Johannesburg - Hyundai South Africa introduced its Tucson Sport back in June, with its racy body kit and 150kW engine, but because it was based on the mid-spec Executive model, it was missing some of the nicer features such as all-wheel-drive and Hyundai’s DCT dual-clutch gearbox.
Now Hyundai has launched a version of the Sport that’s based on the range-topping Elite, which brings the aforementioned AWD and DCT into the picture, in addition to extra luxuries like a sunroof.
But this combination of sporty looks, performance, control and luxury does come at a price, with the Tucson 1.6 TGDI Elite Sport AWD retailing at R599 900 - which is exactly R100 000 more than you’ll pay for the Executive Sport FWD manual model, which will continue to be available.
Both models are powered by an up-tuned version of Hyundai’s 1.6-litre direct injection turbopetrol engine, which in this form produces 150kW and 295Nm, matching the Veloster Turbo in power terms but with 30Nm more torque.
Exterior garnishes include front, rear and side skirts, black 19-inch alloy wheels and chrome-tipped quad exhaust pipes.
According to Hyundai SA sales director Stanley Anderson, the Elite Sport derivative comes as a result of numerous customer requests. He added that the Executive Sport has also been in strong demand, with over 50 sold in July alone.
On that note, the Tucson is also among the best selling vehicles in its segment. July was Hyundai’s first month of Naamsa sales reporting, and 435 Tucsons were sold, with the SUV losing only to Toyota’s Rav4, which racked up 641 sales.