By Patrick Tulfo
HOW do you make a car launch unforgettable for all those who were invited to attend it? Simple, bring all the participants to a place where they can thoroughly test the vehicle and then cap it off with a nice stay at one of the world’s best beaches.
Hyundai Automotive Resources Inc. (Hari) decided to forego the usual glitter associated with a launch and chose to get down to the nitty-gritty of things by letting motoring journalists from three countries drive their vehicles to personally experience its superiority over the competition.
The day before the actual drive was already luxurious to begin with, as the participants were billeted at the Marriott Hotel at the Resorts World Manila, just across the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, where we took our flight going to Roxas City.
That would be getting ahead of things, however. The launch itself was the most extravagant I had ever attended since I started covering the motoring beat. After a refreshing night’s sleep in our posh bedroom together with fellow journalist and friend Randy Peregrino, also of the BusinessMirror, we got up to an early breakfast followed by a presentation on the All-New Tucson, the main subject of the event.
Sang-min Park, director and head of the Asia and Pacific regional headquarters of Hyundai Motor Co., proudly enumerated the outstanding features of the latest iteration of one of their best-selling sport-utility vehicles. He said, “Globally half-a-million Tucson models are sold in a typical year, and we expect the third generation to continue this success.”
After the presentation and some final instructions, we were whisked off to the airport and took a chartered flight to Roxas City, where our journey began but not without eating lunch at one of the seaside restaurants near the airport. Roxas City is known as the seafood capital of the country, thus, it wasn’t a surprise that we were served the best that the province had to offer, including the popular Diwal or angel shellfish, which is endemic only to the province of Capiz.
After lunch, we went to a nearby pavilion and were given final instructions on the drive, including the “Tu Tough, Tu Sexy photo” contest, wherein participants were given the chance to take pictures of the Tucson that expressed their own interpretation of the event’s theme at two different locations.
We were finally ushered to our respective cars. It was my first time to set foot in the fine province of Capiz. Randy allowed me to take the first dibs on the Tucson on the three- to four-hour drive from Roxas City all the way to Caticlan, Aklan, where we took a ferry to the famous Boracay Island. Exterior-wise, one will notice that the new Tucson has grown in size and in length compared to the model that it replaced. It now sports the front look of its big brother the Santa Fe.
The rear also sports a pair of attractive tail lights with the sexy Hyundai logo prominently displayed in the middle. The styling is what Hyundai designers call “fluidic sculpture.” Because of this, the Tucson is now one of the sexiest SUVs on the market. There are no bad angles on this vehicle, no matter how one looks at it.
The fluidic theme continues in the interior, as the speedometer and the odometer are located in front of the steering wheel. The steering wheel itself houses the buttons for the audio system and cruise control, while in the middle of the dashboard one will find the audio system that has a CD, Bluetooth, as well as an Auxiliary system. The vehicle also boasts of a six-speaker setup and immediately below it is the climate control system with dual zone system.
Hyundai engineers say all the controls are laid out in a manner so that the driver need not take his eyes off the road when driving. The interior is decked out in a combination of hard and soft plastic that is pliant to the touch and gives the interior a premium feel. Rear passengers also get their own air-con vents.
The 2.0 common rail direct injection (CRDI) 16-valve diesel engine with variable geometry turbocharger has been improved further as it now pumps out an impressive 178 horsepower and earthmoving 410 Nm of torque. The combination of a powerful engine and a relatively lightweight body translates to powerful acceleration making it a hoot to drive.
The improve noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) suppression also contributed further to the joy in driving as one will be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the gasoline and diesel variants. The six-speed transmission with manual option was smooth and sporty.
The 4×4 diesel variant also has a sky roof, which is one of the biggest in its class. The leather seat covers are also standard. All variants come with blind spot detection (BSD) and front and rear parking assist system (PAS). The front and rear independent suspension system soaks up most bumps very well and also provide good steering feedback. It was dark by the time we arrived at the Caticlan port but that would require another article.
Image credits: Randy Peregrino