Hot Stuff: The all-new Hyundai Tucson

What is it and why is it so hot?

MANILA, Philippines - As a product, the Hyundai Tucson needs little introduction. Its previous iteration took the value for money route against tried and tested rivals like the Honda CR-V, the Toyota RAV4 and the Ford Escape. It was an alternative, true. But it remained a pretty bland alternative for the duration of its run. A drastic remodeling effort, however, made it a top-of-mind choice late last year. It hasn’t lost its value for money appeal, either. The base model 2WD M/T variant is pegged below the million peso mark at P988,000. It tops off with the all-options 4WD A/T at P1,458,000. Like the Mazda CX7, which was launched roughly a month before it, the Hyundai Tucson stumbled onto a market segment that was hungry for new, cutting edge designs. The Hyundai Tucson’s notably more adventurous styling addressed this burning desire, of course. As a result, the completely redesigned Hyundai Tucson was met with great enthusiasm by both the Philippine motoring media (it was labeled by many as the most improved vehicle of 2009) and the Philippine car buying public. It looks, drives, rides and feels significantly better than the variant it replaces…hence the continued enthusiasm several months after its debut.

How hot is it?

Over the last four months, HARI, official distributors of Hyundai vehicles in the country, sold a total of 2,050 units of the Hyundai Tucson. Despite the staggering number, there’s still a long queue for the Tucson. In an exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR, HARI intimated that 50% of this backlog could be served within the next 30 to 45 days, thanks to the distributor’s close coordination with Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) in Korea and its 32-strong dealer network.