We drove a $34,000 Hyundai Tucson that will take on Honda, Toyota, and Subaru. Here are its coolest features.

Benjamin ZhangMar 30, 2019, 18:37 IST

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The Hyundai Tucson has been updated for 2019 with refreshed styling, an updated interior, new tech, and a revised lineup of engines.
Business Insider had the chance to check out a new 2019 Hyundai Tucson Ultimate AWD in the roads in and around Atlanta, Georgia.
In the marketplace, Tucson's rivals include the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester, and Volkswagen Tiguan.
The base 2019 Tucson SE front-wheel-drive starts at $23,200 while the top-of-the-line Ultimate trim with front-wheel drive starts at $31,550. With options and fees, our Tucson Ultimate AWD came to an as-tested price of $34,120.

The compact SUV is without a doubt the most highly sought vehicle type in today's market. Compact crossovers and SUV accounted for 18.2% of all auto sales in the US during 2018 and grew at an impressive 11.9% according to data compiled by Kelley Blue Book.

One compact SUV growing in prominence is the Hyundai Tucson. The Korean compact SUV saw US sales jump 24% last year to more than 142,000 units.

The current third-generation Tucson debuted in 2015 for the 2016 model year. This year, Hyundai gave the crossover a mid-life update that included a revised engine lineup, a brand new interior, new technology, and refreshed styling.

In the marketplace, Tucson's rivals include the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX- 5, Subaru Forester, and Volkswagen Tiguan.

Recently, Business Insider had the chance to check out a new 2019 Hyundai Tucson Ultimate AWD in the roads in and around Atlanta, Georgia.

In our review, we praised the Tucson for its eye-pleasing looks, solid driving dynamics, strong tech package, and expertly designed cabin. However, we were less than impressed by its engine performance.

"The 2019 Hyundai Tucson looks fantastic, handles well, delivers a comfortable ride, boasts a really well-designed cabin, and is packed with tech," we said. "However, its lackluster fuel economy and underwhelming powertrain hold it back from becoming one of the segment's elite offerings."

"Overall, it's a very good compact crossover SUV," we added. "Unfortunately, it competes in a segment packed with a slew of other very good crossovers and even one or two that are near perfect."

The base 2019 Tucson SE front-wheel-drive starts at $23,200 while the top-of-the-line Ultimate trim with front-wheel drive starts at $31,550. All-wheel-drive is a $1,400 option. With options and fees, our Tucson came to an as-tested price of $34,120.

Here's a closer look at its coolest features.

See We drove a $34,000 Hyundai Tucson that will take on Honda, Toyota, and Subaru. Here are its coolest features. >>

1. Snazzy styling: The Tucson received updated styling for the 2019 model year. And frankly speaking, we like it. It's stylish and modern while maintaining an understated elegance you want it a compact crossover.

2. Quality interior: Overall, we were impressed by the Tucson's interior. Material quality is, for the most part, solid. Although a few of the plastic trim pieces felt a bit too cheap for a $34,000 car.

3. Cabin ergonomics: Hyundai nailed it in terms of cabin ergonomics. All the buttons are clearly labeled while all of the important features are intuitively place and within arm's reach for the driver.

4. Easy to use infotainment: The redesigned center stack is dominated by an eight-inch touchscreen running Hyundai's corporate infotainment system. Lower trim level cars get a seven-inch screen.

The menus are logically organized and the physical switches on the bezel of the screen work well as shortcuts for the on-screen features.

Hyundai's system is not the most sophisticated or beautifully rendered system on the market, but it's one of the easiest to use.

5. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.

6. Built-in navigation system: Our upscale system came with a built-in navigation system. It worked well enough. However, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard on all trim levels, the usefulness of Hyundai's native navigation system is limited.

7. Panoramic glass roof: Ultimate trim cars come with a massive panoramic glass roof.

8. Advanced camera system: Our Tucson was equipped with a rear view camera.

Our tester was also equipped with 360-degree camera system.

9. Wireless charging.

10. Cargo room: Open up the liftgate and you'll find 31 cubic feet of cargo room. Fold down the rear seats and capacity increases to 61.9 cubic feet.

11. Spare tire: A spare tire may be an afterthought for most people, but they are becoming increasingly rare these days.

12. All-wheel-drive with a locking center differential: Hyundai's HTRAC all-wheel-drive system is a $1,400 option. The Tucson is one of the few compact crossovers to come with a locking center differential that helps evenly distribute power offroad.

13. Standard safety features: All Tucsons now come standard with forward-collision avoidance assist, lane-keep assist, and driver attention warning. Our tester came with optional features like adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning, and rear cross traffic warning,

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