SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down menu that appears.?

This site is also a good source of reports on older vahicles going back to about 2008, so check the manufacturers' list down the left side of the screen. You could get lucky.

Noticeably different: 2017 Hyundai Tucson 1.7 Ull diesel Executive m/t 4x2

Created for Europe

Posted: 13 February 2017

The numbers
Base price: R439 900
Engine: 1685 cc, chain-driven DOHC, four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 85 kW at 4000 rpm
Torque: 280 Nm between 1250 and 2750 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 13.7 seconds
Maximum speed: 176 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7.4 l/100 km
Fuel tank: 62 litres
Luggage: 488 – 1478 litres
Warranty: 5 years / 150 000 km; with roadside assistance
Drivetrain warranty: 7 years / 200 000 km
Service plan: 5 years / 90 000 km at 30 000 km intervals

Your typical barbie fire 'car expert' might look at this third-generation Hyundai Tucson 1.7 Ull Diesel and say, “Just an iX35 that went back to the old name and still uses the same engines.”

He would be completely wrong of course. Its general outline is the same but the 2016-onward version is built on a new framework with longer wheelbase (+30 mm) and body (+65 mm) and it’s a touch wider but not taller. Ground clearance is much the same. We haven’t been booked an awd yet, but those measurements would affect its off-road angles negatively.

It also looks different with a new front end (especially the grille), side panels, rear view and interior. The first noticeable upgrade is that upholstery on all offerings is now in leather with a seatback recline function, on upper models, for the back seats. The second is that the air conditioner has been upgraded to dual-channel with slave vents added for rear-seat passengers. And the A-pillars have been moved back a bit for a slightly wider view forward.

The outer skin is built of stronger and stiffer metals, the suspension has been reworked for better handling and comfort, the brake discs are bigger (+5 mm in front and +40 mm at the back) and the wheels are half-an-inch wider (now 7.0J) but the tyres remain as was at 225/60 R17. The spare is a full-size alloy wheel.

Hyundai has a design and development centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany. It’s where Opels come from, but that’s pure coincidence. The point is that this car was created for European conditions and tastes, with       180 000 km of final testing taking place at the Nordschleife (doesn’t everybody?).

A further point to remember is that Hyundai declared its intention, some years ago, of becoming a bench-mark player in build quality. We think it’s pretty much there. Everything fits together beautifully, it’s quiet, it feels solid, it handles well, the controls work smoothly, the gearshift moves like a warm knife through butter and doors and hatch lid close with a gentlemanly “thwump.” Some manufacturers might want to rethink their national arrogance - just saying.

In surprise turnabouts, the car gained 125 kg in weight and it now carries four litres more fuel but boot size is down from 591 litres to 488. Maximum cargo volume with the seatbacks laid down is much the same as previously. Safety aspects and standard features are essentially as they were before; six airbags, all the usual electronic aids and a decent entertainment system. A full-house kit with satnav and 8” touch screen can be added optionally for R15 000 should you need more.

That “same old” engine may appear little changed on the specifications sheet – still 85 kW but 20 Nm more torque – but a lot happened inside. There’s a new turbocharger, a lighter block, new EGR (exhaust gas recirculation system), higher injection pressure and new injectors for better fuel mixing, additional temperature- and Lambda sensors, improved oil circulation and a new fuel pump.

The upshot is that, provided you feed it fuel with 10 ppm sulphur rather than the old “clean” standard of 50 ppm, it will meet Euro6 emissions regulations. Average fuel consumption is now rated at 6.8 l/100 km with 124 gm/km of carbon dioxide, versus the old car’s figures of 6.5 and 139 grams. There are also slight differences in its performance numbers: 13.7 seconds zero to 100 and top speed of 176 against the 2015 iX35’s 12.4 seconds and 173 km/h. Apart from added mass, there appear to have been some subtle gearing changes too, but these figures won’t affect your daily life that much.

Performance could best be described as "competent" rather than sporty or vigorous. It has no problem keeping up with freeway- and city traffic and it maintains speed up hills quite well, but you need to remember to use the gearbox occasionally. It's very like its predecessor, the iX35 with the old version of this 1.7 diesel, in that respect. Handling is pleasant and neutral, the view outward is good and it's easy to park with its 10.6-metre turning circle.

As suggested earlier, the six-speed manual gearbox is slick-shifting and positive and clutch action is light. There is a choice of steering modes, sport or normal, that can be selected via a button on the centre console although differences in "feel" are slight. That brings us to another small difference between this and the iX - the electrically assisted steering rack,in sport mode,is slightly quicker,needing just 2.71 turns from lock to lock rather than 2.99.

Apart from the that, the boot is still big enough for most families, there is plenty of room for fully grown passengers and there is more than enough storage space inside. And don't forget the chilled glovebox when the weather is hot.

Hyundai's Tucson / iX35 with small diesel has changed; slightly but noticeably and generally for the better. It's still a good buy.

Test unit from Hyundai Automotive SA press fleet

The 2016 launch report is here

The review on the 2015 iX 35 with 1.7 diesel is here

What We Do
 

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here. Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There is no "editorial policy" and no advertising, so there are no masters to please. What you see is what I experienced on the days I drove the vehicles. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships providing the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments?

Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you thoroughly disagree with what I say? If you have a genuine concern, I will get back to you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.