We are not car fanatics. We drive compact SUVs 5 to 7 years. My previous vehicle was approaching EOL by our definition. It also had “skin cancer” – peeling paint. In the crazy auto market we live in, the dealer wanted a king’s ransom to fix that.
So we hired Deal Architect for his negotiation skills and gingerly walked in the new vehicle market. He somehow got us a great trade-in and a nice manageable net price. We did hear him cussing quite a bit😊
So we are accidental owners of a 2023 Tucson Hybrid Limited. It must have every feature the auto industry has been dreaming up in the last few years – panoramic roof, smart cruise control, connectivity via every channel, all kinds of safety sensors, wireless charging, a fob with as many buttons as your TV remote and lots more. It is a good looking car ripped with lots of lines which make it look pretty muscular. The inside has a very comfortable feel for a tall family like ours.
In the mobility chapter in the Business as Unusual book we recently helped SAP write, we talked about how the auto sector has been evolving with the CASE acronym = Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric. This vehicle has traits of each.
And bonus after bonus – like AWD, which would be handy if we ever go see Tommy in Colorado in the winter. The hybrid version has 40 more hp than the regular version and delivers 37 mpg. We did not look at plug-in EVs. We believe we are a few years away till utility grids support at-scale mass home charging and BEV prices drop significantly.
One caveat – the documentation of all these features is spread around the fat user manual, a slimmer quick reference guide, a sales brochure, in the BlueLink mobile app, in several YouTube videos and in the instrument cluster in the car. Nate, my really nice sales guy gave me a tutorial and has been helping me navigate the documentation via text messages. I have a feeling Margaret is going to wait a while before she drives it.
I wish I could tell you to run out and get yourself one. Hyundai took the Limited branding seriously and did not ship enough of these to the US and most dealers wanted a premium over the sticker. If you do go looking, call Deal Architect for negotiation assistance.
But if you get one, text me and let’s help each other enjoy the gorgeous look and feel and the zillions of features.
Photo Credit: Mostly Hyundai
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