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Here we very rarely talk about a car that is still in production because we don’t know all of it’s common issues yet. It’s just that the Hyundai Tucson NX4 sold so well and came with most of the issues right from the factory door, so we can actually rant about it.

The first Tucson was a utilitarian charriot and with that charm of simplicity it managed to steal our eyes and money. Then it was succeded by a dubious sequel that had split personalities, which itself got succeded by the most family oriented Tucson, and now we are at the latest one, namely the Hyundai Tucson NX4.

Hyundai Tucson NX4 is definitely a departure from the classic recipe of a cheap family car or that of a utilitarian vehicle. I can’t help but talk about the Tucson’s piece of resistance, namely the windshield…wait, not that…the looks. For Hyundai to come up with such a design, especially considering the previous tame and family friendly Tucson, is like making a leap from Rachel Zane to Donna Paulsen. We have that front grille and those LEDs that when they turn on the turn the night to day. We have the looks living 3020 while we’re stuck in 2020. We have a new interior that brings premium materials that are no longer reminiscent of the early day Hyundais.

Hyundai Tucson NX4 Engines

Petrol

• 1.5 Turbo SmartStream T-GDi of 160 horsepower – Not too bad. A new engine for new times, which has made it’s way under the bonnet of the Tucson NX4. Is it worth it though? On the i30 certainly, but on a family sized cross-over it’s abit like having Graham Norton engage in an eating contest with Michael Phelps. No chance – as Mr. McMahon would say. Or not great, not terrible – as Dyatlov would say.


• 1.6 Turbo SmartStream T-GDi of 150 and 180 horsepower  – We have the old 1.6 MPI from the time of the first i30, to which a turbocharger was attached. Of course, it’s the same 1.6 T-GDI engine from the Tucson TL only brought up to current emissions standards and as a result the power has dropped from 177 to 150 horsepower for the base engine, replacing the old naturally aspirated version as the entry level engine aswell. Might still leak some oil and have some turbo issues here and there, but altogether it’s an reliable unit. Not absolute unit, but reliable.


• 2.0 SmartStream MPi of 164 horsepower – This old Nu engine ain’t fooling anybody. Much like Jim Crunch once said, “if you ain’t pukin’, it ain’t workin’ ” and this very much applies to the engine. Some habits die hard, and the Nu engine’s habits bad habits don’t die at all. Still the star in a reasonably priced world class action.


• 2.5 SmartStream GDi G4KN of 187 horsepower – The lord of the 8 speed automatic. The bourne identity. Taxi Driver. Head Honcho. An evolution of the older 2.4 Theta II and the butt of all lawsuits. Excessive oil consumption, catalysts overheating and failure, fuel pump failure, water pump failure, injectors clogging. Why are you still reading?

Diesel

• 1.6 SmartStream of 115 and 136 horsepower – Well if you insist for a diesel then this is the one to go for, especially since the 1.7 got retired due to the factories being over-run with orders and because Hyundai was going bankrupt because they didnt have any parts to sell for the 1.7 diesel since it was that good. Unironically however this 1.6 diesel is a modern, run-of-the-mill engine with no specific issues. Just keep it outside the city, like they keep Spagett outside bushes.


• 2.0 SmartStream of 184 horsepower – Carried on from the previous editions, this diesel is too expensive in running costs to justify it’s existence. It’s only real claim to fame is the ability to tow caravans and boats and if you are that sort of person then you deserve whatever happens to you.

Hybrid

1.6 Turbo Smarstream of 230 and 265 horsepower – The 230 horsepower version is the mild hybrid and the 265 is the full plug-in. Both are reliable because it’s the aux belt that gives all the headaches as it jumps around. Also, the oil pan is made out of my hopes and dreams so it breaks every 2nd start of the engine.

Hyundai Tucson NX4 Common Issues

• But the oil pan of the hybrid is not the only one made out of my hopes and dreams. The windshield is also that fragile and cracks at the slightest gust of wind, wrecking your wallet indefinatelly. Good thing that we have impeccable roads here in Blighty and we’re not some backwater nation with bad roads such as Spain or Germoney.


• The leather upholstery swells on the edges of the seats. In some cases it deflated in place, in others it remained swollen.


• I don’t know about you, but a manual Tucson’s interior gives strong first generation VW Sharan vibes. Maybe I’m a hater, maybe I’m not, but it’s like it forces you to scrape up some extra money and go for an automatic transmission. Which in most cases is the double clutch 7DCT , which is not a monument of reliability. The only one that escapes the tyranny of the 7DCT is the plug-in hybrid that has the classic torque converter 6AT and the 2.5 petrol with it’s fancy 8 speed auto.

Hyundai Tucson NX4 Verdict

With the Hyundai Tucson NX4 the old Hyundai spirit that consecrated Korea in Europe is very much gone. It is no longer a cheap and cheerful car. It is an expensive toy that looks good which stands above it’s competition such as the Arkana, Kadjar, T-Roc and other poor people transportation. And this was also visible in the sales department, with the Tucson NX4 being a real success and people waiting 20 years in line for their car to arrive. But is it a good direction for Hyundai to leave the low-medium cost area and move towards the premium area? We will find out soon. All I know is that I have to order another round.

Which engines do I recommend? The irony is that the Tucson is the kind of car where it’s worth buying either bare-bones or the full course. You either buy the entry level 1.6 and 150 horsepower turbocharged petrol engine with a manual gearbox, or you buy the plug-in hybrid version with 265 horsepower and a 6AT automatic gearbox. There is a slight problem with the bells and whistles version as it can reach the area of ​​45,000 euros, stratospheric for this class of cars. Or am I just envious due to my minimum wage worker status.