Taking one look at the front grill of the 2010 Hyundai Tucson, notice that it is smiling already. Hyundai designers did their homework on this one, not only giving the Tucson a different look on the projection of body panels, but also keeping the Tucson in an economical range with the chosen drivetrain.

 

The CUV has a smooth egg-shaped appearance, though many of its contours are bold and direct, as if the tinwork had been creased.

Compared to years model, the 2010 Tucson has a wider stance and a longer wheelbase allowing it to perform in a more sporty fashion for some thrills, but retains its utility aspect.

 

The new Tucson's aim was to be more efficient and lighter than other cars in the same category of compact crossovers, and Hyundai achieved this with great satisfaction. Being one of the lightest CUV's in this years small crossover lineup, the Tucson holds a powerful 2.4 Liter 4 cylinder engine boasting 174 horsepower.

 

Economy is no issue though, with a rating of 23 mpg in the city, and 31 mpg on the highway. The Tucson models come in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions.

Interior features include front heated leather seats, automatic headlights, remote keyless entry, and steering wheel controls for cruise and audio. The dash features the blue backlighting found on many Hyundai's, and hands-free bluetooth controls having vioce recognition capabilities.

 

A sunroof is included, a touch screen navigation system is on-board, and several indicators, one of which lets the driver know how economically efficient they are driving the car. Observing the interior, it looks to have quite a bit of room.

Many safety features are included in the 2010 model, including Downhill Brake Control (DBC), which keeps the vehicle from speeding up when descending hills, and Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), which keeps the car from rolling backwards when stopped on an incline.

 

DBC keeps the driver from having to constantly use the brakes when driving down hills. HAC keeps the car from rolling backwards into another car when starting up a hill from a dead stop.

 

Six airbags are placed in the car for maximum protection in front and side collisions, and sensors to deploy the curtain airbags in the case of a vehicle rollover.

The exact price of the 2010 Hyundai Tucson will start at $19,790.

Sources: Canadian Auto Press; thecarconnection.com