2010 Tucson, another Rogue copy? (Caution Large images)

[philipa_240sx]

I haven't been keeping up on the Rogue's competition...

Is it just me or did Hyundai just copy the Rogue for the new 2010 Tucson redesign? I guess I should not be surprised....they are known for ripping off design elements from other automakers:

Images courtesy Hyundai USA

[going rogue]

Yeah, that's a blatant rip off. Isn't there a law against that? I see some Infinity EX35 in there too.

[koolyce]

It is a really nice copy...

Honnestly, it look like better then my Rogue, specially the interior with nav screen.

[going rogue]

The in-dash nav is nice (and will be in the Rogue soon I'm sure). Otherwise, I find the dash way too busy with angles and lines going off in every direction ala Cadillac. Not a clean look.

[paulvanharte]

Thats funny, I have been wondering that myself the last few weeks. Everytime I see a new Hyundai, it looks like they used design cues from other cars. Sonata/Accord, Elantra/Corolla, Genesis/Lexus, Santa Fe/ Touareg and now this one. I will keep my Rogue

Paul

[kerrton]

It looks like a Rogue and that's why I like it!!

And yes, I think they took the Rogue design and improved on it, exterior and interior looks awesome to me, but I probably wouldn't ever consider buying one because of loyalty to Nissan and nobody likes a rip off product!

[maverick_rogue]

Well... looks like morphed images of Nissan Rogue....I could have taken these pics for 2011 Nissan Rogue unofficial pics .. Imitation is the best form of appreciation so I am glad to see them.

.... And yes.... I agree @ Hyundai getting "inspiration" from other models specially for form and functions more often than it should.

[Nick 568]

At least it's not a bad of rip-off as the Kia Amante.... The official cut and paste car of the automotive world.

[meitingo]

When I first saw the new Tucson I thought that it looked like the love child of a Honda CRV and the Rogue.

[Briguy1027]

the body looks very similar. Some of the front shapes vary but from the side it looks quite a bit like the Rogue.

I have to admit I like the interior -- with the nav, and I like the steering wheel -- it has it cut out so I can put my hand at the 6 o'clock position where I can steer when going in a straight line cruise. The Rogue and other cars have a spoke right there that sorta prevents me from doing it.

I probably would really like the interior a lot better if the driver's side door handle doesn't hit my knee like the Rogue's does. Oh well, I do love my Rogue anyways

[Sanders630]

I despise hyundai but, this I kinda like. I think I like the interior best.

[mrirvine]

i like the fact that there's a 6sp manual option....I hate the CVT.

[Pescakl1]

From what I have seen in the media, I see more resemblances with the Ford Kuga than with the Rogue.But since Ford doesn't want to bring the Kuga to NA (meaning you have to buy an Escape instead, Yeah!! ), it is easier to see resemblances with the Rogue and the CR-V.

Strange thing: Why when it is Hyundai or Kia, it is a copy, but not when it is one of the big 3 or a Japanese manufacturer? Don't you feel they pretty much all look the same? Probably thanks to aerodynamics and regulations.

At least, it will put the ugliest SUV (old Tucson) to the ground, and, in fact, I find it pretty much to my liking: Love the exterior (already love the Kuga lines), always like the Hyundai interior (blue interior lights), and when you see that almost everything comes standard in it, that is pretty good for the price they ask.

The only thing to know more about would be the engine, fuel economy, and the on board electronics.They are supposed to put a brand new 4 strokes ThetaII 2.4l engine in it which is supposed to be to the latest standard which should bring some good fuel economy.We will have to see if the electronics are good or not: Toyota ABS (on my RAV4) was one of the worst, Honda ABS is one of the best, and Nissan is about good average. Hyundai?

With more cargo space than the Rogue, the blue interior lights, and the growing reputation of Hyundai for good reliability, it would be a serious contender if I would have to buy a car today (especially if they do a manual option).

[kerrton]

Pescakl we think alike, I agree 100% with everything you've said.

And I've got great respect for Hyundai as we've got an 07 Santa Fe in the family (Father in Law) and it is just an awesome vehicle and very reasonably priced. I definately wouldn't knock Hyundai, in terms of reliability I hate to say it but they rank consistently right up there in the top three with Honda and Toyota, even surpasing Honda recently accordinate to some sources. (if you can trust sources like Edmonds, Consumer Reports, JD Power)....

[cdmuile]

Yeah, people are still thinking of Hyundai as if it's 1990. That company has made unbelievable strides since first coming into Canada in the 1980s. Hyundai has learned quick. They are going head to head with every segment of the car market.....and are doing well. I bought an Azera in 2006. An amazing car(the stealth Hyundai). I traded an 01 Jag S Type and never looked back. That Azera had features that are still not available on Caddys, Lexus and Infinity. Zero problems.

[takeshi]

Strange thing: Why when it is Hyundai or Kia, it is a copy, but not when it is one of the big 3 or a Japanese manufacturer? Don't you feel they pretty much all look the same? Probably thanks to aerodynamics and regulations.

Seems to happen on every auto-related site I visit. This does look Rogue-ish from certain angles but I think "blatant copy" is a bit of exaggeration. The overall appearance from the sides and rear are very similar but there are also definite differences in styling. I'd chalk it up to the segment as well. It looks nothing like the Rogue from the front or inside.

It is much more Kuga IMO. Guess people can only compare it with what they're familiar with. I think that's really the cause. If you're very familiar with something then of course you'll quickly spot similarities in other products.

[kerrton]

Well I'm in trouble because my wife REALLY wants one, so the question is do we get rid of her Mazda or my Rogue.....I'm thinking the Mazda.

One of the big reasons she's excited is because of the manul shift option, she'll only drive stick shift and she really has always preferred this type of vehicle so this one really hits the nail on the head for her. And the awesome styling and top quality reputation of Hyundai really seals the deal.

Hopefully we can wait for at least the second year to see how the quality is and to let bugs work themselves out, I learned the hard way with my 08 Rogue that it's not good to buy a first year model, in the past 2 years I've gotten to know the Nissan service dept. REALLY well, and I've got a steering column problem that may never be able to be fixed.

[metabo]

Well I'm in trouble because my wife REALLY wants one, so the question is do we get rid of her Mazda or my Rogue.....I'm thinking the Mazda.

One of the big reasons she's excited is because of the manul shift option, she'll only drive stick shift and she really has always preferred this type of vehicle so this one really hits the nail on the head for her. And the awesome styling and top quality reputation of Hyundai really seals the deal.

Hopefully we can wait for at least the second year to see how the quality is and to let bugs work themselves out, I learned the hard way with my 08 Rogue that it's not good to buy a first year model, in the past 2 years I've gotten to know the Nissan service dept. REALLY well, and I've got a steering column problem that may never be able to be fixed.

Please get rid of the Mazda, and not the Rogue! You seem to be among the many helpful members of this excellent forum and would be missed! Besides, remember, we all now are guaranteed our CVTs for 10/100,000!!

What is this steering column issue you have? Was there not a steering column related recall in the past?

One interesting thing I've heard about Hyundai's, maybe someone could verify or correct, was that Hyundai makes a large profit for car sold domestically (Korea) and a very small LOSS on every car sold abroad, at least for some models. That they are still in the stages improving presence and reputation in US/Europe, and so that the cars sold abroad have better components etc than the ones sold in Korea!

[ncsu]

One interesting thing I've heard about Hyundai's, maybe someone could verify or correct, was that Hyundai makes a large profit for car sold domestically (Korea) and a very small LOSS on every car sold abroad, at least for some models.

This would not shock me - they are still trying to build their rep in the US, the largest auto market in the world. In the 1990's they were like the Japan auto industry in the 1970's - a giant joke. Now they are holding their own.

Modified by ncsu at 9:38 PM 12/25/2009

[kerrton]

Don't worry, if she wants the Tucson she'll have to part with the Mazda3, although it is an amazing vehicle, I'm keepin the Rogue and won't let a few problems get the better of me!!!

[Roguemonster]

In any case, it's a huge improvement over the hideously ugly previous Tucson.

[bundy26]

I have to give it to Hyundai, they have come a long way since them crappy excels.

[crayb]

Had this Hyundai been available, I wouldn't be posting this message in the Rogue forums!

Ray

[RogueGuy45]

It is a really nice copy...

Honnestly, it look like better then my Rogue, specially the interior with nav screen.

Yeah, but it's still a friggin Hoonday. Who would drive one of those things?

[Briguy1027]

OK,Intrigued I looked a little bit more into this Tucson. I wish I didn't. It will have dual front climate control, the nav system also has a back up camera, really tight turning circle (the rogue's isn't bad either), and a few other goodies that some of us Rogue people would like. That said, it appears to be wider than the Rogue as well. While that's nice for storage and passenger room, I must say that I like the skinniness of the Rogue. I can easily get it into compact spaces, without feeling like I'm a big space hog in parking lots.

Still, there's a lot of good to be said about this Tucson, including better highway mileage? My gut feeling though, is that the drivetrain probably won't be quite as smooth as the Rogue nor the handling. But that's just a guess.

[takeshi]

Yeah, but it's still a friggin Hoonday. Who would drive one of those things?

If no one drove them Hyundai wouldn't be in business.

In any case, as stated above the Hyundais of today are nothing like the Hyundais of years ago. It wasn't long ago that people had the same attitude towards the Japanese automakers.

[Pescakl1]

OK,Intrigued I looked a little bit more into this Tucson. I wish I didn't.

Yes, that is why I don't want to go further than look at it on the internet. If I look further I will probably want one, as I used to do when I was single.But now, I cannot anymore, I have responsibilities, a family to take care of, not the time anymore to waste money on cars every few years.

The tucson may be wider (euh, only 0.8 in ), but it is a lot smaller (almost 10 inches), which, with my garage, would have been very handy... but I am not looking, not looking .

[kerrton]

Hey Pescakl, I'm with you on this one, although remember the extra space in the Rogue is essential if you have kids like you and I do.

In my opinion, the Rogue is going to have to offer a 6-speed manual option or it's going to get killed by this new Tucson. My wife is shopping it hard, and her excitement is really building momentum since she hasn't found one competitor which offers the manual 6-speed. And the American pricing is set to start at around $18,900 which is really aggressive, much cheaper than everyone else.

Not even the Mazda "zoom zoom" CX7 offers manual shift, which is surprising to me considering Mazda's focus on fun driving experience. Even Toyota who traditionally sold tons of manual shift RAV4's in the past doesn't offer manual shift anymore....strange and not true to the original vision if you ask me.

But, back to my original point, I'm happy with the Rogue as it is significantly larger in terms of cargo capacity, which I wouldn't give up for the Hyundai. For my wife, it would be a step up in size from her Mazda3 so it's got her hooked.

[Pescakl1]

It is not the manufacturers' fault if there is no manual shift options anymore, it is a customer choice (and yes, it is not always good to live in the minority).

When I was shopping for a new car (and then got the Rogue), of course we went to see the CR-V as we have a good relationship with our Honda dealer. He told us the CR-V was originally offered in both manual and automatic but they stop after one or two years because nobody were buying them.That is probably what happened to the RAV4 as I bought a manual one in 2004, but from what you say, they are not in the shopping list anymore.

Engine size it is the same: In 2004, I looked at the BMW X3 before leasing the RAV4. At that time, they were offering the X3 with a 2.5l and with a 3l. Few years down the road, they now offer only the 3l option.

When you look at the American dealers website for 2010 Tucson, you won't see that many manual configurations. So, if you want a manual Tucson, you'd better buy one now than later as it is not sure they will be there in 2011 (it is better as you have a handbrake and the automatic seems to be lazy shifting from the reviews).From what I read the GLS AWD manual with some nice options should be the best choice for the bucks option.The big no-no they did (but they are far to be the only ones, it is the same fro the Honda Fit) is that the last gear ratio is higher for the automatic that is why they have better highway EPA with the automatic.

And yes, I went on the internet for some research ... but I am still holding myself to go to a dealer... yet (better not have some free time and a dealer near by).

Oh and BTW, cargo size wise, it may be a little bit smaller with the rear seats up (remember it is smaller than the Rogue), but I think it has a little more space with the rear seats down. That is something to be verified as there is not really a norm on how to calculate the interior space, so every manufacturers do what give them the best result. But about same interior space with 16 cm smaller overall is a good + for me. Compare to the Tiguan, the Tucson wins hands down.If you want something the size of the RAV4 or the CR-V, you will have to look at the SantaFe.
Modified by Pescakl1 at 8:56 AM 1/6/2010

[takeshi]

I prefer manual as well but I wouldn't expect to see it offered for the Rogue. Manufacturers are offering fewer and fewer of them each year in the US. They might still offer them overseas but I suspect that it won't be long before they're only offered on certain vehicles like sports cars but even in that market segment the dual clutch gearboxes seem to be gaining favor.