Auto Expo 2020: Hyundai unveils new Tucson; showcases i30 N Fastback, future mobility tech

• Tucson gets BS6-compliant 2-litre petrol engine with 153bhp and 186Nm/2-litre diesel engine with 182bhp and 400Nm

• Comes with Hyundai BlueLink, powered passenger seats, Infinity sound system

• i30N is Hyundai’s first five-door high-performance coupe

• New RM19 mid-engined touring car concept

• Le Fil Rouge, Kite and Elevate shown as pure concept design studies

Hyundai has kicked off its Auto Expo 2020 innings with the all-new 2020 Tucson. Hyundai has updated the new premium SUV with new interiors as well as exteriors. The engines, a 2-litre petrol and 2-litre diesel, which have now been updated to comply with the BS6 norms, retain the earlier figures.

Externally, the new Tucson gets a refined front end with Penta-projector LED headlights and a redesigned cascading grille. The sporty theme continues along the sides, with the flared wheelarches and panoramic sunroof. The futuristic look continues along the rear, with redesigned LED taillights and twin-tip exhaust adding a dash of sportiness.

Moving to the inside, the Tucson now boasts of many segment-first features, like the new advanced tyre pressure monitoring system, eight-way electronically adjustable front passenger seat, Hyundai BlueLink (allowing navigation coupled with alerts and location based services, as well as real-time vehicle status and vehicle service reminders) and wireless charging. Speaking of tech, the Tucson gets a larger 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Hyundai iBlue and voice recognition. Lastly, audiophiles are in for a treat, with the inclusion of the Infinity sound system.

At the Auto Expo 2020, S S Kim, MD and CEO, Hyundai Motor India, said, “Hyundai, being India’s most preferred SUV brand, constantly strives to upgrade its products and services with best-in-class technology, and the feature-packed 2020 Tucson, with the 2-litre BS6 petrol and diesel engines will further strengthen its dominance in the SUV segment in India.”

However, the Korean major had more than just SUVs on its mind, showing off the i30N fastback, the brand’s third high performance N vehicle and first five-door C-segment coupe; the Project RM19 (Racing Midship 19) touring car-focused racing concept which is an evolution of the brand’s RM series (RM14, RM15 and RM16) and uses a 2-litre direct-injection turbocharged engine making a claimed 385bhp, imparting an impressive four-second 0-100kmph time.

Lastly, Hyundai gave a glimpse of its future mobility concepts courtesy its Future Concepts Island. First up was the Le Fil Rouge or HDC-1 concept, a reimagining of the brand’s sporty design language first seen in the 1974 Hyundai Coupe concept, exemplifying the brand’s motto of ‘sensuous sportiness.’

Next was the Hyundai Kite ‘dual mobility solution’, a doorless, roofless, windowless concept consisting of a monocoque chassis 3745mm long and 1455mm tall, equipped with four wheel-mounted brushless motors for travelling on land, and a water turbine jet for travelling on water (hence the dual mobility tag).

Saving the best for last, the Hyundai Elevate Walking Car concept, which the brand calls an Ultimate Mobility Vehicle blends the technology found in both cars and robots, allowing it, as Hyundai claims, to traverse terrains beyond the reach of even the most capable off-road vehicle, courtesy a combination of a robotic leg architecture with wheel-hub propulsion motors allowing it to both scale obstacles (a five-foot wall, as the brand has claimed), as well as extend its ‘gait’ (over a five-foot gap, as claimed).

It is unlikely the Kite or the Elevate will make it to production, however they do give us a fresh new perspective on what the future of mobility (or in this case extreme off-roading) has in store for us!