THE second mild hybrid powertrain from Hyundai is coming on stream and is making its debut in the latest Tucson SUV.
It is a 48-volt set up mated to a 1.6-litre diesel engine and with a manual transmission it increases fuel economy to 50.4 to the gallon on the new WLTP test programme.
That is up from 48.7mpg on the non-hybrid 1.6-litre diesel Tucson and emissions for the hybrid are down to 113g/km.
The mild hybrid arrangement works by using an electrical system to help the engine under acceleration, reducing the amount of work it has to do and also enables more effective stop/start operation including idling the engine when the clutch is disengaged at low speeds.
As a result the engine does not burn as much fuel without any impact on performance - 0 to 60 acceleration from the 1.6 is 11.8 seconds which is the same as the regular 136ps engine.
And real world fuel return was smack on with the new Tucson N-Line model we have just tried notching up an average of 50.3mpg according to the car's onboard trip computer.
The N-Line trim is a sporty addition to the Tucson range and costs from £27,760.
It is the first time Hyundai has included N-Line specification outside of its i30 models and the Tucson is also the first Hyundai SUV to come with the specification.
As such the Tucson N-Line gets a mesh grille and aerodynamic tweaks to the bumpers front and rear.
They also sit on 19-inch alloys and come with upgrades on the interior such as red stitching on the seats and steering wheel, an N-Line badge on the gear lever and petrol versions powered by Hyundai's 1.6-litre 177ps engine come with stiffer suspension and sharper steering.
Standard kit includes wireless phone charging, an auto hold function on the parking brake, lane keeping controls and hill descent assistance.
The mild hybrid 1.6 engine joins the 2.0-litre 48-volt model which was launched last year but that is available only in top specification Premium SE trim costing from £32,970.
The mild hybrid N-Line performs well and its handling is little different to the regular diesel Tucson. The difference is a slightly livelier uptake from the throttle and noticeably better economy.
Both petrol and diesel N-Line versions are front-wheel-drive only with the petrol costing from £25,995 in manual format, £27,785 for a DCT semi-automatic.
The diesel version is also available with a DCT box and those start from £29,050.
Hyundai is also using the mild-hybrid powertrain in all 1.6 diesel Tucsons with prices starting from £26,450 in SE Nav trim for 115ps models and £28,600 for the livelier 136ps versions.
The new mild hybrid line up extends to Premium and top specification Premium SE Tucsons with the line up topping out from £31,735 for manual models and from £33,035 for those with DCT transmissions.
While the hybrids are slightly heavier weighing in at 2.195 tonnes - 75kg more than before - towing and luggage capacity are unchanged at 1.6 tonnes for the 136ps model with boot space ranging from 513 litres to 1,503 litres with the rear seats folded - and that is with the battery pack for the hybrid system under the boot.
As with all Hyundais the mild hybrid is protected by a five year unlimited mileage warranty and the Korean car maker has intentions of introducing similar powertrains on other models in the future.