Hyundai Tucson review - Reliability & safety

Hyundai is building an impressive reputation for reliability, with solid scores in our recent Driver Power surveys thanks to few complaints from owners. Safety has also been improving at a fast pace, not only thanks to stronger, more rigid crash structures and passenger cells, but also thanks to far more technology to help avoid a collision from happening in the first place.

Hyundai Tucson reliability

It will be some time until we can confidently assess the latest Tucson's reliability, considering it's built on new underpinnings. Saying that, it uses some familiar engines and technology for the brand. Hyundai has been building some of the most reliable cars on the market in recent years, backed up by a reassuring five year/unlimited-mileage warranty. 

In its final year on sale, the outgoing Tucson came a respectable 64th out of the top 75 models in our Driver Power survey, but we'd expect the new model to score higher. In the latest results, Hyundai came 11th out of 29 manufacturers, ahead of Volkswagen (18th), Vauxhall (19th) and Ford in 25th place. 

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Safety

Hyundai didn't used to be overly generous with safety kit, reserving features for higher trim levels. That seems to be a thing of the past because the Tucson now has a mind-boggling array of kit - no doubt encouraged by ever-tightening Euro NCAP safety standards. The car achieved a five-star rating when it was tested in late 2021, scoring 86% and 87% in the adult and child occupant categories respectively.

The Tucson gets Highway Drive Assist semi-autonomous driving for the first time, which can brake, accelerate and gently steer the SUV within its lane, with one button on the steering wheel to turn it on and off. Autonomous emergency braking has been joined by Junction Turning, which monitors cars approaching from the opposite side as you indicated to turn out of a junction, activating the brakes if an unseen car approaches. Another new feature sounds an alert if the car ahead pulls away and you fail to react.

Parking has also been made more convenient and safer with features like Remote Smart Parking Assist, that can 'summon' a car from its parking spot via a button on the key. That's especially useful if a car has parked too close or if the Tucson is parked in a narrow garage.