Tucson gets Aussie makeover

When the all-new Hyundai Tucson soft-roader goes on sale Down Under in late July it will already have plenty of Aussie miles under its wheels.

Early production prototypes of the new hatch-styled mid-size SUV first rolled on Australian roads in late 2014 and already this year have been the focus of durability, hot weather and chassis testing in Australia.

Hyundai Australia championed the benefits of local durability and tuning when it launched the new Sonata medium sedan earlier this month. Now it’s confirmed the Tucson will undergo a similar process along with a growing number of models from the Korean manufacturer.

Motoring.com.au spotted a number of Hyundai models testing in the Victorian High Country late in January. The models were heavily disguised for the exercise but included the new Tucson, a Chinese-market small ix25 crossover and the marque’s Korean and US market-only Genesis-based Equus.

When quizzed Hyundai Motor Company Australia spokesperson Bill Thomas confirmed the presence of the vehicles and the development operation in Australia but would not be drawn on details.

“HMC [Hyundai Motor Company] is regularly using Australia for development and other testing. I won't comment on the vehicles in question but, yes, we have a significant number of [head office] engineers and vehicles currently working [testing] locally.”

Thomas said the Australian operation was not involved formally in route or program planning but “helped facilitate” the engineering programs.

However, on the subject if local tuning for Tucson, Thomas was more specific.

“We have begun our local suspension and steering tuning program for the [new] Tucson. We’re using some of the same talent that was responsible for the Sonata,” he told motoring.com.au.

Thomas stated the Tucson tuning program would be HMCA’s biggest yet.

“It’s a complex program,” he explained.

“There are all-wheel drive and front-drive variants, petrol and turbo-diesel powertrains and the vehicles are sourced from two different production facilities [Korea and the Czech Republic],” Thomas stated.

In explanation of the latter, the damper technology used will differ depending on where the Tucson models are sourced. Czech-built vehicles will use Korean company Mando’s suspension units, while the Korean-built Tucsons get Sachs manufactured components.

Hyundai will unveil the all-new Tucson early tomorrow morning Australian time, as part of the company’s first-ever coordinated global unveil.