I saw dozens of YouTube videos of car reviews and test drove many cars such as Jeep Meridian, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover Discovery, Volvo XC60, Audi Q5 and Hyundai Tucson.
BHPian debuda recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
One may be surprised to see photographs of a Ford Endeavour in this forum. Let me explain. When I bought an Endy 2.2 AT Titanium in April 2018, I was so thrilled with it that I wrote on Team-BHP: “Finally a car I might love to drive to my own funeral”. I was 67 years old then and assumed it would be my last car.
Though my love affair with the Endy continues and it gives me as much driving delight as it gave on day 1, I have this worm in my head which starts prompting me to buy a new car every 5 years. It’s like an obsession. At age 67 I thought that in another 5 years, I would be too old for such obsessions so I bought a highly robust and premium car to last me till my dying day. But I was wrong. I’m 72 now and the 5-year itch is as strong as before. So with mixed feelings (a heavy heart + eager anticipation), I decided to say goodbye to my beloved Endeavour and buy a new car.
After deciding to sell my 5.5YO Ford Endeavour I started a search for my next SUV. I saw dozens of YouTube videos of car reviews and test-drove many cars such as Jeep Meridian, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover Discovery, Volvo XC60, Audi Q5, and Hyundai Tucson. After a lot of mental (and emotional) flip-flops, I finally zeroed in on the Tucson primarily because no other similar car (even cars in a higher segment) gave me a bouquet of features and ticked most of my checkboxes at a really attractive price of ₹4 million on-road. Hyundai’s wide service network was another important factor because I keep driving to all corners of India including some very remote places.
One thing is for sure – Tucson will not give me the exact driving feel I get in a heavy, tall, and butch ladder-frame SUV like Endeavour. Out of the cars I test drove, only the Jeep Grand Cherokee came close to it but it’s ₹85 lakhs, somewhat underpowered, and spares and service costs are high. I don’t like Fortuner’s ride quality and it offers minimal modern features (I love the latest tech like ADAS, 360° camera, ventilated seats, large digital displays, sunroof, built-in navigation, connected technology, etc.) though in terms of reliability and maintenance costs Toyotas are great. Cars like XC90, Mercedes GLE / GLS, Audi Q7, etc, would certainly delight me but shelling out 1.2 crore or more is somewhat daunting. Added issues with these extra premium cars are high maintenance costs and very rapid and steep depreciation.
Coming back to the Tucson, I found in it a driving pleasure of a different kind – very peppy, a lighter feel, greater maneuverability, good ride & handling, and the assurance of better road-holding in difficult terrain through always-on AWD. I’m sure it will grow on me with time. Hyundai does not have high badge value in India and it will not give me much bragging rights amongst my friends after the Endeavour ownership. But the bottom line for me is my personal driving pleasure and delight with features, regardless of what others say. I very well know that Tucson may not even give me good resale value as it has not really caught on in India. But I went ahead and booked the top variant of Tucson anyway. That’s why I’m gate-crashing into this forum.
The things I loved about the Tucson during my 2 test drives are :
1. Super silent and refined 2.0-litre diesel engine producing more power and torque than my Endy — 184 BHP and 416 Nm to be precise! Being about 600 kg lighter than my Endy, its power-to-weight ratio is almost phenomenal. Mated with a great 8-speed automatic transmission it will put a smile on my face every time I step on the gas.
2. Always-on intelligent AWD with Hyundai’s proven HTRAC system should get me past all obstacles and terrains I normally encounter during my frequent expeditions to the mountains and remote areas. I never did hard-core off-roading and I’m not about to start such crazy activities at age 72.
3. Large 235/60 R18 tyres and decent ground clearance should provide the ability to glide over bad roads and craters.
4. I’ll miss the macho looks of my Endeavour, but the Tucson doesn’t look too bad. I liked its front grille, LED DRLs, fancy rear lights, sexy diamond cut alloys, and angular body contours. White is my favorite car colour.
5. Interiors are very premium and modern looking. 2nd row has huge leg space. The boot space is very good.
6. Hyundai is offering 3 3-year warranty + 2 more years of extended warranty at a nominal cost. They are also throwing in 3 years of free service!
7. Some other features I liked : 4 drive modes (normal, sport, eco, smart), 3 AWD modes (mud, sand, snow), electronic stability control, traction control, hill start assist, downhill brake control, both front seat-belt pretensioners, 6 airbags including side and curtain, both front seats power adjustable (with memory) with ventilation & heating, fully digital 10.25″ instrument and information cluster in front of the driver which can be customised in multiple ways, another 10.25″ HD digital touchscreen (for built-in navigation, Apple CarPlay and various controls), Bose audio system, Hyundai Bluelink connected car technology (one can get info on various car parameters and driving data on smartphone, the car can even be started / locked / unlocked / ventilated remotely with smartphone), over the air updates, different user profiles, panoramic sunroof, autonomous level 2 ADAS with every conceivable feature (such as adaptive cruise control, hands-free lane following, automatic braking to avoid collisions, etc.), 360° camera, blind-spot monitoring, front & rear parking sensors, TPMS which shows all 4 tyre pressures, wireless phone charger, auto dimming IRVM, electric parking brake, auto hold, hands free tailgate, voice commands, etc, etc, etc – the list is endless!
Many people buy feature-laden gizmos (cars, smartphones, computers, tablets, TVs, etc.) but either don’t use most of the features don’t know how to use them, or don’t even have a need for them. But I’m a tech-crazy old fogey who actually uses and enjoys most of the modern high-tech stuff. So Tucson and I seem to be made for each other.
A good friend of mine who bought a Tucson AWD in Kolkata a few months ago has driven it 10,000+ km and is totally delighted with the SUV. His positive experience and those of many other Tucson owners shared on Team-BHP, made my selection easier.
I have been promised delivery within 4 to 6 weeks. Meanwhile, I’m browsing through this forum from beginning to end. It’s wonderful being with you folks.
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
