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Bruce Newton20 Apr 2015
NEWS

Phone love for Tucson

Hyundai predicts Apple and Google technology will appeal to Aussie buyers

Hyundai is predicting our love for smart phones will help sell its crucial new Tucson medium SUV, which will be the first model from the Korean giant to come to Australia featuring both Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto functionality.

This should mean the Tucson, which replaces the ix35 and goes on-sale in July, will be nav-capable across the range as well as allow passengers to use Google Voice and iOs Siri functionality for messaging, call initiation and other tasks.

"It should be a point of difference for us," Hyundai Australia chief operating officer John Elsworth told motoring.com.au.

The Tucson – an example of which our exclusive photos show in the service area at Hyundai’s Sydney HQ – is a crucial model launch because the ix35 was a massive hit, selling close to 40,000 examples over the last two years alone.

Elsworth described the Tucson as "absolutely massive for this business".

Offered in both all-wheel drive and front-drive variants, the top-spec all-wheel drive Australian models will be powered by the choice of a new 130kW turbocharged 1.6-litre direct-injected petrol engine matched to a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox or a range-topping 135kW 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with six-speed auto transmission.

An entry-level six-speed manual front-drive Tucson powered by 2.0-litre direct-injected naturally-aspirated petrol engine will also be retained.

Elsworth confirmed the Tucson will be keenly priced and well equipped in the usual Hyundai way, but nominated its new technology as a key selling point, including its CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.

"I genuinely think not just from a showroom point of view but from a useability point of view, people are very much in touch with their phones," said Elsworth. "They are on them all day and to then take that functionality to the car using the same icons and to have the same experience in your car as you do with the phone you love is I think a very good thing.

"It's definitely a selling feature," he added. "We have had experience with those two operating systems – really only on a desktop here [at Hyundai's Australia headquarters] because there is still a lot of work to do with Google and Apple on that.

"But the functionality is absolutely fantastic."

Elsworth made it clear the Tucson would be expected to grow sales compared to its predecessor, although he wouldn't nominate the specific sales figures. But with a figure north of 20,000 surely being sought, that puts the medium segment-leading Mazda CX-5 directly in its gun sights.

The CX-5 sold 21,571 examples in 2014 and has recently been upgraded.

"We are not a brand that likes to go backwards," Ellsworth said. "There is some pretty big volume [in the segment], I would never say we are going to be the leader of any segment, that's not how we do it.

"We are a target-driven business. We work out those targets with HMC and let me tell you we are relentless in chasing them.

"And we wouldn't target to go backwards with any new car."

Elsworth downplayed any concerns about the name switch back to Tucson after becoming the ix35 when the last generation arrived in early 2010.

"That's a global decision ... the change of name of any car comes with inherent risk because there is an investment in establishing the name. That is a fact.

"Is it a massive risk? Probably not."

"We rely on the car being a very, very good car and the name becomes very secondary. There are cars out there with funny names that people aren't very familiar with that are very, very successful."

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