2012 Hyundai Tucson Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Hyundai Tucson review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Tucson, and includes Hyundai Tucson safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The 2012 Hyundai Tucson is a stylish five-passenger compact crossover SUV designed to compete against models such as the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Jeep Patriot, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-7, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4.

Hyundai tweaks the Tucson with a bunch of little changes that add up to a big benefit – Tucsons equipped with the 2.4-liter engine now get 32 mpg on the highway, up from 31. This is achieved by remapping engine and transmission response, putting on low-rolling resistance tires and making improvements in climate control. Lest you chortle at what you consider to be a paltry improvement, consider that the fuel tank size has increased from 14.5 gallons to 15.3 gallons. This means that you could potentially travel up to 40 additional miles per tank of fuel over the 2011 Tucson. Let’s see who’s laughing the next time they’re low on fuel in an unsavory part of the neighborhood. In other news, the front brakes are larger for 2012, and ride quality is said to be improved thanks to suspension adjustments.

The 2012 Hyundai Tucson comes in three flavors: GL, GLS and Limited. The base GL is comprehensively equipped with air conditioning, power windows, power locks with remote keyless entry, power mirrors, cloth upholstery, a manual driver’s seat height adjuster, a trip computer, and an audio system with satellite radio, an auxiliary input jack, and an iPod cable. The Tucson GL rides on 17-inch alloy wheels, but the standard transmission is a manual gearbox. An automatic transmission and a handful of dealer-installed options are the only choices you need to make, aside from color combination.

The popular Tucson GLS ups the ante with a bigger 2.4-liter engine and a standard automatic transmission, along with alloy wheels, Bluetooth hands-free calling, a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, leatherette seat trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and phone controls, heated side mirrors, roof rails, and soft-touch interior paint. We had to include the last one because it does make a difference in making the interior a more pleasant environment. You can opt for all-wheel drive in the GLS, which also gives you heated front seats. The dealer installs options on this model.

Stepping up to the Limited will add 18-inch wheels, leather upholstery with heated front seats, a power driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, automatic headlights, HomeLink, and a retractable cargo cover. To this, you can add the Premium Package, which further enlivens the cabin with a panoramic sunroof, a navigation system with real-time traffic information, a rear-view camera, the ability to stream tunes from your smartphone via Bluetooth, along with an upgraded sound system to enjoy them.

A 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine producing 165 horsepower is standard on the Tucson GL. You get your choice between a five-speed manual gearbox that provides 20 mpg in the city or 27 mpg on the highway, or a six-speed automatic transmission which improves fuel economy numbers to 23-city/31-highway.

Unless you really want a manual transmission, we’d suggest that you go with the GLS or Limited, which are motivated by a more satisfying 2.4-liter inline four that makes 176 horsepower. It’s mated to a six-speed automatic, and it can also be paired with all-wheel drive for those who live in areas with inclement weather. Fuel economy numbers for the front-wheel-drive model are 22 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway, while AWD models return 21-city/28-highway.

It’s worth noting that Hyundai’s Assurance Program, one of the most comprehensive warranties of any carmaker today, covers the Tucson. It includes five years or 60,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage, 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain warranty, five years of complimentary Roadside Assistance, and the Hyundai Trade-in Value Guarantee.

The 2012 Hyundai Tucson has a robust list of standard safety equipment. Six airbags protect you in case of an accident, and features like antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist help you avoid one. Traction and stability control are also included on every model, along with Hillstart Assist Control (HAC), which keeps the vehicle from rolling backward when you’re getting started on an incline, and Downhill Brake Control (DBC), which helps regulate vehicle speed on steep descents.

It is a bit baffling that, at the time of this writing, the National Transportation and Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not performed any crash tests on the 2012 Hyundai Tucson, or in any years prior. It hasn’t even assigned a rollover rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has not updated its information for the 2012 year, but in 2011 the Tucson achieved Top Safety Pick status, which means that it got the best possible scores in all evaluative parameters.

Last year, J.D. Power and Associates prognosticated that the 2011 Tucson would return above average dependability. Consumer Reports wasn’t as optimistic, giving the Tucson an average score.

By boasting a 32-mpg highway fuel economy rating for the 2.4-liter engine, the Tucson GLS and Limited win the fuel-efficiency contest amongst the most popular compact SUVs.

If you’re not a big fan of the Tucson’s styling, check out the 2012 Kia Sportage, which is essentially the same SUV, only with a different look and name.

When it comes to carrying stuff, the Tucson is on the small side. It offers 25.7 cubic-feet of space with the rear seats in use, and 55.8 cubes with the rear seats folded.

If you want a lot of bang for a small amount of bucks, the 2012 Hyundai Tucson is a pretty good bet. We found that the ride can get a bit busy at times with a stiffer-than-usual suspension and somewhat numb (but nimble) steering, and its cargo capacity of 58 cubic feet with its rear seat folded is not impressive compared to its competition. But its peppy-yet-efficient engines, long list of features, refined interior, sterling warranty coverage, and unique exterior styling keep it on the Recommended list for the compact crossover SUV class.

By Liz Kim