The 2019 Hyundai Tucson Ultimate is a compact CUV with plenty of oomph to go along with its stylish good looks. Last month I spent a fun week driving the Tucson Ultimate around Dallas. Hyundai engineers refreshed the Tucson by adding a cascading front grille, plus new headlight and rear taillight designs.
My test Tucson had a white pearl paint coat with beige interior. It also had new front and rear fascias and a redesigned exhaust finisher. Tucson Ultimate also boasted a shark fin antenna and new 18” wheels.
Photo: Hyundai Media
Inside the cabin, the first thing that caught my eye was the center stack. The new design made my driving job easier than ever. Hyundai engineers also added an enhanced instrument cluster, plus advanced safety features such as forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, and lane keeping assist. I loved the surround-view monitor that offers such a great view of everything that happens around you, so no sudden surprises.
The driver attention warning is also a great feature. This feature is especially valuable on a long road trip when you start getting weary and maybe not as focused as you should be. Smart cruise control with stop and go feature also helps make a long journey easier on the driver.
Photo: Hyundai Media
The Ultimate trim’s beige leather seats added a luxury touch to the cabin. Loads of technology are featured in the Ultimate, including a 7” display audio system with Apple CarPlay™ and AndroidAuto™ standard features. There’s a USB charger for second-row passengers, plus a Qi wireless charging pad in the Ultimate model.
The Tucson Ultimate operates on a 2.4-liter, direct-injected four-cylinder engine with six-speed automatic transmission. The transmission also offers SHIFTRONIC™ manual shifting mode. The Ultimate produces an estimated 181 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque.
The MSRP for the 2019 Tucson Ultimate FWD is $31,550. Hyundai added carpeted floor mats to the test vehicle, which (with destination charges) brought the price tag to $32,730. Estimated fuel economy for the Tucson Ultimate is 22 mpg in town and 28 mpg on the highway, for an average of 25 mpg.
