2021 Hyundai Tucson N Line is now part of our wish list

It’s an angrier-looking version of the standard model that’s coming here.

You’ve heard that Hyundai is launching four new vehicles in the Philippines this year. Sporting the collective moniker “Fab 4”, the upcoming releases comprise the facelifted Kona, the new Santa Fe, next-generation Starex, and the fourth-generation Hyundai Tucson.

Hyundai Tucson N Line highlights

There is a side to this bit of good news that’s disappointing, though (but not by much). See, while our market has yet to receive the standard new Tucson in showrooms, the N Line version has already made its appearance elsewhere in the world. As can be expected from models of this series, there are a number of visual and handling tweaks.

>>> Related: 2021 Hyundai Tucson: Expectations and what we know so far

It packs a more assertive look than its standard sibling

First off, the Tucson N Line eschews the black body cladding on the regular Tucson in favor of rocker panels and wheel arch extensions rendered in body color. And what a shade it is, an exclusive Shadow Gray limited to the N Line, paired with an available Phantom Black roof. This is accompanied by blacked-out side mirrors, dual exhausts, and redesigned alloy wheels that retain their size at 19 inches from the standard model.

The N Line sports a more aggressive-looking “parametric dynamics” grille and a subtly redesigned front bumper featuring a silver skid plate. Inside, the seats are covered in suede, complemented by red highlight stitching also found on the center console, steering wheel, and doors. The pedals, footrest, and side sills are constructed from metal, while a black headliner dominates the cabin. The result is an aura of increased sportiness, even if it’s mostly aesthetic.

Tucson N Line seats

The suede seats even feature prominent 'N Line' branding

Expect no changes to the powertrain, which still range from gasoline and diesel to hybrid versions, available in either two-wheel or all-wheel-drive. However, there are tweaks to the Tucson N Line’s road manners, mostly from the electronically controlled suspension that’s been retuned for increased responsiveness and vibration damping.

Hyundai claims that the Tucson N Line’s steering represents a significant improvement over the model’s vanilla sibling, with less roll, pitch, and vertical movement.

2021 Hyundai Tucson N Line

2021 Hyundai Tucson N Line

We’re now unsure whether to keep waiting for the standard Tucson or be up in arms at the thought of missing out on the enhanced version. Things are not helped by the juicier thought of a full-fledged Tucson N version down the pipeline, with a rumored output well in excess of 300 hp. For now, we’ll see what the regular Tucson has to offer in the metal when it shows up on our roads.

Get a glimpse of upcoming models on the horizon at Philkotse.com.

Know more about Hyundai Tucson 2024

Hyundai Tucson 2024

The 2023 Hyundai Tucson is a five-seater compact crossover. Locally, this model has two variants. There’s the GLS+ 2.0 CRDi, and the 2.0 GLS AT. The CRDi model is diesel, while the other one is gasoline. They then have a price of Php 1,840,000 and Php 1,570,000 respectively.

Under the hood, the GLS+ CRDi variant uses a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine that can make up to 183 horsepower and 416 Nm of torque. The GLS meanwhile gets a 2.0-liter gasoline mill that can churn out 153 horsepower and 192 Nm of torque.

For transmissions, the diesel variant uses an eight-speed automatic tranny. The gasoline version meanwhile uses a six-speed automatic tranny. Both variants are front-wheel-drive.

Size-wise, the new Tucson is 4,630mm long, 1,865mm wide, and 1,665mm in height. They also come with a wheelbase length of 2,755mm, and a ground clearance of 181mm.

Locally, the Hyundai Tucson competes against the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Chery Tiggo 5 Pro, Subaru Forester, Peugeot 3008, among others.

₱ 1,570,000 - ₱ 1,840,000

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Joseph Paolo Estabillo

Author

Joseph holds a degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines Diliman and has been writing professionally since 1999. He has written episodes for CNN Philippines' motoring show Drive, and has worked on corporate projects for MG Philippines and Pilipinas Shell. Aside from being Philkotse.com’s Content Lead, he also writes content for numerous car dealerships in the U.S., spanning multiple brands such as Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Maserati, among others.

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