Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s leading automaker, unveiled its all-new Tucson SUV in the domestic market Tuesday, with a plan to sell 42,000 units this year.
The latest Tucson is likely to stimulate the small SUV market by heating up competition at a time when demand is rising among younger consumers, including women.
The Tucson is the outcome of a 44-month-long development project in which Hyundai Motor “injected all of its capacity.” It is the third-generation model and comes out six years after the previous generation hit the market.
The latest model is 10 millimeters lower than the second generation in its height with its length and wheelbase 65 millimeters and 30mm longer than the previous one, a change that broadens inner space and improves stability.
The SUV comes with the R2.0-liter diesel engine that meets the Euro 6 emissions standards along with the downsized U2 1.7 diesel. The R2.0 engine produces a maximum of 186 horsepower and 41.0 kilogram-meters of torque, all of which are better than the previous model. Its fuel efficiency is 14.4 kilometers per liter.
Hyundai Motor said that it expanded the ratio of ultra high-strength steel from 18 percent to 51 percent to improve passenger safety.
Hyundai Motor aims to sell 42,000 units of the Tucson in 2015 in the domestic market. In the long term, the carmaker has set an annual sales target of 45,000 units of the Tucson at home and 525,000 units abroad.
The company said that it has already received 5,800 pre-orders for the vehicle, signaling fierce competition in the small SUV market, where Ssangyong Motor’s Tivoli is making marked progress.
The price tag for the latest Tucson ranges from 23.4 million won ($20,692) to 29.2 million won depending on its trim.
A Hyundai Motor official said during a launching event held in Seoul that the latest version of the Tucson will compete with the Tiguan of Volkswagen and other local brands such as Ssangyong’s Tivoli in the small SUV market.
According to industry data, sales of small SUVs grew by about 150 percent from 2008 to 2013. The outlook for the market remains optimistic, driven in part by the growing popularity of SUVs and strong demand for roomy but affordable vehicles among younger consumers. (Yonhap)
