A backup camera is standard on all trims (not sure if lower trims get a dynamic backup camera with guidelines) and Blind Spot Monitoring with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert come standard on Sport and Limited trims. Lane Departure Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Pedestrian Detection, and Forward Collision Alert do not come until the Limited trims equipped with the Ultimate Package.

The Tucson still underpins the same platform as the Elantra compact sedan and the Tucson's brother, the Kia Sportage, but the new platform shows huge improvements in nearly every aspect of the Tucson.

As an SUV, don't expect the Tucson to be as nimble as a supercar. But throw the Tucson into Sport mode, the steering tightens up and adds a bit of heft, the transmission drops a gear or two and becomes a lot more responsive, and the chassis tightens up a little (at least that's what I feel). Throw the Tucson around some corners, and you'd be surprised at how flat the Tucson corners. Body roll is ALMOST minimal, and there's really no sort of understeer or oversteer until you push it really hard. Steering feel is very well connected, although a touch numb, but there's minimal amounts of play in the steering before the car does something. The Tucson is also very quick with the turbocharged engine. Hyundai says the Tucson will get to 60 in 7.7 seconds, but I've reached as low as 7.27 seconds with some weight reduction (teehee), while some journalists have also gotten the same results without the weight reduction. The Ford Escape 2.0L EcoBoost could hit 60 in 7 seconds flat, but the Tucson was hot on its heels... and the Tucson is down 65 horsepower and 75 lb/ft of torque!

For Tucsons that have the turbocharged engine, a 7-speed EcoShift dual-clutch automatic transmission is offered, whereas the base 2.0L I4 makes do with a 6-speed automatic. The dual-clutch automatic is different from a conventional automatic, as there's a clutch pack that replaces the torque converter, and there's two shafts holding the odd and even gears compared to one shaft controlling all gears. This allows the Tucson to have crisp, fast shifts as well as mitigating the loss of power compared to a conventional automatic, and having a larger feel of a manual transmission with the added convenience of an automatic.

The EcoShift transmission has been of huge controversy with Tucson owners as many reported hesitations, stutters, jerks, as well as sudden surges. Hyundai came out with a software fix for the engine management system available for all Tucsons built before November 17, 2015, to smooth out some of those issues. Tucsons built after that date come with the update automatically. Even with the update, the Tucson does still sometimes have a little hesitation and jerkiness once in a while, but its barely imperceptible and its more rare in frequency. I have no complaints on the transmission, as it is a great transmission despite some unmannerly driving dynamics at times.

Put the Tucson back into Eco mode, and the Tucson becomes a slug. Not much of one, but it is noticeable. In Eco mode, the transmission tries its hardest to get to the top gear as quick as possible for better fuel economy. The Tucson also has a "kickdown mode" built into the gas pedal that is activated by depressing the gas pedal the whole way past the "click" point.

Steering feel is really good, although numb, but communicative and effortless. Ride quality is vastly improved compared to the previous generation, even with the 19-inch rims on the Sport and Limited trims. It rides very smooth, but there's some imperfections that do make their way into the cabin, but the suspension does a very great job at trying to soak up those bumps. Potholes are not an issue in the Tucson, as if you were to hit a good one, you'll feel it... but it won't be as jarring as the competition. Overall the Tucson's suspension is just perfectly tuned to be both refined, sporty, and comfortable whatever road the Tucson is driving.

The base engine in the Tucson is a 2.0L naturally-aspirated I4 that makes 164 horsepower and a laboring 151 lb/ft of torque. But at least it's hooked up to a 6-speed automatic!

Hyundai dropped the 2.4L engine from the previous generation Tucson and replaced it with the 1.6L "Gamma" turbocharged I4, making an adequate 175 horsepower and a stout 195 lb/ft of torque. The Tucson is the only option in the segment to offer a dual-clutch transmission.