Hyundai is having a great run on vehicles lately. From the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 EVs, The updated Kona and even the rocket ship Elantra N. But when you talk about the bread-and-butter vehicles for the brand, you can’t forget the popular Tucson SUV. And since we love bread and butter, it felt like time to check out a 2024 Tucson.
Evocative Design
One of the reasons for the Tucson’s popularity is its gorgeous design.
Up front, the “parametric” grille features half-mirror daytime running lamps hidden inside, only visible when illuminated. And while the Tucson has been around a couple years, this is still a stunning aspect that gives the SUV some real identity. Hyundai also goes deep with origami like folds throughout the design, and you see those contours around the lights and fogs that give off an aggressive stance.
We also love the deeply chiseled profile where the folds give some visual width to the fenders and create a modern iconic look that’s really like no other SUV. Blacked out fender flares and lower side cladding give off some off-road cred, and we just dig the handsome 19-inch “throwing star” style alloy wheels.
The rear is as striking as the front, with fang-like LED taillights and a horizontal light bar that gives some visual width. A cool extra, the full width taillamp features concealed triangular shapes (reminiscent of the front) that are only visible when illuminated. Finishing off our Tucson was the gorgeous Deep Sea paint, a very dark blue that almost looks black in certain light. Elegant and tasteful.
Luxurious Interior
A big surprise for us was how luxurious the interior of our tester is – remember this is a sensibly-priced SUV!
What really reinforces that feeling of luxury is the bold ivory and black two-tone interior, with that lighter color on the lower dash, center console and seats. We love the leather seats – although we still question if white leather is a good choice on an SUV. Comfort is king here, with heated and ventilated front seats, and even power controls on the passenger side.
You don’t have to be up front to enjoy the good times. The rear seats are one of the largest in class with exceptional legroom, and they’re heated as well. Cargo space is also plentiful and it’s easy to fold down the rear seats and get a huge amount of space.
Along with space, the interior impresses with a huge amount of tech and high-quality materials.
The driver enjoys a cool horizontal motif on the steering wheel that looks very lux and frames the handsome digital gauge display. It’s even customizable – there’s a wacky “cube-style” screen, but we found ourselves switching back to the traditional circular-style speedo and tach.
One of the things that really spoils you, the gauge faces turn into displays from outside cameras when you signal for a turn or lane change. This kind of stuff started out on Hyundai’s Genesis luxury line and has migrated down to the Tucson. And once you get used to it, you wonder why everyone doesn’t offer something like this.
The good times continue with a large 10.25-inch touchscreen that blends with the climate controls to give off the appearance of a giant tablet. This used to be state of the art, but many vehicles including the Tucson’s sibling the Kia Sportage now offer a seamless wide-screen combo of displays that looks cutting edge. Still, it works very well – but we’d at least like a volume knob for the info-tainment.
Speaking of cutting-edge design, we’d say the jury is out on the pushbutton transmission controls in the center console – it looks cool, but we still prefer a standard shift lever. When you do want to have some shifting fun, the Tucson includes handy paddle shifters on the steering wheel.
Sweet, Smooth Ride
Driving the Tucson reinforces the luxury feel.
Under the hood is a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder that pumps out a respectable 187-horsepower. It may not be the most powerful motor in its class but it’s impressively quiet and smooth. Teamed up with an equally slick 8-speed automatic and the Tucson zips around serenely. And with a reasonable 25 mpg EPA combined rating, good on gas, too. For those wanting better efficiency Hyundai offers both Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid versions.
Serene also describes the smooth ride, and with our tester’s available all-wheel drive it’s a confident handler which would be an excellent all-weather vehicle. The steering has a nice feel, and the right-size of the Tucson makes it easy to get around traffic, and we loved the 360-degree overhead monitor making it super easy to park. Super easy, serene and luxurious – that’s the Tucson.
It’s also very safe. Our Limited model was loaded with a boatload of tech, including Forward Collision Avoidance with Pedestrian, Cyclist and Junction Turning, Rear Cross Traffic Collision Avoidance, Blind Spot Monitor, Lane Keep and Lane Following Assist, Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control with Curve Control and more. Impressive.
Can I Afford to Live the Lux Life?
Here’s one of the best things about the Tucson – affordability.
The Tucson SE is the most affordable model and starts at just $27,500 for a very stylish, tech loaded and comfy SUV, it’s a bargain. Our Limited is the top of the line, and with all the goodies, still starts at a very reasonable $36,760. Add $1,500 for AWD, and $1,375 for Destination, and we rang the bell at $39,635.
Competitors include the top-selling Toyota RAV4 which comes in a little higher at $41,770. The RAV is a bit more of the sporty/trucky vibe, the Tucson wins on style and luxury. And you’d also have to look at the Honda CR-V at $37,965, the Honda is friendly and sporty, again the Tucson’s style and luxury sets it apart.
Great looks, an elegant interior and luxury ride elevates the 2024 Hyundai Tucson into a class of its own!
Ben Lewis grew up in Chicago, and after spending his formative years driving sideways in the winter – often intentionally – moved to sunny Southern California. He now enjoys sunny weather year-round — whether it is autocross driving, aerobatics, and learning to surf.