After making its North American debut, the Tucson facelift is ready for Europe with the same cosmetic changes but also a new type of engine.
While Toyota and Nissan are bidding farewell to diesel crossovers, Hyundai is merging one of its oil-burners with a mild-hybrid 48V electric system.
To be more precise, the tech consists of a 2-liter diesel engine that's matched to a 0.44kWh 48-volt lithium-ion battery, LDC converter, inverter and starter generator. Thanks to this and brake energy recovery, the first-ever Hyundai hybrid model is said to be 7% more efficient and cleaner than it would have been otherwise.
The 48V system assists the combustion engine by discharging the battery juice to reduce engine load under light acceleration or to provide additional torque when you press the throttle all the way.
Interestingly, at 186 horsepower, this is now the most powerful Tucson model offered in Europe, and it comes with an 8-speed automatic option, unlike the US model which gets a 6-speed.
“With our new mild hybrid powertrain system for our best-selling model, we are further expanding the company’s electrification strategy to make clean technologies accessible for even more customers”, said Hyundai Europe’s VP for Marketing and Product, Andreas-Christoph Hofmann. “It will be available in combination with more engines in the future, as part of our highly diverse mix of electrified solutions.”
Hyundai will add the same mild hybrid technology to its 1.6-liter diesel and start offering it in early 2019. The rest of the powertrains probably carried over as they were before because there's no mention of them in the press release.
Cosmetically, the Tucson has been updated with a new grille inspired by the new Santa Fe, as well as angular lines in both the head- and fog-lights. We're not particularly fond of the design. The AWD system is supposed to offer better torque distribution, while the cabin features trim updates and the latest infotainment perched on top of the dashboard.
To be more precise, the tech consists of a 2-liter diesel engine that's matched to a 0.44kWh 48-volt lithium-ion battery, LDC converter, inverter and starter generator. Thanks to this and brake energy recovery, the first-ever Hyundai hybrid model is said to be 7% more efficient and cleaner than it would have been otherwise.
The 48V system assists the combustion engine by discharging the battery juice to reduce engine load under light acceleration or to provide additional torque when you press the throttle all the way.
Interestingly, at 186 horsepower, this is now the most powerful Tucson model offered in Europe, and it comes with an 8-speed automatic option, unlike the US model which gets a 6-speed.
“With our new mild hybrid powertrain system for our best-selling model, we are further expanding the company’s electrification strategy to make clean technologies accessible for even more customers”, said Hyundai Europe’s VP for Marketing and Product, Andreas-Christoph Hofmann. “It will be available in combination with more engines in the future, as part of our highly diverse mix of electrified solutions.”
Hyundai will add the same mild hybrid technology to its 1.6-liter diesel and start offering it in early 2019. The rest of the powertrains probably carried over as they were before because there's no mention of them in the press release.
Cosmetically, the Tucson has been updated with a new grille inspired by the new Santa Fe, as well as angular lines in both the head- and fog-lights. We're not particularly fond of the design. The AWD system is supposed to offer better torque distribution, while the cabin features trim updates and the latest infotainment perched on top of the dashboard.