But first, let’s take a look at the Tucson lineup and value, this last a traditional strong suit of the Hyundai brand.

The Tucson’s most basic trim is the Base FWD, and although lacking all-wheel drive, it’s still plenty of car for $23,499, each and every Tucson equipped with at least a 164-hp 2.0L four-cylinder and six-speed automatic transmission, as well as modern basics like A/C, power windows and locks, ABS disc brakes and Bluetooth. Delivery and destination is a $1,795 fee for any trim, and regional taxes will take that price up another tier. Standard features that stand out are the fog lights, auto headlights, heated seats and side mirrors, keyless entry, six-speaker sound with five-inch touchscreen display, back-up camera, 60/40 split folding rear seats with centre armrest and 17-inch wheels, albeit steelies for the base trim.

The next step in the Tucson lineup, the $26,699 Premium, adds somewhat random features: 17-inch alloys (replacing same-sized steel wheels), roof rack rails, heated rear seats, blind spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert and lane change assist.

Something like roof rails seems to me that it should be included even on the base model, while integrated turn signals in the wing mirrors, sun visor and glovebox illumination and the leather-wrapped steering wheel seem like frivolities that don’t seem to warrant that price hike, though hopefully Tucson customers will appreciate the advanced safety features at such a low trim. To get AWD, you need to spring for at least this Premium trim, then fork over an extra $2,300 to get the AWD badge and running gear, landing at $28,999. As we requested a popular trim by sales volume, this is the trim Hyundai provided to us, and despite being a more basic trim, the Tucson is striking in this Caribbean Blue and a slick design without any of the awkwardness or droopiness you find in so many SUVs these days.

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Also available once you step up to the Premium AWD is the Tucson’s powertrain upgrade, a 1.6L turbo four-cylinder paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The perky little turbo pumps out 175 hp, not that much better than the 2.0’s 165, but boosts torque to 195 lb-ft of torque, up 44 from 151 in the base Tucson engine, and available as early as 1,500 rpm for great responsiveness and punch. You’re looking at $31,549 plus fees for this combination, but for this price Hyundai throws in the heated steering wheel, 19-inch alloys , dual-zone auto climate, heated steering wheel (this is the one feature that Jacob will miss most, as his delicate Australian hands suffer mightily in our frigid Canadian winter) and eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with adjustable lumbar support.

We drove a Tucson with the upgraded powertrain (and all the features of the fully loaded 1.6T Limited) for a week before hopping into the long-term Premium 2.0 AWD, so we will comment on the differences between those two powertrains in a later report, though it might not be as cut and dry as you’d expect.

Anyhow, back to our lineup, where there is one more trim available to those looking for feature content while happy to stay with a base power plant. The Luxury AWD makes a leap to $33,099, but it comes packing power leather seats, leather-wrapped instrument panel, eight-speaker premium audio, eight-inch touchscreen with nav, proximity keyless entry with push-button start, illuminated exterior front door handles, panoramic sunroof, proximity-activated power liftgate, auto-dimming rearview mirror with integrated HomeLink garage-door opener and the oh-so desirable shark fin antenna. Because everybody needs a shark fin antenna. Those whip antennas have no street cred.

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