Disclosure: Hyundai Philippines lent us the Hyundai Tucson 2.0 test unit for seven days with a full gas tank and access to its RFID cards.

If you have watched F1 recently and are a fan of Ferrari, then you will have probably encountered Carlos Sainz, Jr. singing Smooth Operator. While the song itself is self-explanatory in what it's about, it also applies to a recent test unit that we got in the form of the Hyundai Tucson 2.0 GLS. 

It may not be the fastest version of the vehicle available, like how the Ferrari F1 team is always shy of getting the coveted first place in a race, but they have moments in the spotlight where they truly just shine. The 5-seater crossover is one smooth operator, but it does have a few weaknesses that prevent it from being at the top.

Futuristic angular styling

While F1 cars have smooth bodylines in the pursuit of speed and aerodynamics, the Hyundai Tucson takes an opposite approach to its design. Instead of smooth lines and curves, the South Korean automaker threw in angles and creases, which works well to give it a futuristic style.

The car is not dull; every angle and design element works seamlessly with one another to give the car an athletic look. It forces you to take the whole car in from its unique layered LED daytime running lights and headlights. It even has striking alloy wheels, which are also angular.

The angular styling continues at the back with its sharp LED taillights, lower bumper that houses the reverse and signal lights, and a faux diffuser. It's overall a refreshing sight as Hyundai has chosen to go with angles instead of curves, which is what most other automakers are going with. 

Interior: Simple and clean

Inside, you are greeted by a sleek and modern layered dashboard. It has a similar layout to the Hyundai Staria but without a floating digital instrument cluster. It's a stark contrast to the outside, as the overall design goes for more flowing lines and curves compared to the angular exterior. 

The seats are supportive, and all the buttons are within reach, making it easy to adjust the climate controls on the fly. The infotainment system is also slightly angled towards the driver, making looking at directions easy even at a glance.

It's the same thing at the back, with excellent back support and a good view outside the window. However, the unit had a dark tint, which wasn’t ideal when using the vehicle at night. Despite the Tucson’s great driving position and view of the road, the tint would make it difficult to spot potholes and other potential road hazards.

Technology

As for its technology, the Hyundai Tucson has a digital instrument cluster with several drive modes that change its theme and a massive infotainment system. The infotainment system has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, making using your favorite navigation apps such as Waze and Google Maps a breeze. 

One of the Hyundai Tucson's weaknesses is its advanced driver aids. To put it bluntly, it lags behind the competition in terms of having features such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and emergency braking. 

Smooth power delivery

Under the hood, the Hyundai Tucson is powered by a 2.0-liter gasoline engine that produces 154 hp and 189 Nm of torque. It sends power to the front wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. 

While it is down on power and torque compared to its diesel counterpart, and its acceleration isn’t the best, it does make up for it with smooth power delivery—the 2.0-liter motor doesn’t feel stressed when you slowly feed in the power as it can quickly accelerate without you feeling it. The six-speed also shifts quickly and seamlessly, offering a comfortable driving experience. 

Tucson excels in highway cruising; the gearing is on point, and the standard cruise control does an excellent job of maintaining your desired speed. We got 6.5km/l to 9km/l in the city and 16km/l to 21km/l on the highway, which is good for cruising but could be better when stuck in city traffic.

Verdict

Priced at Php 1,570,000, the crossover is pricy for what it offers, especially if you factor in its Chinese competition. While its power delivery is smooth, its outright acceleration is lacking if you want the car to get up to speed quickly. This is where the diesel variant comes in with its punchier 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine.

Still, the Tucson gas variant gives you futuristic styling and enough features to keep you happy on a long drive. While it lacks in advanced driving aids, its for the type of buyer that likes to remain in control of the vehicle at all times and would rather not leave it to the computer to do all the hard work.