HYUNDAI’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Hyundai Tucson '30'

Hyundai Tucson ’30’

In 1983, Alan Bond’s yacht Australia II won the America’s Cup and made the Western Australian businessman a national hero.

Three years later Bond began importing Hyundai cars to Australia. Only in a small way, and initially only in Western Australia where he partnered with his brother-in-law, local automotive legend John Hughes.

Sadly, the America’s Cup has long since departed our shores and there’s no sign of it returning anytime soon. But Hyundai is now very much part of the Australian automotive scene, routinely selling over 100,000 vehicles each year, or about 10 per cent of our hard-fought market.

Hyundai cars are relative newcomers in the global automotive scene, being first sold in 1967, but the South Korean giant is keen on establishing some sort of heritage. And why not? Many car companies have disappeared from the scene since the 1960s, whereas Hyundai is becoming increasingly strong worldwide. Strong not only in sales, but also in the way its build quality has improved, often to better than Japanese and European standards.

Part of Hyundai’s plan to earn a heritage is the introduction of ‘30th anniversary in Australia’ models in the Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe ranges.

The biggest news is that the Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition has a V6 petrol engine, a unit that will also be offered in the rest of the Santa Fe range.

Hyundai Tucson '30'

Hyundai Tucson ’30’

The 3.3-litre V6 has power and torque figures of 199 kW and 318 Nm, the latter peaking at a very high 5300 rpm. We haven’t had a change to drive one at this stage but anticipate its modern design will give decent pulling power through most of the range. We will report on it when we get behind the wheel.

The V6 runs power to the wheels through a six-speed torque-convertor automatic transmission.

Features exclusive to Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition include Mineral Blue metallic paint; chromed exterior door handles; rear privacy glass; 19-inch alloy wheels in dark-grey finish and heated exterior mirrors.

Inside, the Santa Fe ‘30’ has a leather-appointed trim; dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning and glovebox cooling.

Based on the Tucson ActiveX, the ‘30’ Special Edition adds matte-grey side steps and matte-black 19-inch RAYS alloy wheels. At the rear is a new twin-outlet muffler integrated into the bumper. There’s also a sporty looking rear diffuser.

Hyundai Santa Fe '30'

Hyundai Santa Fe ’30’

The Ash Blue paint that’s exclusive to the Tucson ‘30’ Limited Edition is a great shade and makes a pleasant change to the endless black , white and grey colours that currently in fashion. There are somewhat understated ‘30’ badges on the Tucson.

Hyundai Tucson ‘30’ has a 130 kW / 265Nm turbo-petrol engine driving all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. We’ve had a drive of this model and appreciate the strong torque that runs all the way from 1500 to 4500 revs. Even on long climbs in the Snowy Mountains where we did our testing it often remained in seventh gear, occasional dropping automatically to sixth, and only once needing fifth.

Hyundai’s Australian chief, Scott Grant, says, “We wanted to do something special to commemorate Hyundai’s 30 proud years in Australia and I’m happy to say we’ve achieved that with our unique Tucson ‘30’ and Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Editions.

“These limited-edition versions of our standout medium and large SUV contenders really live up to their ‘30’ Special Edition status. They combine real-value, unique looks, features and enhanced performance. I honestly expect they’ll sell quickly.”

Only 300 examples of each Tucson and Santa Fe ‘30’ model are being imported.

The normal Hyundai iCare program applies to these special editions. It includes; Lifetime Service Plan; five year unlimited distance warranty; a Sat-Nav Update Plan; complimentary roadside assist for 12 months on new vehicles; complimentary first service; a Customer Care Centre, myHyundai owner website; as well as customer events.

The complete Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe range, including the ‘30’ Special Editions is:
Santa Fe ‘30’ Special Edition 3.3-litre petrol FWD: $40,790 (automatic)
Santa Fe Active 2.4-litre petrol FWD: $39,350 (manual), $41,850 (automatic)
Santa Fe Active 2.2-litre diesel AWD: $42,350 (manual), $44,850 (automatic)
Santa Fe Elite 2.2-litre diesel AWD: $50,990 (automatic)
Santa Fe Highlander 2.2-litre diesel AWD: $57,090 (automatic)
Santa Fe SR7 2.2-litre diesel AWD: $64,250 (automatic)

Tucson ‘30’ Special Edition 1.6-litre turbo-petrol AWD: $37,750 (DCT)
Tucson Active 2.0-litre petrol FWD: $28,590 (manual), $30,490 (automatic)
Tucson Active 2.0-litre turbo-diesel FWD: $28,590 (manual), $31,090 (automatic)
Tucson Active X 2.0-litre turbo-diesel FWD: $31,150 (manual), $33,650 (automatic)
Tucson Elite 2.0-litre turbo-diesel FWD: $35,990 (automatic)
Tucson Elite 2.0-litre petrol FWD: $36,750 (automatic)
Tucson Elite 1.6-litre turbo-petrol AWD: $39,750 (DCT)
Tucson Highlander 1.6-litre turbo-petrol AWD: $45,450 (DCT)
Tucson Active 2.0-litre turbo-diesel AWD: $35,090 (automatic)
Tucson Elite 2.0-litre turbo-diesel AWD: $41,750 (automatic)
Note: These prices do not include dealer or government charges. Contact your local Hyundai dealer for drive-away prices.

About Ewan Kennedy

Ewan Kennedy, a long-time car enthusiast, was Technical Research Librarian with the NRMA from 1970 until 1985. He worked part-time as a freelance motoring journalist from 1977 until 1985, when he took a full-time position as Technical Editor with Modern Motor magazine. Late in 1987 he left to set up a full-time business as a freelance motoring journalist. Ewan is an associate member of the Society of Automotive Engineers - International. An economy driving expert, he set the Guinness World Record for the greatest distance travelled in a standard road vehicle on a single fuel fill. He lists his hobbies as stage acting, travelling, boating and reading.
Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *