An SUV without all-wheel drive? Sounds absurd. It's like wine without alcohol or a book promising to help you quit smoking quickly. For me, such a car has neither meaning nor pleasure. But crossovers are a different matter; they allow such technical liberties. Take, for example, the Hyundai Tucson. Its front-wheel-drive version, by the way, didn't appear yesterday—it has existed since the model's debut in 2004. However, such a modification was mainly sold in America: there, convincing a buyer to pay for something they don't use is practically impossible. Those who don't need all-wheel drive calmly chose the Tucson for its SUV charms: spacious cabin, large trunk, high ground clearance, and car-like handling. It took the company almost four years to believe that we too would have enough pragmatic drivers.
The savings are significant. The front-wheel-drive Tucson with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine and 4-speed automatic is 64,000 rubles cheaper than the all-wheel-drive version. So if your path to a country house doesn't turn into a swamp after rain, paying such money for all-wheel drive is at least strange. On the highway, such a Tucson drives noticeably more briskly: all the traction goes to the front wheels without loss, and the car itself has become lighter. It responds more lively to the gas pedal, the 142-horsepower engine strains less and doesn't annoy with noise at medium revs. However, the automatic could use some waking up! During active driving, it shifts with a delay and accompanies this with an expressive roar. However, the all-wheel-drive version suffers from the same.
Alas, the absence of rear wheels in the Tucson reminds itself now and then. And not only at the mechanical level but also in the driver's mind. Here you could have parked so nicely in a snowdrift, and a familiar turn would surely have been conquered at a higher speed, and understeer wouldn't have made your heart sink. Stability control would be very useful here. But ESP for this version is only available in the States; here, for some reason, it's not offered. Nor are leather upholstery, light sensor, and other "petty-bourgeois" niceties. However, a potential buyer of such a Tucson is unlikely to fret over them. He is rational, after all. And he would agree to pay extra for unnecessary options only at gunpoint. But for minimal money, he gets maximum utility.
Driving
If not for the leisurely automatic, the crossover's dynamics could boldly be called outstanding.
Interior
Modest and functional, nothing much to complain about.
Price
The front-wheel-drive version with automatic is 64,000 rubles cheaper than the all-wheel-drive modification.
Pros and cons
+ Good dynamics, spacious cabin, more attractive price, lower appetite.
- Limited capabilities on light off-road, sluggish automatic.
Specifications
Make and model - Hyundai Tucson DOHC 2.0 FWD A/T
Dimensions - 4325/1795/1730 mm
Engine - gasoline, 1975 cm3, 142 hp/6000 rpm
Transmission - automatic, 4-speed
Performance - max 160 km/h; 12.2 s to 100 km/h
Competitors - Kia Sportage