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In a quarter where there has been very little good news and yet more AP price hikes, one positive standout has been the sizeable reduction in AP of the top spec Tucson PHEV. Not that many months ago, the AP on this car (which retails at over £46k with metallic paint) was well over £5k, and that was for the pre-facelift model. From 1st October, the still relatively new (and much improved) facelift model is now down to £2,999. Still not cheap, especially when you factor in the sacrificed benefits on top of that, but a lot of car for the money and very good value compared to its direct competitors available through the scheme.
We’ve had one for a couple of months now and have done just over 1,000 miles in it, so I guess now is a good time to give some first impressions.
To keep this manageable (I can type as fast as I can talk 😂) I will do this in several parts
Part 1 – Background – Why did we land on the Tucson?
By way of background, our previous Motability car was a BMW X1 2.0i 4WD xLine. This car was hard to fault. It had all the attributes of a BMW – an engaging drive, excellent build quality, class leading infotainment, a hushed and refined engine plus the perfect blend of performance and economy. Amazingly, the car averaged 42.2 mpg over the 3 years that we had it, which was better than the diesel Tiguan that it replaced! The only two negatives were road noise on certain surfaces and the lack of AutoHold (which still bugged me after 3 years of ownership). Sadly we had to change the car, as my wife now needs a person hoist to get in and Motability insist that you have to have a new car to have adaptations fitted.
We didnt want a BEV (full electric), even though we can charge at home. We just would not want to be faffing about with charging away from home. Any stops that we make on long journeys are quick pee stops or a 5 minute refuel, so anything more would be an inconvenience for us. We decided that a PHEV might be a compromise, in that our local journeys (circa 25-30 mile round trips) could be 100% on electric, but with longer journeys or holidays we could start with a full charge but then run on petrol, with no range anxiety or otherwise unnecessary stops to charge the car.
Having had four Tiguans in the past we were keen to look at the new version, but neither of us liked it. Build quality has taken a step backwards and the interior layout was a big ‘No’ for both of us. Build quality also put us off the facelifted Ford Kuga, which seemed quite cheap and nasty inside, even in ST Line X trim. The Mazda CX-60 was significantly better, but the AP was excessive and reviews haven’t been brilliant. Nothing else on the scheme even remotely appealed.
We have an excellent Hyundai dealership fairly near us who I have bought a few cars from for one of my daughters. I’ve never really considered a Hyundai for myself though for a number of reasons. I’m not a fan of their styling direction, a friend had a number of Santa Fe’s and I found them uncomfortable and low rent compared to our BMW, and I had learned the hard way from our last VW that being taken in by a high equipment count is no good if the systems don’t work terribly well. The improvements that we noticed in the BMW X1 over our VW Tiguan were significant, and we didn’t want to take a step back.
For all these reasons, I left looking at the Tucson until we had eliminated absolutely everything else!
……..Part 2 to follow (the test drives)
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Excellent as usual GG. Looking forward to part 2.
Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.Part 2 – The Test Drives & Ordering
I will never order a car without at least a half day unaccompanied test drive. I’m not prepared to risk ordering a car that we have to live with for 3 years with an hour (or less) test, especially if accompanied. Every new car seems great for the first hour, but I want to test them on all road types (including motorways) and on long journeys over several hours at a time to test long distance seat comfort. I also want to test the exact model we are interested in, as I know from experience that different specifications, as well as different drive trains, can be vastly different. As I often say, order in haste, repent at leisure 😂
Our local Hyundai dealership excelled in this respect. When we finally got around to looking at the Tucson the facelifted model wasn’t out, so I delayed the test drive until they were on the road. At first, it didn’t go well. A brand new PHEV Ultimate was registered for me in order that I could have it for 24 hours, but when I turned up although it was brand new (registered that day), it was the pre-facelift model 🙄. I said that there was no point in me taking it as I wouldn’t order a car based on the old model, and I particularly wanted to try out the much improved infotainment system in the facelift. The sales guy said that as the car had been registered, I might as well take it for 24 hours anyway, as I’d never driven a PHEV before, and he would arrange another 24 hour test with a facelift model. I won’t go into any detail about the test drive as it’s irrelevant now I’ve got 1,000 miles under my belt in the new model.
When I took the car back they let me take a brand new unregistered facelifted PHEV Ultimate out for a short drive back-to-back with the one I was returning to see if it felt any different. The main difference was that it was quieter. Finally, they had registered a brand new facelifted self charging hybrid Ultimate that day and they let me take that home for a second 24 hour test. This was primarily so that I could have a good few hours walking through all the infotainment options, which was valuable, plus to check out the new driving controls etc which have all changed (it’s called a facelift but has more comprehensive interior changes than many all new models).
When it was dark I took it out for a round trip journey that I do weekly, as I wanted to see if the new matrix LED headlights were any good (the LED headlights on the pre facelift I found to be poor). They were excellent and, I’m delighted to say, as good as the ones on the BMW (the adaptive headlights on our previous VW were too slow to react, so I know how they can vary). Although I wasn’t overly bothered about the fuel economy, as the self charging hybrid wasn’t of interest, I was surprised to find that the car achieved worse mpg over that journey than our non-hybrid petrol BMW does. Also, the engine was far more obtrusive than it was in the PHEV, as it comes on so frequently in comparison to the PHEV. In all honesty, had the self charging hybrid been the only option I don’t think I’d have ordered one. The PHEV was far better as it runs on electric far more.
We decided that we really liked the car (I’ll go through all the reasons why in part 3, based upon now having one for a few months) so the decision then boiled down to model (Ultimate or N-Line S) and colour. I preferred the exterior of the N Line S, as it has painted wheel arch trims and side sills, but we both preferred the interior of the Ultimate which, due to the leather, looked the more premium model, and was pretty damned close in terms of build quality to our BMW. With the Ultimate you have a choice of 3 leather interiors. Black (which looked too austere), Cypress Green (which is black with some subtle green trim highlights – sounds awful but looks really nice) and Moss Grey (which is really a light cream). As for exterior colours, none of the existing colours particularly grabbed us, but the dealership had received one in stock in the brand new Cypress Green pearlescent colour and we both loved it. We also liked the pale leather interior and neither the Cypress Green or Moss Grey leather were available for the N Line S, so the Ultimate it was. Thankfully, the Cypress Green paint is very dark (people sometimes think it’s black) so thankfully it ‘masks’ the plastic wheel arches and side sills, so you don’t really notice them. There were Cypress Green Ultimate PHEVs available at Tilbury with both black and Moss Grey leather interiors, so we snapped up one of the latter and we took delivery 4 weeks later, having had a person hoist installed.
……Part 3 will be living with the car – likes and dislikes after 1,000 miles
Part 3 – Living with the Car
This car wants for nothing when it comes to standard kit. It includes (take a deep breath) leather trim, powered front seats with electric lumbar adjustment, 2 position driver seat memory (also adjusts door mirrors), easy entry / exit (driver seat moves back electrically when you exit and then assumes driving position when you get back in and close the door), heated front and rear seats, ventilated (cooled) front seats, 3-zone climate control, 360 degree camera, all round parking sensors, ambient lighting (64 colours), powered panoramic sunroof (tilt and slide) with separate powered blind, rear sun blinds, wireless phone charging pad, 19” alloys, privacy glass, acoustic double glazing to front windows and windscreen, matrix (adaptive) LED headlamps, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, keyless entry and locking, smart electric tailgate, head-up display, premium sound system, lane assist, lane departure assist, speed limit warning, wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto, 12.3” digital instrument cluster plus 12.3” infotainment system with over the air updates, blind spot monitoring system (cameras under door mirrors project views on to instrument cluster, plus door mirror and head-up display warnings), highway drive assist, heated & power folding door mirrors with auto tilt in reverse, auto dimming rear view mirror, rain sensor, dusk sensor, heated steering wheel, AutoHold, parking collision avoidance assist….and that’s just the things I can remember off the top of my head. I’ve no doubt missed quite a few things 😂
This was a big attraction for me. We’ve had to spend thousands in options on previous cars to get the kit we wanted (albeit the APs were much lower then), but if you have to do an early surrender for any reason you only get back the AP (pro rata) but nothing at all for the options, so this time we didn’t want to do that. Having a car that had absolutely everything that we wanted as standard was a big draw.
So, after 1,000 miles what do we really like about the car?
Build Quality – I never thought that I’d top a review of a Hyundai with this, but I can honestly say that it does not feel like a step down from our BMW – and I feared that it would.
Refined drive – As above. The BMW had a whisper quiet engine but suffered from some road noise. The Tucson is quieter, and not only when running in electric mode. Road noise is far less. Suspension is just right. Neither too firm or too soft.
Switchover between EV and Petrol – Completely imperceptible, which is not the case with all PHEVs. You simply cannot tell that it’s changed from EV to petrol other than by looking at the rev counter. No lurching, clunking or noise whatsoever at switchover. The only giveaway that the engine is running is if revs rise above 3,000 rpm, when it’s not as refined as the BMW, so the trick is to keep it below that.
Driving Position – I struggled a bit with the drivers seat at first (I felt that it was pressing on my shoulder blades) but constant fiddling with the electric seat has now got that sorted.
Physical controls – In a reversal of a very bad recent industry trend, Hyundai have thankfully put back buttons (albeit touch sensitive in some cases) for things like climate control, heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel, certain infotainment controls, drive modes etc, so no dangerous faffing about with touchscreens when driving.
Infotainment System – Having test driven a number of latest generation BMWs, IMHO they have ruined what was widely acknowledged as the class leading infotainment system. I now find it way too complicated and, as a result, no longer intuitive. By contrast, the latest generation Hyundai system is brilliant. There are what feel like hundreds of things that you can set up to personalise the car just how you like it and, best of all, it all works really well, although it’s a bit of a stretch if you do need to adjust anything when driving.
Blind Spot Assist System – this is just genius and I absolutely love it. When you indicate, a camera under the door mirror projects a live image of the blind spot on the instrument cluster (like a reversing camera). Added to that the head up display has red warning zones that flag vehicles either side of you in your blind spot, as do the door mirrors. If you manage to miss all of that, and start to turn towards a vehicle, the car will take over and prevent it!
360 degree camera – the resolution is great (it was poor on the pre facelift model)
Heating and Cooling functions – Heated seats are a must on all cars IMO, but the cooled seats are nice if the car has been parked on a hot day. This is the first car I’ve had with a heated steering wheel and last winter I wished I’d had one, so I’m almost looking forward to winter 😂
Sat Nav – It’s a great system (I was worried that it wouldn’t be after the brilliant BMW system). I’m not overly keen on the mapping style, but the traffic warnings are effective, I can get most destinations easily by voice control and I’m still discovering new features. I was staggered the other day when driving on an average speed section of the M5, as it constantly monitored my average speed throughout the whole section that the average speed applied. Clever stuff.
…and finally AutoHold. Boy am I glad to have that again! It’s far more relaxing than keeping your foot on the brake or having to apply the handbrake every time you stop!
There are lots of details that we like, but the above are the main things that come to mind. Conversely, what don’t I like? Thankfully, it’s a smaller list of mostly quite minor things;
Retractable tonneau cover – As I have to load and unload a wheelchair, I prefer rigid tailgate shelves that rise up with the tailgate, as I put the wheelchair seat pad on them. I can’t do that with the Tucson without having to faff about with the retractable cover, so I don’t bother.
Lack of driver grab handle – Given that this car has absolutely everything as standard, why on earth did they not fit a drop down grab handle above the drivers door? This bugs me 😂
Rear wiper – The wiper is bigger than on the pre facelift model, but still doesn’t clear as much of the rear screen as I’m used to with previous cars.
Bings and Bongs – It’s a bit of a ‘nanny state’ car in that it bings and bongs about everything. Thankfully, things like speed limit warnings (which bing four times even at just 1 mph over the limit 😡) can be muted, but you have to remember to mute them every time you drive the car, which is a bit irritating.
KRELL Premium Sound System – to be clear, it’s not bad at all, but in all honesty I wouldn’t describe it as a premium system. I’ve never had a premium sound system before, but I can’t say that it’s noticeably better than the standard system in the BMW, although it’s fair to say that it’s made up for by the quieter ride so, in truth, audio probably sounds better due to that. I can access Amazon Prime Music wirelessly but it’s temperamental.
Bluelink App – For some reason, even though I’ve got it configured to display values in miles, it keeps on stating the EV range in km and also shows the petrol range as km, even though the numerical value is the correct miles. To explain, at present the car has a full tank of petrol and a full charge and the correct ranges (as displayed in the car) are 38 miles in EV mode and 481 miles on petrol, so a total of 519 miles. The app incorrectly shows 62km electric range and 481km petrol range, giving a total of 543km. I have contacted Hyundai about this, who asked numerous questions, but it’s got me nowhere and is still wrong 😡
……Part 4 (the final part) will be living with a PHEV & running costs
Part 4 – Running Costs & PHEV experience
To start with charging, that’s very easy. I always plug the car in via the supplied 3 pin granny charger after every time that I’ve used the car. The charger is set at a default charge rate of 6amps, but I have adjusted it to 10amps (you can vary it via a control box on the lead), so a full charge from zero EV range to the maximum 38/39 miles takes around 6 hours. It’s quite safe to leave it charging overnight as it switches itself off when fully charged. The Bluelink app alerts you when the charge is complete, or you can monitor charging progress via the app or by opening the car door, which causes remaining charge time, and current charging speed, to be displayed in the instrument cluster.
I must stress that I am only 1,000 miles in to PHEV ownership, so am still learning, but having experimented with the different driving modes over identical journeys, I’m fairly confident that I now know the differences between the modes. What follows is based upon the Tucson PHEV only. Other PHEVs will no doubt behave differently.
It’s important to remember that the mpg as expressed on the cars fuel computers is utterly false, as it does not take any account whatsoever of the cost of charging, so you might as well ignore them as they are wildly overstated. They would only ever be accurate if you never charged the car at all. The best thing to do is to work out the total running costs (charging costs plus petrol costs) and divide that combined total by the miles driven to give a pence per mile cost. You can then divide that total pence per mile in to the cost of a gallon of petrol to give a true equivalent mpg (had all that expenditure been on petrol). This seems to be the only way to make a true cost comparison with running an ICE car, or self charging hybrid, so it’s what I’m doing.
The Tucson has 3 different drive modes (plus a ‘Sport’ mode) – Automatic, HEV (hybrid) and EV;
EV Mode – When fully charged, the battery has a claimed range of 38 or 39 miles. In reality, this is more like 35 / 36 miles, but still pretty good. I don’t know yet how much this will drop in winter. Some BEVs range can drop by as much as 30% in the winter, whereas the worst I’ve noticed in previous petrol or diesel cars is around a 10% drop in winter, so time will tell. I charge the car after each time I use it, so I always leave home with a full charge. The 38/39 miles has usually dropped to 35 miles after the first mile or so, but then becomes more steady. Our ‘local’ journeys are 25-30 mile round trips, and I can comfortably do those journeys 100% in EV mode. My electric costs are much more than those with smart meters and low overnight tariffs, so a full charge from the reserve 15% (that the car never goes below) to 100% costs me £2.60. Assuming that £2.60 buys me 35 miles, that’s 7.43p per mile, which equates to 79 mpg (when using the above method). Thats almost double the mpg that I was getting in the BMW, so I’m happy with that.
Automatic Mode – When I’m going on a round trip journey that is over the range of the battery this is the mode that I mostly use. In this mode, I find that the car runs mostly in EV mode when it can, but when about 10 miles of battery range has been depleted it will start to utilise the petrol engine at times. When it does, the car goes mostly into ‘charging mode’ which does two things. The engine both propels the car and recharges the battery. When in charging mode, instant mpg plummets to about 20mpg. Now whilst that sounds dreadful (and it is), it’s important to remember that it’s not the whole picture, as that 20mpg is also ‘buying’ you some more EV driving time. I haven’t been able to calculate whether it’s a 1 for 1 situation (where 1 mile in charging mode also buys you 1 mile in EV mode) but, even if it does, that’s still only 40mpg, which isn’t brilliant (our petrol BMW could happily deliver 50mpg at a sedate motorway cruise). The trick with this mode is to let it do what it wants to on the outward journey, but on the return journey keep an eye on the distance left to travel versus the battery range left, and ensure that you have depleted all of that (cheaper) battery range by the time you get home. The trick with a PHEV is never to arrive back home from longer journeys with unused EV range.
To give a real world example of this, I do a 58 mile round trip most weeks. On the outward journey the car is in Automatic mode. Once around 10 miles of EV range has been used the petrol engine might kick in, charge the battery to get the EV range back up a few miles and then it goes back into EV mode. For the last few miles of the outward journey (once I leave the motorway), if the car doesn’t do it automatically, I switch it into EV mode. The car may still have around 25 miles EV range remaining when I get to my destination. On the return journey, as I might have 25 miles EV range remaining and only 29 miles to get home, I will switch the car into EV mode so that I use up all those 25 miles. Once they are used up the car goes in to inefficient HEV mode, but the last few miles are on B roads where the 15-20% ‘reserve’ that the battery always retains allows the car to switch back to EV mode for much of it.
HEV Mode – This works the same as a self charging hybrid, but is the least fuel efficient mode to use in the Tucson PHEV. The car will spend a lot of time in the thirsty charging mode and if you are cruising on a motorway it wants to keep charging the battery back up to full, when you want to deplete it. Whilst the car will default to this mode when the battery is depleted, having tried this mode I now won’t actively select it. To do so would cost me more to run than our previous BMW, which makes no sense.
So, having explained how I use the car, what does that all add up to? Well, using my previously stated methodology, and across 1,000 miles comprised of local and longer journeys, I am currently averaging around 50mpg ICE equivalent (the fuel computer says around 80mpg but, as explained, that’s nonsense). Thats 8mpg better than our petrol BMW. Hopefully this will improve over time. Different people will get wildly different economy figures depending on how they use their cars. Someone who only ever does journeys that are within the EV only range, especially if they have a low charging tariff, may easily achieve an mpg equivalent of over 100mpg. Those who do a lot of longer journeys will need to carefully do the maths. Keep in mind that my average 50mpg includes quite a bit of driving at 79 mpg equivalent EV driving, so miles driven on the petrol engine are more costly than our previous petrol car. Two obvious reasons for this. A petrol (or diesel) car is lighter (no heavy battery to cart around) and the engine is only propelling the car and not charging a battery at the same time.
In conclusion, we are very happy with our choice of the Tucson Ultimate, but the jury is still out on whether the faff of having to charge it after every use is a fair trade off for what is, at present, a fairly modest improvement in running costs. As I have said, those who do mostly shorter journeys and have cheaper electricity than me could make some big savings, whereas anyone daft enough to get a PHEV but rarely, if ever, charge it will probably regret their decision, as it could easily cost more to run than an efficient ICE car. Everyone needs to do the maths based on their driving patterns and the AP cost versus alternatives.
I hope that anyone considering a Tucson finds all of the above useful, but I’m happy to answer any questions.
Great review GG! I might even light edit your for a review of my own that way it might make up for the jar of coffee you owe me, for waiting patiently for you to finish the review 😂
On a serious note it is an excellent review and very well thought out 🙂
I have LKA set to vibrate, that way, I only need to turn off the speed limit assist every time I get in. The car then runs silently!
Don’t forget to add some pic’s to finish your review off nicely 😉
Looking forward to hearing more about this, especially as the AP has come down so much. We were seriously considering a Tucson a couple of years ago, but the interior felt a bit cheap and it didn’t feel as nice to drive as our Tiguan. Be interested to hear how you think it compares to the BMW.
Excellent review Glos. My head is all over the place withe the scenic and Tucson. I’ve two questions 1. Is the powered tail gate hands free? 2. Is there preconditioning?
I believe the preconditioning may decide that I go with the scenic as I spent an hour and more reading reviews on both and I like both. I swore id never go back to ICE but the way I look at it is three years ain’t that long and I can go back to EV then and probably get something special.
Looking forward to hearing more about this, especially as the AP has come down so much. We were seriously considering a Tucson a couple of years ago, but the interior felt a bit cheap and it didn’t feel as nice to drive as our Tiguan. Be interested to hear how you think it compares to the BMW.
My biggest concern by far with getting the Tucson was that it would feel like a step down from the BMW. In truth, it doesn’t. It’s not as engaging to drive as the BMW if you want to really put your foot down, and the engine is not as refined above 3,000 rpm, but I tend to avoid that. I’d have to be honest and say that models with black leather interiors, or cloth / alcantara interiors, did feel like a bit of a step down, but the Moss Grey interior transforms the car and it feels every bit as upmarket as our BMW that had a similar colour (Oyster) interior. It’s also a far better quality interior than the new Tiguan. Having had a number of Tiguans, I can honestly say that the driver aids work better in the Tucson and are, in fact, more comparable to BMW in that respect. Hope that helps.
Excellent review Glos. My head is all over the place withe the scenic and Tucson. I’ve two questions 1. Is the powered tail gate hands free? 2. Is there preconditioning? I believe the preconditioning may decide that I go with the scenic as I spent an hour and more reading reviews on both and I like both. I swore id never go back to ICE but the way I look at it is three years ain’t that long and I can go back to EV then and probably get something special.
Thanks. Yes, the power tailgate can be configured to be hands free. You can set it so that if you stand behind the car for a few seconds it opens automatically (no foot waggling 😂). I have that disabled as I’m moving around behind the car with the charge cable.
There is no pre conditioning. Thankfully we always garage our car, so the interior never gets so cold as to be a problem, so this is not something that we need so it wasn’t on our wants list.
Excellent review Glos. My head is all over the place withe the scenic and Tucson. I’ve two questions 1. Is the powered tail gate hands free? 2. Is there preconditioning? I believe the preconditioning may decide that I go with the scenic as I spent an hour and more reading reviews on both and I like both. I swore id never go back to ICE but the way I look at it is three years ain’t that long and I can go back to EV then and probably get something special.
There is indeed a powered tailgate you can operate from either the fob, via a switch inside the cabin or you can set it to open automatically when you are close to the tailgate. There is also a switch on the taigate to close it afterwards.
Unfortunately there is no preconditioning, due to it have an ICE.
If preconditioning is important and you are looking at the mid spec Scenic, bite the bullet and go with the Kona. Hyundai have one of the best regen brake setups and you get the all important V2L. Also from memory the Scenic goes no further than the Kona according to ev database.
Glos Guy,
A couple of questions from a veteran friend who works down at the garrison who is thinking of ordering one, but can’t seem to get a straight answer – from either the Hyundai website or main dealer!
Is the 4WD system controlled by the driver (i.e. has an on/off button somewhere) or is it a fully automatic system only controlled by the vehicle?
I take it there is no option to lock the diff(s) either centre or side/wheel control?
Does the 4WD (if auto controlled) in effect cut out above circa 20mph or so on straight roads (or even cornering)?
Does the vehicle come as standard with tyres to enhance the traction of the 4WD system or just standard summer road tyres – i.e. more for economy than traction?
Thanks
P.S. – He has had a drive in my Ineos Grenadier and I think he is hoping for something like the 4WD control and capability that I have. However, I think he may be somewhat disappointed, but I did say I would ask!
Cannot answer, but a Subaru might be better suited to the rough stuff. My brother bought his from the dealer near Crickhowell.
watched Harry’s farm review of the Grenadier. Quite a machine and ideal for my native Black mountains. 53 years ago enjoyed freshers weekend at Brum uni. Civil engineering. In Chemical engineering next door, another fresher was Jim Ratcliffe. Seems to have done quite well for himself!
Cheers Kezo. The Kona is up by 1k and with it being the smallest even with the V2L I’m going to rule it out. Would love it but that rise and being the smallest is a no. If the price was still 1800 I would jump on it.
The scenic ionic is top spec is £2395 and the Tucson top spec is £3k. Drive is not really important to me, as or looks. Toys and interior are. I like both but the Tucson seems nicer inside.
Here’s how I’m going to make my decision. Who ever gets me a car quickest is the car I’ll be getting. My Hyundai dealer is just around the corner so I’ll dander around and see how quick they can get one. Yes I’m walking, you’ll see a rant soon about that.
Ps one would leave me with £700 in my tail which I ain’t really thought about. I am fed up.
Glos Guy, A couple of questions from a veteran friend who works down at the garrison who is thinking of ordering one, but can’t seem to get a straight answer – from either the Hyundai website or main dealer! Is the 4WD system controlled by the driver (i.e. has an on/off button somewhere) or is it a fully automatic system only controlled by the vehicle? I take it there is no option to lock the diff(s) either centre or side/wheel control? Does the 4WD (if auto controlled) in effect cut out above circa 20mph or so on straight roads (or even cornering)? Does the vehicle come as standard with tyres to enhance the traction of the 4WD system or just standard summer road tyres – i.e. more for economy than traction? Thanks P.S. – He has had a drive in my Ineos Grenadier and I think he is hoping for something like the 4WD control and capability that I have. However, I think he may be somewhat disappointed, but I did say I would ask!
Like most modern 4WD systems on cars designed for road use, the system is fully automated. The car will determine whether to run in 2WD or 4WD but it will also vary power to each individual wheel if required. There is a graphic you can easily call up in the instrument cluster that gives a constant live display of the power applied to each wheel (each wheel has a mini bar graph which ranges from one bar to – from memory- 5 or 6 bars). There are also switchable drive / terrain modes for different surfaces (snow / mud / sand) but I’ve not used them yet. The tyres are Michelin Primacy4 235/50 R19 so I assume they are normal road tyres, perhaps designed for 4WD cars, but that’s a guess based on the ‘4’. I don’t believe that you can switch 4WD on / off and / or lock the diff but I’m not technical. @kezo knows far more about the technical / mechanical stuff so hopefully he may add or correct the above.
P.S. When you said you’d got a Grenadier, as I hadn’t heard of them I watched a YouTube review of them. What a beauty. A proper luxury off roader. Did I read the other day that they have just suspended building them?
Cheers Kezo. The Kona is up by 1k and with it being the smallest even with the V2L I’m going to rule it out. Would love it but that rise and being the smallest is a no. If the price was still 1800 I would jump on it. The scenic ionic is top spec is £2395 and the Tucson top spec is £3k. Drive is not really important to me, as or looks. Toys and interior are. I like both but the Tucson seems nicer inside. Here’s how I’m going to make my decision. Who ever gets me a car quickest is the car I’ll be getting. My Hyundai dealer is just around the corner so I’ll dander around and see how quick they can get one. Yes I’m walking, you’ll see a rant soon about that. Ps one would leave me with £700 in my tail which I ain’t really thought about. I am fed up.
If you want a better all the toys go with the Tucson, it won’t cut you short on range in winter either!
However, I would highly recommend you test drive both.
Glos Guy, A couple of questions from a veteran friend who works down at the garrison who is thinking of ordering one, but can’t seem to get a straight answer – from either the Hyundai website or main dealer! Is the 4WD system controlled by the driver (i.e. has an on/off button somewhere) or is it a fully automatic system only controlled by the vehicle? I take it there is no option to lock the diff(s) either centre or side/wheel control? Does the 4WD (if auto controlled) in effect cut out above circa 20mph or so on straight roads (or even cornering)? Does the vehicle come as standard with tyres to enhance the traction of the 4WD system or just standard summer road tyres – i.e. more for economy than traction? Thanks P.S. – He has had a drive in my Ineos Grenadier and I think he is hoping for something like the 4WD control and capability that I have. However, I think he may be somewhat disappointed, but I did say I would ask!
Like most modern 4WD systems on cars designed for road use, the system is fully automated. The car will determine whether to run in 2WD or 4WD but it will also vary power to each individual wheel if required. There is a graphic you can easily call up in the instrument cluster that gives a constant live display of the power applied to each wheel (each wheel has a mini bar graph which ranges from one bar to – from memory- 5 or 6 bars). There are also switchable drive / terrain modes for different surfaces (snow / mud / sand) but I’ve not used them yet. The tyres are Michelin Primacy4 235/50 R19 so I assume they are normal road tyres, perhaps designed for 4WD cars, but that’s a guess based on the ‘4’. I don’t believe that you can switch 4WD on / off and / or lock the diff but I’m not technical. @kezo knows far more about the technical / mechanical stuff so hopefully he may add or correct the above. P.S. When you said you’d got a Grenadier, as I hadn’t heard of them I watched a YouTube review of them. What a beauty. A proper luxury off roader. Did I read the other day that they have just suspended building them?
Hi BD,
The Tucson has Michelin Primarcy 4’s, extra load rated. They are a summer tyre. It’s actually AWD rather than 4WD and does not have Diff lock or HI and Low gearing.
However, Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel drive system is designed to combine the capabilities of a 4WD system with the performance and full efficiency of front-wheel drive. While the AWD system is always engaged drivers have the option of selecting one of three driving modes. It is also mechanical, rather than an electric motor seen on many AWD SUV’s today.
There are plenty of video’s showing its off road capability, including this hybrid one.
The 4WD thing. I tried to configure a Tucson on the Hyundai site and it gives two options. Both plug in hybrid ultimates
1. 2WD auto and 2. 4WD Manual 🤔
The 4WD thing. I tried to configure a Tucson on the Hyundai site and it gives two options. Both plug in hybrid ultimates 1. 2WD auto and 2. 4WD Manual
Both the 2wd and awd are automatics. The 2wd variant wasn’t out, when I ordered mine however, I would have gone the the awd anyway. The 2wd gets about 5 mile more offiicial electric range.
Glos Guy, A couple of questions from a veteran friend who works down at the garrison who is thinking of ordering one, but can’t seem to get a straight answer – from either the Hyundai website or main dealer! Is the 4WD system controlled by the driver (i.e. has an on/off button somewhere) or is it a fully automatic system only controlled by the vehicle? I take it there is no option to lock the diff(s) either centre or side/wheel control? Does the 4WD (if auto controlled) in effect cut out above circa 20mph or so on straight roads (or even cornering)? Does the vehicle come as standard with tyres to enhance the traction of the 4WD system or just standard summer road tyres – i.e. more for economy than traction? Thanks P.S. – He has had a drive in my Ineos Grenadier and I think he is hoping for something like the 4WD control and capability that I have. However, I think he may be somewhat disappointed, but I did say I would ask!
Like most modern 4WD systems on cars designed for road use, the system is fully automated. The car will determine whether to run in 2WD or 4WD but it will also vary power to each individual wheel if required. There is a graphic you can easily call up in the instrument cluster that gives a constant live display of the power applied to each wheel (each wheel has a mini bar graph which ranges from one bar to – from memory- 5 or 6 bars). There are also switchable drive / terrain modes for different surfaces (snow / mud / sand) but I’ve not used them yet. The tyres are Michelin Primacy4 235/50 R19 so I assume they are normal road tyres, perhaps designed for 4WD cars, but that’s a guess based on the ‘4’. I don’t believe that you can switch 4WD on / off and / or lock the diff but I’m not technical. @kezo knows far more about the technical / mechanical stuff so hopefully he may add or correct the above. P.S. When you said you’d got a Grenadier, as I hadn’t heard of them I watched a YouTube review of them. What a beauty. A proper luxury off roader. Did I read the other day that they have just suspended building them?
Thanks Glos Guy.
I will pass on the info to him. It does seem more of a ‘soft roader’ than a proper rugged 4WD so I think he maybe a bit disappointed.
Yes, I collected the Grenadier about 4 months ago now, having ordered it around January time. It is everything the ‘new plasticky’ Land Rover Defender should have been!
It is more rugged around the farms and out on the moors, yet comfortable enough for long trips. I really do like it.
Having the ‘Grenny’ also saves putting miles on the X6 which I try to keep for ‘Sunday best’ (despite both my brother and brother-in-law regularly ‘borrowing it’ whever they go away, so the X6 is getting some miles put on it)!
Yes, they have temporaility stopped production of all Grenadiers due to a trim supplier hitting financial problems. They are hoping to re-start production in the new year. I am hoping so as we have three of the ‘Quartermaster’ open back varients on order for the farms to replace older LR Defenders and an Isuzu pick-up which seems to live permanently at the dealership nowadays!
The 4WD thing. I tried to configure a Tucson on the Hyundai site and it gives two options. Both plug in hybrid ultimates 1. 2WD auto and 2. 4WD Manual 🤔
There are different configurators for the PHEV. If you are on that one it’s an error. The PHEV now comes in both 2WD and 4WD but only the latter is available through Motability. Both are autos (there are no manual PHEVs).
@BigDave 95% plus of SUVs are soft roaders these days, as that’s what people want. For those of us who don’t have a farm we want a comfortable and quiet on road drive 😉. I should think Subaru is better suited for off road (but not great on road), otherwise it’s LR Defender etc at vastly higher prices!
@BigDave have a look at my post, as Ive included a video, as its capable along with some explanation into the system it uses but, its no Defender 110 or Grenny
@BigDave have a look at my post, as Ive included a video, as its capable along with some explanation into the system it uses but, its no Defender 110 or Grenny
Hi Kezo,
Yes, I did see it and responded, however my post (a couple above) appears to be in the ‘sin bin’ awaiting moderation!
@BigDave 95% plus of SUVs are soft roaders these days, as that’s what people want. For those of us who don’t have a farm we want a comfortable and quiet on road drive 😉. I should think Subaru is better suited for off road (but not great on road), otherwise it’s LR Defender etc at vastly higher prices!
Hi GG,
I did mention the Subaru to him, however his wife has said a firm ‘no’ to it for some reason.
As you said, most people would want comfort etc, hence he may have to look outwith the scheme to get what I suspect he really wants. Or accept a compromise.
Hi GG, I did mention the Subaru to him, however his wife has said a firm ‘no’ to it for some reason..
Perhaps his wife did the same as us Dave! We looked at Subaru when it came on the scheme, but looking at the cars in the flesh and watching several online reviews, it was obvious that whilst they may be very capable off road they are woefully off the pace on road, especially concerning dated technology, performance and economy. Unless the majority of driving is off road, there are numerous far better choices.
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