It's only been five years since the Tucson first went on sale, but a lot has happened since then. The crossover segment has exploded, now with dozens of vehicles to choose from, while the traditional SUV segment is on the wane. The Tucson went on sale in the middle of this transition, as a crossover with boxy traditional SUV-like styling. It remained basically unchanged as competitors underwent major redesigns, such as the Toyota RAV4 (in 2006), Honda CR-V (2007), Ford Escape (2008), and Subaru Forester (2009), and the new Nissan Rogue came on the scene (2008). Now, the Tucson has shed its conservative exterior and comes to market with a sportier, more carlike attitude.
There's no mistaking the 2010 for the previous Tucson, as the styling has now gone far more curvaceous, as part of what Hyundai refers to as "fluidic sculpture design." Its angles and side profile are reminiscent of the Nissan Murano and Rogue, as well as the Subaru Tribeca, which is about as far as you can get from the first-gen. It comes on 17-inch wheels with 18s optional. The GLS and Limited we drove were shod with Kumho Solus KL21s, 225/60R17 (GLS) and 225/55R18 (Limited), both of which are mud and snow rated.
