2025 Hyundai Tucson Prestige 1.6T-GDi AWD Review

The competition in Malaysia's C-SUV market is intensifying in 2025, with family users and young consumers preferring vehicles that offer spacious interiors, comprehensive configurations, and agile driving. Against this backdrop, the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Prestige 1.6T-GDi AWD, launched on July 2, enters the market with a price of RM 186,888. Its core selling points include the space advantage provided by its long wheelbase, L2-level driving assistance features, and an all-wheel-drive system. The primary purpose of this test drive is to verify whether this car's static performance meets family needs and whether its dynamic capabilities balance daily commuting with light off-road scenarios.

From a distance, the 2025 Tucson Prestige maintains Hyundai's family-style "Sensuous Sportiness" design language, with overall lines that are sharp and layered. The front features a large frameless grille paired with sharp LED daytime running lights on both sides, offering high recognition; the side of the vehicle showcases a character line extending from the front fender to the rear, complemented by 235/55 R19 multi-spoke rims, enhancing the sporty vibe; the rear is adorned with through-type LED taillights echoing the front-end design, creating a clear visual effect when illuminated, while the silver skid plate below the rear bumper enhances the SUV's rugged charm. As for lighting, the entire model range comes equipped with LED headlights and taillights, with an automatic headlight function that quickly responds when entering tunnels or dim environments, providing strong practicality.

Sitting inside, the interior of the Tucson Prestige is dominated by dark tones. The center console is wrapped in soft-touch materials, accentuated by metallic trims that provide a quality feel consistent with this class of vehicle. The most noticeable feature in the center console area is the 12.3-inch curved HD display, which is quite smooth in response and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. To the right is a 12.3-inch full-digital instrument cluster, capable of showing navigation, fuel consumption, and other information, with a toggle button on the steering wheel to switch display modes. In terms of configuration, the front seats are 8-way electrically adjustable and feature lumbar support, making long drives less tiring. The rear row is equipped with independent air conditioning vents and USB ports, allowing passengers to adjust the temperature independently. For storage, the center armrest box has a large capacity, while the door panel storage slots can hold two 500ml water bottles. The trunk provides ample space for daily shopping or short trips, and folding down the rear seats expands the storage further.

As for dimensions, the Tucson Prestige is 4,640mm long, 1,865mm wide, 1,665mm high, and has a wheelbase of 2,755mm. This wheelbase ranks in the upper-middle level among vehicles in its class. During a real test sitting experience, a 175cm-tall passenger in the front row enjoys headroom with a clearance of one fist and two fingers; in the rear row, there’s more than two fists of legroom and one fist of headroom, ensuring comfortable space even when fully loaded with five passengers. The middle seat in the rear row has a low floor hump, allowing the passenger's feet to be naturally placed and ensuring comfort during long journeys.

The powertrain is equipped with a 1.6T turbocharged engine, delivering a maximum of 180PS and a peak torque of 264N·m, paired with a 7-speed DCT transmission and an all-wheel-drive system. During daily driving, the start-up response feels nimble, and maximum torque is reached at 1,500rpm, enabling smooth following and overtaking in city driving. Switching to Sport mode increases throttle sensitivity, delays gear shifts in the transmission, and makes acceleration more pronounced. However, during low-speed crawling, the transmission occasionally experiences slight hesitation, though it doesn’t affect daily use.

In terms of handling, the steering wheel has a moderate turning force, precise steering, and no noticeable slack; the chassis adopts a front MacPherson and rear multi-link independent suspension setup, tuned for comfort. When crossing speed bumps or uneven roads, the suspension absorbs most of the jolts, so passengers inside the car won't feel harsh impacts. During high-speed cornering, the body roll is well-controlled within a reasonable range, and the all-wheel-drive system provides better grip, offering decent stability. In fuel consumption tests, the fuel consumption in congested urban road conditions is approximately 8.5L per 100 kilometers, around 6.8L during highway cruising, with an overall average consumption of 7.6L. For a 1.6T all-wheel-drive model, this performance meets expectations.

In terms of safety features, the Tucson Prestige comes standard with 6 airbags, lane change assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and other Level 2 driving assistance features. The ACC adaptive cruise control can automatically follow vehicles on the highway, freeing up the driver’s feet; the 360-degree panoramic camera has high clarity, making it easy to spot obstacles when parking, even for new drivers. Regarding noise control, there is some slight wind and tire noise at high speeds, but it remains within an acceptable range and does not affect normal conversations among passengers inside the car.

Overall, the core advantages of the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Prestige 1.6T-GDi AWD lie in its spacious interior provided by the long wheelbase, abundant intelligent features, and full-time all-wheel-drive system. Compared to the CR-V 1.5T AWD in the same class, the Tucson Prestige is about 20,000 MYR cheaper but offers more features; compared to the RAV4 2.0L AWD, it has superior power specifications. This vehicle is suitable for families that value space, features, and cost-effectiveness. It can meet the needs of daily commuting and family outings and is capable of handling light off-road trips on occasion. For consumers seeking a balanced performance with a budget of 180,000–200,000 MYR, the Tucson Prestige is worth considering.