2010 Hyundai Tucson Is No Longer Available With a V-6, But It Packs V-6-like Power
By Scott Doggett December 8, 2009
What about the fuel economy? It's up 20 percent, the manufacturer says.
The Tucson was Hyundai's first entry into the small-SUV segment when the vehicle debuted in 2005, and since then the South Korean automaker has been making substantial improvements to it.
Today, Hyundai announced pricing for its redesigned 2010 Tucson ($19,790 for the base model with manual transmission, $20,790 with the six-speed automatic, shipping included).
But it wasn't the pricing that caught our attention. New features include a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine making 176 horsepower and delivering 23 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.
That's the same horsepower as the V-6 engine offered on the 2009 model. And John Krafcik, president of Hyundai Motor America, says the 2010 model's fuel economy is 20 percent better than the 2.0-liter four cylinder on the 2009.
Moreover, a slightly less fuel efficient V-6 - available on every model-year Tuscon to date - will not be available on the 2010 model.
But that's not all. The new Tucson is about 3 inches longer and 1 inch wider than the previous model. The interior also is bigger.
Bigger vehicle, more powerful four-banger, substantially more fuel efficient than last year's model. Impressive.
The 2010 Tuscon goes on sale this month.
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