Hyundai Tucson (2015 – 2021) Review

Hyundai Tucson (2015 – 2021) At A Glance

More refined than ix35. Cabin is spacious and comfortable. Lots of family appeal with affordable running costs and huge boot. Five star Euro NCAP rating.

Not the sharpest SUV to drive. Some cheap and scratchy plastics in the cabin. Ride can get a bit bumpy on poor roads.

Real MPG average for a Hyundai Tucson (2015 – 2021)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

Satisfaction Index

Reviews for Hyundai Tucson (2015 – 2021)'s top 3 rivals

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Excellent Hybrid model is the pick of the range. High quality and well finished interior. Usefully large...

Kia Sportage

One of the best crossovers on the market, well-equipped, seven-year warranty, practical and spacious.

SEAT Ateca

Probably the best handling car in its class. Lots of room for those in the back along with a large boot....

Ask Honest John

Hyundai Tucson - cam belt or timing chain?

"Does my Hyundai Tucson 1.7 CRDI (65 plate) have a timing belt or chain? The handbook doesn't say anything and I am getting conflicting answers online."

It uses a timing chain that's lubricated by the engine oil and designed to last the life of the engine.

Answered by Dan Powell

What's the best used, medium-sized SUV?

"I have £19,000 to spend. Can you tell me what's the best used medium-sized SUV with a petrol engine and automatic gearbox?"

We'd recommend a Kia Sportage with the 1.6 T-GDi petrol engine and DCT automatic gearbox. It's likely to be cheap to run and will come with the remainder of Kia's seven-year warranty. A Skoda Karoq would be a good alternative (if you can find one in budget). Also consider a Hyundai Tucson.

Answered by Andrew Brady

Hyundai Tucson actuator failure, just out of warranty - will I have to pay in full?

"Just over two months ago my Hyundai Tucson diesel had its final service within its five year warranty, having done just under 26,000 miles and received a clean bill of health/MoT. Today an engine management fault light was displayed and I noticed a loss of power on acceleration. I took the car to my Hyundai dealership and they carried out a diagnostic investigation which showed a wastegate actuator seized/not moving which required replacing at a cost of £948 inclusive of labour/VAT. Additionally, they said that if this replacement was done it is possible that as they found a small amount of play in the turbocharger but presently not needing any attention a new turbocharger would be needed - no mention of what this would cost. Bearing in mind the car is just a few months out of its 5 year warranty, not a high mileage and has been regularly serviced on time by this dealership I am minded to make a complaint to Hyundai's HQ customer service on this basis and there is a general customer expectation that their parts could be expected to last much longer than this. I would appreciate your view on this situation and what kind of approach I should take with their customer services dept in order to give myself the best chance of a reduction in cost here on a fair basis?"

The key thing here will be identifying the cause of the actuator failure. If it's due to a manufacturing fault then I'd expect Hyundai to contribute towards the cost of the repair (especially if they want to retain your business). However, if the problems are linked to a build-up of carbon due to the car's low mileage then neither Hyundai or the dealer will contribute towards the repair. A modern fuel injected diesel engine, such as this, needs at least 15 miles per journey to reach its optimum operating temperature. Lots of short journeys will ultimately result in the engine running on a rich fuel mixture that will cause carbon build up.

Answered by Dan Powell

Is my Euro 6 diesel car exempt from the London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge?

"I own a Hyundai Tucson diesel vehicle. Having checked the Transport for London (TfL) ULEZ site I find that despite my vehicle being registered post-2015 and complying with Euro 6 I have to pay £15 for entry. I have also checked on two other sites which say I am exempt. Can you assist please?"

You are right, Euro 6 diesels meet the standard and therefore you shouldn't have to pay. See our guide: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/ulez-ultra-low-emissions-zone-london/ I would query this directly with TfL as it sounds like there is an error with their vehicle checking tool.

Answered by Sarah Tooze

More Questions

On the inside of an Hyundai Tucson (2015 – 2021)

• Boot space is 488–1503 litres
• Euro NCAP rating of five stars

The Tucson might be the smallest SUV in the Hyundai range, but you wouldn't think it when sitting inside the large and airy cabin. Indeed, the Tucson has a super interior, with lots of head and leg room for all passengers. What's more, most models get a flat 513-litre boot that can be extended to a useful 1503 litres by lowering the rear seats. Using the boot is easy with a low entry sill that prevents you from having to lift heavy items high to load up. 

Families will find the Tucson particularly useful, with lots of cabin space and storage. There are lots of areas to keep loose items, with deep door pockets, large cup holders and a handy set of hooks in the boot that lets you hang shopping bags without worrying about them falling over and scattering their contents all over the floor. 

The attention to detail is high, with a solid feel throughout the interior. As a result there's no worrying creaks or squeaks as you navigate bumpy roads. The dashboard layout is also neat and simple, with soft-touch materials covering the upper layer. However, the interior ambience is spoilt a little by dull and scratchy plastics that cover the lower dashboard and surround the climate controls and window switches.

The seats are comfortable though with good levels of support across the wide base and lower back. The cabin's long length also allows tall drivers to push the front seat quite far back, without hindering leg room in the rear. 

All Tucson models are well-equipped as standard with air conditioning, steering wheel audio and phone controls, DAB and electrically adjustable heated door mirrors. Hyundai expects the majority of Tucson models to be mid-range SE Nav trim and this gets some significant upgrades, with parking sensors, heated cloth seats and navigation - the latter operated by a large eight-inch colour touchscreen.

Standard Equipment:

S is the base trim and features 16-inch alloy wheels, body coloured door handles, mirrors and bumpers, rear spoiler with integrated LED brake light, LED daytime running lights, electric and heated door mirrors, cloth seats, air conditioning and automatic headlights with dusk sensor, Bluetooth, DAB, steering wheel audio and phone controls, luggage hooks and a tyre repair kit.

SE adds 17-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, LED rear lights, rear parking sensors, heated front seats, driver's seat electric lumbar support, lane keep assist system (LKAS), projection headlights with static cornering lights, dual zone climate control, luggage net and a full-size alloy spare wheel.

SE Nav models get an eight-inch touchscreen satellite navigation system, reversing camera, Tom Tom Live services, shark fin antenna, speed limit information system (SLIF) which uses the front camera and information from the navigation system to identify road speed signs and display the speed limit in real time.

Premium adds 17-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, heated rear seats, front parking sensors, rear cross traffic alert, automatic windscreen wipers with rain sensor, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot detection (BSD) and heated rear seats (outer rear seats only).

Premium SE is the range topping model and includes a heated steering wheel, keyless smart entry with engine start/stop button, smart parking assist system (automatic transmission only), smart electric tailgate, LED headlights, panoramic sunroof with electric tilt and slide function and ventilated front seats.

Child seats that fit a Hyundai Tucson (2015 – 2021)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Driving Hyundai Tucson (2015 – 2021)

• Engines range from 1.6 GDI to 2.0 CRDi Mild Hybrid 4WD
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 24–55 mpg

They Hyundai Tucson is available with five engines – two petrol and three diesels - and uses two-wheel or four-wheel drive, dependant on how powerful the engine is. 

The best - and cheapest - option is the 1.7 CRDi, which is front-wheel drive and produces 116PS with 280Nm of torque. It's quiet, refined and economical with up to 61.4mpg according to the official figures. The engine does need to be worked hard for overtaking, but is more than adequate for general motorway driving and has plenty of low-down torque for smooth acceleration in and around town. 

If your annual mileage doesn't warrant diesel power then you can opt for the 1.6-litre petrol with either 136PS or 177PS. The petrols are powerful enough - especially the 177PS - but as you'd expect economy isn't as good. The 136PS returns a claimed 44.8mpg and the 177PS version - which has four-wheel drive - is more expensive to run with a claimed 37.2mpg and 177g/km. We also noted that the petrol engine gets rather noisy on the motorway, especially at higher revs. 

The 2.0 CRDi with 185PS on the other hand is quiet and smooth at all speeds. It's also packed with 400Nm of torque from 1750rpm, which means it’s ideal for overtaking or towing, with a braked limit of 2200kg. The 2.0 diesel is also available with 136PS, but this reduces towing capacity to 1900kg. 

As they're all four-wheel drive - the 2.0 CRDi models are not as efficient as the 1.7 CRDi, with the 136PS and 185PS units returning a respective 58.9mpg and 47.9mpg. The four-wheel drive system gives the Tucson some off-road potential, with a locking differential, but it's never suited for serious mud plugging due to its relatively poor ground clearance.

In reality, the vast majority of Tucsons will never leave the road and it is here it impresses, with a refined ride that’s smooth and supple. Admittedly, rough A roads or potted motorways will unsettle the ride a little, making things a touch bumpy for those in the back. But for the most part the Tucson is a comfortable car to while away the miles. A slick six-speed manual gearbox is standard on all models, although a six-speed automatic is available as an option.

The only real downside is the handling, with lifeless steering that returns little in the way of feedback. As a result the Hyundai isn’t as fun or engaging to drive as a Ford Kuga or Nissan Qashqai. But the Tuscson shouldn't be marked down too much. Indeed, it is safe and predictable, while body lean is kept to a minimum on all but the tightest of B roads. 

Hyundai Tucson (2015 – 2021) Models and Specs

On sale until April 2021

On sale until September 2019

On sale until November 2018

On sale until October 2015

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What to watch out for

Model History

• February 2015: Hyundai Tucson launched
• February 2018: Hyundai Tucson Go SE introduced
• June 2018: Hyundai Tucson gets mild hybrid
• August 2018: Hyundai Tucson range revamped for 2019
• March 2019: Tucson N Line launched
• May 2019: Tucson N Line priced from £25,995