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2016 Hyundai Tucson First Drive [w/video]

For most of us, September 2009 doesn't seem like that long ago. We had the same president, carried Apple iPhones, and were even paying roughly the same amount for a gallon of gas. For Hyundai, though, this particular month was when everything began to change, thanks to the introduction of "fluidic sculpture" and the second-generation Tucson. The swoopy, handsome styling introduced on the Tucson infiltrated the rest of the brand's offerings, starting with the Sonata sedan and filtering through. In the process, Hyundai raised its flag not as a manufacturer of ultra-affordable utilitarian transport, but as a company that builds fashionable, well-equipped, and high-quality cars. While it's no secret Hyundai is in a better place than it was nearly six years ago, the importance of the Tucson has grown substantially. Much as the second-gen model helped to signal Hyundai's arrival as a global player, the company hopes the third generation will mark its entry as one of the industry's premier crossover builders. Based on a day of driving around some of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes, we think that's an attainable goal. According to Hyundai's research, the Tucson is viewed as "sporty, stylish, and modern." Targeting that first notion is the new 1.6-liter, turbocharged Gamma four-cylinder, which sits under the hood of Eco, Sport, and Limited models. The single-scroll turbo allows the tiny four to deliver 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. There's also a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder for the base SE, with 164 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque, although we weren't able to score any time behind the wheel. Look for more on the base Tucson in the near future. The turbo, though, is shockingly quiet at idle, and isn't too bad as it climbs the tachometer. North of 6,000 rpm, though, it's loud, buzzy, and unpleasant. Even with the turbo's peak twist available from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm, there's little hiding the maximum curb weight of 3,710. After a smidge of lag, initial torque comes on strong, although the weight of this compact crossover soon overwhelms what power is available. That'd be a problem were it not for the new seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission. Paired exclusively with the 1.6-liter turbo (the 2.0-liter gets a traditional six-speed auto), the dry-clutch gearbox is able to deliver smooth but quick changes, particularly at engine speeds below 5,000 rpm.

Hyundai pushes on with development of delayed i20 WRC

It's a pretty big deal when a major automaker joins a top-flight racing series, and so it was when Hyundai entered the World Rally Championship with the i20 WRC last year. And while delays have postponed the arrival of its replacement, development presses on. For those unfamiliar, the i20 is Hyundai's rival to the likes of the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta for Asian, European and other overseas markets. The Korean automaker introduced a new version of the i20 late last year, including a new three-door version that was supposed to serve as the basis for the new rally machine, but production delays meant Hyundai couldn't homologate the rally version before the end of this season as originally planned. So instead it will base the new competition machine on the five-door version and aim to launch it in time for the start of next season. "We had hoped to introduce the car later this season but unfortunately an issue with the homologation schedule - related to production of the three-door road version – will delay our programme," said Hyundai Motorsport chief Michel Nandan. "We have therefore opted to continue focus on the five-door version of the New Generation i20 WRC which will compete at Rallye Monte-Carlo next year." In the meantime, as you can see from the photos above, development continues apace. Test driver Kevin Abbring and his co-pilot Sebastian Marshall are being charged with its shakedown, along with Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul – the same duo that won the 2014 Rally Germany and which are currently ranked third in the 2015 World Rally Championship after placing second at round two in Sweden. They'll have to make do with the current car for the rest of the season, which continues with the fourth round later this month in Argentina. Hyundai Motorsport Continues New Generation i20 WRC Development - Hyundai Motorsport has recently carried out a four-day test in Spain with an upgraded version of the New Generation i20 WRC - Hyundai Motorsport confirms it will ramp up development of a five-door version of the New Generation i20 car in preparation for a full season of 2016 FIA World Rally Championship - The current Hyundai i20 WRC will run throughout the rest of the 2015 season April 10, 2015 – The Hyundai Motorsport team has recently completed a four-day test of the New Generation i20 WRC car in the Spanish region of Almeria.

Hyundai Prius-fighting hybrid spied wearing new camo

Hyundai's engineers certainly don't want the public to see its upcoming dedicated hybrid model in several of these new spy shots, but the company can't deny that the machine is on the way. These test cars were first spotted last summer as Prius-like five-door hatchbacks. However in these photos and the second set, it would seem that the model has morphed into a more sedan-like shape similar to the Chevy Volt. Unlike the last time we saw this car during arctic testing, the vehicle no longer is covered in plastic concealment. That obfuscation has been replaced with a very effective camo pattern on everything but the roof, and in several photos, workers are actively standing in the way of the spy shooters' lenses. Beyond the whole model's general shape, there are a few details to pick out, though. You can easily spot the outline of the brand's hexagonal grille up front. There appears to be a rather complicated air dam design there, too. In profile, the shape of the rear hatch creates an integrated spoiler at the back. While the camouflage makes it very hard to tell, we don't see a plug-in port on this example. According to our spies, this test car was being driven with a slew of other electrified models, including a BMW i3, Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen e-Golf, and Kia Soul EV. Given that group, perhaps the engineers were specifically benchmarking the electric performance for this outing. Earlier reports suggest that Hyundai's latest hybrid could debut in the second half of 2016. Power reportedly comes from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with hybrid assistance and a lithium-ion battery. Plug-in and five-door hatchback versions are also rumored.