New Tucson borrows Hyundai Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design cues

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(March 1, 2015) Hyundai will launch its new Tucson crossover at the Geneva Motor Show this week, the first created under the direction of Peter Schreyer in his new capacity as President and Chief Design Officer at the Hyundai Motor Group. Previous to this, Schreyer was the chief designer at Kia. 

The 2016 Tucson is built on a new platform, and borrows many of the Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 styling cues found on the 2015 Sonata.

The car appears to be larger and more upscale than the current model, and boasts 18 ft.3 of luggage space with all the seats up. It has a “Z” character line above the rear wheel arch that looks similar to the character line above the wheel arches of the Ford Focus; not a surprise since Hyundai’s recent models have mimicked Ford’s latest offerings.

One big difference, however, are the “directional” wheel arches that, Hyundai claims, makes the design more dynamic. Ford has nothing similar. LED headlamps, daytime running lights and taillights also are part of the package. Overall, the new Tucson looks more muscular than the current model, even if the wheel openings look like they were done by Marcello Gandini for the Lamborghini Countach.

The interior features multiple soft-touch surfaces, higher quality plastics, and the instrument panel layout has gone through extensive ergonomic testing for ease of use. A horizontal orientation dominates the center console, and “Wine Red” leather is available as an option. Other new features include heated and ventilated front seats with longer lower cushions, a powered tailgate that opens as the key-holder approaches, parallel and straight-in parking assist, and a new-generation navigation system claimed to be three times faster than before.

Available safety systems include Lane Keeping Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Detection, and more. Powertrain choices for the U.S. market have yet to be announced, though it is likely that the 2016 Tucson will carry over the current 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter inline fours mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The new Tucson goes on sale in the second half of 2015.

The Virtual Driver