with a white leather interior, is festooned with technology that is presented in a clean, concise yet user-friendly manner.

The driver’s position is quite perched within the cockpit, a trait that affords decent outward visuals and a clear, commanding view of the surroundings.

Soft-touch materials adorn all the key contact points up front, there are adequate incidental storage spaces and a good assortment of USB ports and air vent access across both passenger rows.

Our test vehicle misses out on the shift-by-wire transmission (which brings buttons in lieu of a gear lever) and Hyundai’s bridge design centre console. But irrespective of that, it is a practical affair replete with capacitive buttons instead of hard-wired switchgear and an easy layout that you fast become accustomed to.

The Tucson’s extended dimensions have indeed improved rear seat amenity. Accessed by generous door openings, the rear pews happily accommodate a 6ft-tall adult or provide ample room for child seats. There are two ISOFIX attachment points and three top-tether points.

About the only blight on the rear seat experience is a high-set window line, which could potentially obscure the outward view for little ones, as well as occasional scratchy plastics on our circa-$50K (on-roads included) Highlander test car.

There’s also a newfound confidence and polish in the way the 2021 Hyundai Tucson drives.

The cabin is noticeably quieter than before, the steering wheel feels nicer and more considered with its weighting and the Tucson shirks off bumps in a manner that exudes much more attention to detail.

Our test vehicle, fitted with 19-inch alloy wheels and the entry 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol, demonstrates a sound first impression during a short drive in and around Sydney this month.

Close attention has seemingly been paid to steering weighting, which is light in the hands at low speed yet takes on more meaningful heft through corners.

Similarly, the Tucson’s body sits flat through turns and is well controlled through changes in direction and across drawn-out, longitudinal undulations.

Small niggles in the road are transferred through the cabin accordingly while larger hits only occasionally evoke a thud or, less so, a crash of any kind.

Even in this non-N form and with the application of cheaper Nexen tyres, the Tucson feels well controlled at a faster clip, too. Granted, it’s not a Grand Prix racer, but it has a broader performance envelope than you’d probably give it credit for.

About the only thing that doesn’t live up to the hype, relatively speaking, is the engine.

The naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre is essentially a carry-over engine from the previous generation, and while it gets the job done and is rather inoffensive in daily conveyance, the forthcoming turbocharged options and even the mooted hybrid shows more promise.

The atmo-petrol builds speed gently around town and works well with the matching six-speed automatic for clean, well-timed shifts.

Ultimately, the engine’s grand 192Nm torque tally can feel a little undermined by the Tucson’s 1500kg kerb weight at times, translating to languid progress under harder acceleration, and more noise.

Admittedly, the Tucson isn’t the first vehicle you’d pick for headier pursuits, but we suspect a family of five with all their luggage might be after a little more mumbo for the overtaking lane on their annual road trip.

This is new territory indeed for the 2021 Hyundai Tucson.

Withstanding its slightly long-in-the-tooth petrol engine, it’s a huge step forward for the car-maker’s mid-size SUV.

And we can safely say with more drivetrains imminent, the best is yet to come.

How much does the 2021 Hyundai Tucson Highlander 2.0-litre petrol cost?
Price: $46,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 115kW/192Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 184g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

Highlander 1.6T images shown for illustrative purposes only