2021 Hyundai Tucson looks absolutely outstanding

All-new Hyundai Tucson sets its sights on CR-V, RAV4, Forester

One could say that Hyundai rarely does evolutionary styling. If anything, Hyundai tends to be revolutionary when they redesign their cars.

Take the Santa Fe, for example. All four generations look nothing like each other, which certainly brings in freshness when it comes to design. The same applies to the Tucson, and the fourth-generation looks nothing like all the models that preceded it.

The first-generation model was upright and rather odd-looking for some. The second-generation became rounded and a bit egg-shaped. By the third-generation, it became sleek and more aggressive-looking. And now, the fourth-generation is all about sharp lines, creases, and angles. Whether you like it or not is up to you, but you can't fault Hyundai for trying.

As mentioned, the 2021 model has little resemblance from its already sharp-looking predecessor. Hyundai kicked the styling up several notches, and we can even see a few European influences on the crossover. The South Korean automaker didn't hold back with the headlights either, with its LED daytime running lights embedded in the grille.

From the smooth flanks of the predecessor, the all-new Tucson features defined character lines and creases. The fenders bulge out of the body to give this crossover a wider-looking stance. As for the rear, it reminds us of a French automaker with a knack for quirky styling.

You can't accuse the all-new Tucson of being bland inside, either. For the fourth-generation model, Hyundai adopted a wraparound theme for the dashboard that gives the impression of cocooning the driver and front passenger. The touch panel and infotainment system dominate the center stack, and it seems Hyundai wanted a smooth look by eliminating all the buttons and dials. Also, you won't find needles and dials in the instrument cluster; it's all digital for the 2021 Tucson.

Now, for the engine and it's the turbodiesel that caught our attention. It's an updated version of the 2.0-liter in the previous generation with new internal parts. While horsepower is only up by 1 PS to bring it up to 186 PS, the torque figure jumps to 417 Nm, up by 15 Nm. The transmission for the diesel is an eight-speed automatic, and there is no manual option, at least for some markets. Hyundai claims the diesel-fed Tucson can do 14.8 kilometers per liter in mixed city and highway conditions. Having tested the previous model, we can believe that claim.

We'll give it several months before Hyundai Philippines brings in the next-generation Tucson. It will go on sale in its home market first, with the rest of the world getting in within the year. We liked the third-generation Tucson, so we have high expectations for the all-new model.