Towards the end of the 90’s, SUVs were starting to become popular, and luxury manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes began producing these vehicles that moved away from the rugged Landrovers and Jeeps that originally defined the Segment. By the early 2000’s most manufacturers including Hyundai had a model in this class, the Santa Fe, but as demand grew for SUVs so did demand for different sizes of these models, which is why Hyundai decided to build the Tucson.
First Generation
The first generation was very rugged looking and came with the option of both 2 and 4 wheel drive and even a 2.7 litre V6! The design was definitely meant to have a lot in common with its bigger brother, the Santa Fe, but at the same time, it definitely had its own identity. As standard, it came with a number of safety features, such as 6 airbags, ABS and traction control, which for the time was quite impressive, as well as a wide array of optional extras, including heated seats, parking sensors and electric sunroof! This was an excellent start, but the best was still yet to come!
Second Generation
The second-generation model we got in the UK, actually went by a different name for us, the iX35, yet retained the Tucson name in a majority of other markets. Regardless, the iX35 went on to become the brand’s best-selling European model, thanks to its stylish design, and wide array of standard features and options.
The iX35 was the first model that Hyundai used as a base to develop the Hydrogen technology that ended up being used in the NEXO Hydrogen-Fuel Cell SUV. The iX35 was overall was an excellent proposition and it even starred in the BBC drama Doctor Foster, as the protagonist’s car of choice.
Third Generation
The third generation returned to form, and took back the Tucson name, to match the name of the model across the world. Introduced in 2015, the third generation was debuted in 2015, and was a big change when compared to the previous generation. It grew in size, and specification, whilst still retaining the characteristics that made the original such an impressive model, including its value for money and range of standard equipment. This generation was the most popular to date, and sold over 100,000 units in the UK alone!
Fourth Generation
The most recent iteration of the Tucson had some big shoes to fill given the success of the third generation. But the fourth generation took this in it’s stride, adopting a stylish design and luxury appeal, which has earned the Tucson a plethora of awards, being named the car of the year by a number of automotive publications. With a range of powertrain options available including petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid, this generation is without the most impressive generation yet!
The Future
The Tucson fourth generation hasn’t been around for too long, so it’s quite soon to be speculating what the future holds for the Tucson. However Hyundai have a number of all electric models in the pipeline, and have vowed to only sell these in Europe after 2035. This means that it’s safe to say the future Tucson’s will eventually go this way, although we aren’t sure this will be the only option in the next 5-10 years. However given how impressive the current generation of Tucson is, it will take something incredible to top it!
Find out more about the Tucson
