Pricing structure puts most efficient versions outside of Clean Car assistance.

CLEAN Car assistance will only apply to mild hybrid versions of the Hyundai Tucson and not the more ground-breaking plug-in hybrid variants.

This is made clear in information shared by the brand’s distributor today, announcing impending availability of the battery-enabled Tucsons, which mate electric drive with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and a six-speed automatic transmission and emit CO2 counts well below the point of penalty.

The first-to-land 169kW/350Nm hybrid models avail in Entry and Elite trim levels in front-drive, for $61,990 and $66,990, and all-wheel drive, for $67,990 and $72,990. These all qualify for Government’s $2900 Clean Car rebate.

The plug-in hybrids coming at the end of the year are set to represent at $83,990 in Entry and $89,990 in Elite, so site above the cut-off for Clean Car, though they will provide their distributor dispensation under the next level of emissions regulations, impacting on January 1, through producing ultra-low CO2 counts.

The battery-involved powertrains are familiar, having not only just come to the larger Santa Fe but through also being also represented nationally for a year in Kia’s Sorento – a sister ship to Santa Fe in all but look.

The Kia Sportage (Tucson’s doppelganger) is also in line for these as well, though no introduction timing or pricing has been shared yet.

The mains-replenished version is the more advanced as it offers facility to operate in purely electric mode, as well as delivering the hybrid and petrol power opportunity afforded by the mild hybrid.

The PHEV set-up involves a 66.9kW electric motor, and a 13.8kWh battery. Combined, the powertrain produces 195kW and 350Nm of torque. The electric motor on its own develops a peak of 304Nm. The car delivers up to 56km pure electric range, which is lineball with the Santa Fe and Sorento PHEVs.

The Tucsons’ placement is seen by some industry commentators as being another example of pricing disparity between the two kindred brands, which ultimately fall under common Hyundai Group ownership but have different distributor representations nationally. One, Hyundai, being wholly NZ-owned and the other being a factory shop.

In this instance, the PHEV Tucson in particular is priced in the same sphere as like-configured versions of Sorento, which in turn already undercut their Santa Fe equivalents by up to $20,000.

The battery-involved products are highly similar in appearance to fossil-fuelled models selling currently.

The Entry car has 17-inch wheels, LED daytime running lights and an eight-inch infotainment screen with wireless smartphone mirroring. The Elite goes to 19-inch wheels, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, leather seat facings and heated front and rear seats.

The PHEV has some trick aerodynamics. Behind that complex radiator grille, there's an active air intake flap, that opens and closes as needed, improving air-flow into and around the car, depending on how much cooling the engine needs.

A range of drive modes are on offer, the Tucson's standard mode driving the wheels via the electric motor alone at low speeds, with the combustion engine switching on at higher velocities or when rapid acceleration is required.

It has a 7.2kW on-board charging system, so it'll charge reasonably briskly from either a home wallbox or a public charger.

The PHEV’s battery installation eats into boot space. Whereas wholly combustion-engined and mild hybrid Tucsons have a 620-litre boot, the plug-in model has 558 litres. That luggage space expands 1737 litres with the rear seats folded.

The PHEV's interior is all-but-identical to the standard, non-hybrid model, save for a handful of hybrid-specific displays for the 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen and 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.

In some markets oberseas, a smartphone app called Hyundai BlueLink also gains the ability to monitor the Tucson's lithium-polymer battery's state of charge, as well as manage charging settings.

In the safety department, exclusive to the plug-in Tucson is Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist, a low-speed reverse autonomous emergency braking system that detects and notifies the driver of hazards behind the moving vehicle, and applies the brakes if necessary.