Gallery: 2017 Hyundai Tucson Night
What is it: A compact crossover attempting to set itself apart in an extremely crowded field, the Tucson delivers a lot of interior and exterior amenities at a fair, if not bargain, price.
Key Competitors: Mazda CX-5, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V
Base Price: $30,095 As-Tested Price: $30,220
Highlights: Debuting at last year’s SEMA show, the Night package loads a Tucson Sport with matte-black wheels, black mirrors, aluminum pedals and a few other goodies.
Gallery: 2017 Hyundai Tucson interior
Our Opinion: Generally speaking, we've been fans of Hyundai’s Tucson. It’s as handsome as the other small crossovers you see everywhere these days. I know car design is subjective, but I do think the Night looks good with its black accents. The comfortable interior has decent quality (yeah, the materials inside could use a little upgrade but are class-competitive) and the layout/controls couldn’t be easier to decipher.
The Night’s ride/handling mix is class competitive, as well -- a good balance between sporty(ish) and comfort/composure. It’s also quiet and smooth over frost heaves and such. The Tucson stays flat in corners, and the steering is quick. Overall, the little dear is borderline fun to drive. Fun? OK, maybe I should say enjoyable instead.
If you like what you’ve read so far and want to try a Tucson, make it the 1.6-liter turbo. Yeah, it costs about a grand more than the normally aspirated 2.0-liter, but it’s worth it: The turbo-four is smoother, more refined and has 11 more horsepower. More power -- never a bad thing.
The Night also has a few standard goodies optional on many compact crossovers, such as a hands-free power liftgate, panoramic sunroof and a power driver seat. In fact, our tester had just one option: carpeted floor mats.
So we have here an attractive, roomy, well-equipped compact crossover that drives well -- it definitely has the small-crossover fundamentals down pat.
--Wes Raynal, editor
Gallery: 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid
Vehicle Model Information
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $30,095
AS TESTED PRICE: $30,220
POWERTRAIN: 1.6-liter turbocharged I4, AWD seven-speed EcoShift dual clutch
OUTPUT: 175 hp @ 5,500 rpm; 195 lb-ft @ 1,500-4,500 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 3,532 lb
FUEL ECONOMY: 24/28/25 mpg
OPTIONS: Carpeted floor mats ($125)
PROS: Good looking with black trim, highly contented
CONS: Interior materials could use an upgrade
