Following the success of the very attractive Tucson 1.6 TGDI Executive Sport with its eye-catching body skirts, black 19-inch wheels and bold exhaust pipes, Hyundai Automotive South Africa has decided to give the top-of-the-range All-Wheel Drive Tucson 1.6 TGDI Elite the same treatment, and to let it carry the Sport moniker as well.
Since the launch of the Tucson Sport with the Executive specification level at the beginning of June this year, customers have indicated that there is a definite appetite for the bold and beautiful looks that the special body treatment has given this top-selling SUV model in Hyundai’s local range.
“We have sold more than 50 Tucson 1.6 TGDI Executive Sport models in July, within little more than a month after its launch. These figures vindicated our decision to offer a derivative with sporty overtones and a body kit that made the good-looking Tucson even more attractive,” says Stanley Anderson, sales and operations director of Hyundai Automotive South Africa.
“Some of our customers requested this same body kit and engine power upgrade to be applied to our top-of-range Tucson 1.6 TGDI Elite All-Wheel Drive derivative with its Dual Clutch Transmission. It convinced us to add another Tucson Sport derivative to our range.”
This new derivative of Hyundai’s popular SUV model is known as the Hyundai Tucson 1.6 TGDI Elite Sport AWD, which means it is powered by a turbocharged 1,6-litre petrol engine that delivers 150 kW peak power and 295 Nm torque, distributed to the road via All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and a Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). It also boasts the comprehensive Elite level of features, including a big sun roof and a host of convenience, safety and luxury items that comes standard with the R599 900 price ticket.
The body kit used for the Tucson 1.6 TGDI Elite Sport – comprising front, rear and side skirts – come from Korea, and the alloy wheels were chosen with the help of Tiger Wheel & Tyre, exclusively for the Tucson Sport. Hyundai Automotive SA also fitted an exhaust system with four chrome pipes at the rear that audibly announces the sporty nature of this Tucson
The 19-inch black alloy wheels with its low-profile tyres raised the outstanding handling dynamics of the Tucson to an even higher level. They are also exclusive to the Tucson Sport derivatives – nobody can buy them off the shelf to fit to their own car.
The 1,6-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine of the Tucson Elite Sport is linked to the slick gearbox with its dual clutches that enables automatic, economical gearshifts, with the option of a Sport mode to push the revolutions higher before engaging the next gear, or manual gear shift when the driver demands it.
Other standard features of the Tucson Elite Sport include an 8-inch screen infotainment system with satellite navigation, Bluetooth telephone linking and music streaming, as well as a CD player, USB and AUX music input and a several settings for FM and AM radio reception. It also displays a rear view from the park assist camera when reversing the vehicle.
Additional convenience features include cruise control, rain sensors for the automatic windscreen wipers, an automatic air-conditioning system, electrically adjusted leather seats and multifunction controls on the steering wheel.
Among the safety features in the Tucson Sport are an Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), an Advanced Brake System (ABS) to prevent the brakes from locking up in an emergency stop, Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and a full set of driver, front passenger, side and curtain airbags.
The Tucson was awarded a full 5-star safety rating in the European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP).
The recommended retail price of the Tucson 1.6 TGDI Elite Sport AWD is R599 900, which includes Hyundai’s industry-leading 7-year/200 000 km warranty, roadside assistance for 5 years or 150 000 km, and a 5-year/90 000 km service plan. Its service interval is 15 000 km.
