The Hyundai Tucson is a strong contender for best mid-sized SUV on sale in Singapore

SINGAPORE — The Korean blitz is in full swing. Besides Samsung going toe-to-toe with Apple, you can hardly take ten steps in a modern shopping mall without seeing a Korean made pop band (the stars even look like they’re all based on the same model) pull off slick dance moves on a Korean-made ultra-HD TV. 

Hyundai, and its sister car company Kia (both are under the larger conglomerate, Hyundai Motor Group) are some of the best examples of the modern Korean wave of improvement.

Fortune magazine broke news of the Koreans topping US-based car ranking site, JD Power, in terms of initial quality (that is, the first three months of ownership) beating out numerous German and Japanese brands.

Hyundai itself is on something of a roll here too. The no-frills Accent sedan was launched, a good example of the brand’s less-expensive roots. Then came the hugely-impressive Genesis luxury sedan a car meant to take on the BMW 5 Series and which we thought it actually could. Following that was the new Sonata big sedan, another car that punches far, far above its price tag. 

Enter the third-generation of Hyundai’s mid-size SUV, the Tucson. You can read a full run-down of the changes but in short, everything besides the 2.0-litre ‘Nu’ engine is spanking new.

WATCH MORE: Check out our video review of the Tucson and the Renault Fluence here.

The first thing you’ll notice is that it doesn’t quite look Korean. It’s all grown up, European style, much like the Genesis sedan, and stronger lines from the more angular design language works well here. Contours on the side, the neat creases on the front, the LED headlights with the projector ‘eyes’ pushed out to the sides, framed by frowning LED eyebrows, and a low front lip, lend the Tucson much more road presence than it’s ever enjoyed in previous incarnations.

The new car is lighter (approximately 40kg) at 1,425kg quoted kerb weight, and the figures show an improvement across the board: 0-100km/h time drops from 11.5 to 11.1 seconds, while fuel efficiency improves from 8.4L/100km to 7.8L/100km, and CO2 emissions likewise drop from 200g/km to 184g/km – lucky, since this puts the Tucson in the updated CEVS neutral zone.

The only downsides here is that Hyundai missed a possible chance to make the car a true segment leader: Overseas markets (or ostensibly more mature ones) have the choice of a 170bhp, 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox which does 7.0L/100km. It would have put the Tucson right up there with Euro-turbo competitors like the Ford Kuga and VW Tiguan.

In daily driving here the 2.0 Nu does alright, less than 9.0L/100km is possible but you’ll have to work at it: it’s simply not as frugal as the equivalents from tech leaders like VW or Mazda. Hyundai will also be selling a 2.0-litre turbodiesel in the near future, which will doubtless be more efficient.

But to make up for it, the Tucson really shines in every other area.

For a non-luxury car, the Tucson is almost ridiculously refined. At all speeds, very little noise penetrates the cabin and at times, if you drive gently, it’s hard to tell if the engine is even working. It’s the increased stiffness of the new platform, more insulation and new engine mounts that seems to have paid off well for the Tucson, as it’s no exaggeration to say the car’s as quiet, if not quieter, than the best Japan has to offer.

Hyundai’s junked the FlexSteer system from before and simply made the steering usable, accurate and light, very much like the handling. The Tucson is light on its toes, with not a hint of hesitation or roll. Like its ride quality, it seems a class above here.

As we’ve come to expect from every new generation of model from Korea, there’s been a further step forward in terms of cabin design, material choice and perceived quality here. It feels good to the touch, the surfaces aren’t plasticky, the switchgear clicks and locks, rather than clacks and rocks.

The expanded wheelbase means even more room in the back, and being an SUV there’s of course plenty of headroom. The seats of the second row all fold flat with a ‘one-pull’ handle and you can also stow the tonneau cover to allow the seats to recline by up to 30 degrees, delivering even more comfort.

With all those improvements, the generous list of equipment is almost an afterthought – including things like LED headlights, a sunroof, keyless entry/start, rear view camera, blind spot indicator – but it simply serves to highlight just how far Hyundai has come with the Tucson.

It used to be that Korean cars offered a basic car for a price, then a basic with lots of features for a price. The Tucson has bettered the Korean standard by being a great car with lots of equipment for a similar price to before.

NEED TO KNOW Hyundai Tucson
Engine 1,999cc, 16V, inline 4
Power 155bhp at 6200rpm
Torque 191Nm at 4700rpm
Gearbox 6-speed automatic
Top Speed 181km/h
0-100kmh 11.1 seconds
Fuel efficiency 7.8L/100km
CO2 184g/km
Price $123,899 with COE
Available Now