2019 Tucson is an upgrade of the existing model - not an all-new vehicle. Engines carry over, but there’s a new eight-speed transmission for the diesel, a new poverty pack model variant, plus a big safety and tech upgrade.

The new lineup, in order or increasing largesse, is Tucson Go, Tucson Active X, Tucson Elite and Tucson Highlander. So essentially they’ve boned the old ‘Active’ and replaced it with ‘Go’.

That’s a backward step (personal opinion) - ‘Go’ is so dismissive, like ‘go xxx yourself, mate’ or ‘go buy one of the more expensive ones’. Nobody likes a bottom-feeder. Whatever.

Anyway, in my view they should have called the new base model Tucson the ‘Pov’ or the posher-sounding ‘Chitious’.

Back in objective territory it’s hard to fault them for this new safety pack they call SmartSense.

The pack itself is brilliant - and available on the auto versions of the Chitious and Active X - it’s redundant on Elite and Highlander because those features are included standard in the pricier variants.

And it can’t be fitted to the manual versions of the Chtious and Active X because some of those features are incompatible with manual transmission, apparently.

Speaking of those features: SmartSense gives you auto emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist and driver attention alert.

There’s some lesser stuff as well that it comes packaged up with, but they’re the main features designed to save some poor bastard’s neck, perhaps yours, that one fateful night.

There’s a glace cherry on top of course: With the safety pack, you also get adaptive cruise control - the radar based cruise control that adapts to congestion - which is awesome. It’s $2200 for the pack, and in my view that’s $2200 well spent.

There’s also a new tablet-style multimedia system, featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, standard across the range. It’s in line with i30, Kona and Santa Fe.

And if you buy the diesel Tucson, you get the eight-speed automatic, which delivers improved performance, refinement and economy - another good reason to bone the runout model.

Tucson Chitious/Go and Active X are available with the 2.0-litre petrol four with direct injection and a six-speed manual or six-speed auto transmission - that comes with front drive. It’s $2500 extra for the auto.

There’s also the 2.0-litre diesel with the new eight-speed auto and all-wheel drive. There’s no manual with the diesel. $5300 extra (over the petrol auto) for the diesel - but you’re getting A) a much gruntier diesel engine, B) the new eight-speed auto, and C) all-wheel drive.

So it is a bit of a hike up in price to the diesel, but you’re getting a lot of additional engineering.

There’s no manual transmission availability in Elite or Highlander. Elite has three engines - the two just mentioned and the 1.6 turbo petrol with the seven-speed DCT - that’s also with AWD.

And, with Highlander you choose between 1.6 turbo or the 2.0 diesel - both with AWD. There’s no front drive atmo petrol.

$28,150 for the manual petrol ‘Chitious’/‘Go’. Active X is $31,350 for the petrol manual - so that’s a $3200 step up.

Elite starts at $37,850 for the 2.0 atmo petrol four auto.

Highlander is $46,500 for the turbo petrol and $48,800 for the diesel. That’s a $5650 step up from the Elite, powertrain for powertrain.

Tucson Go comes standard with a rear view camera, auto headlamps, bluetooth, power windows, 17-inch steel wheels, a full-size spare wheel and tyre (that’s good for driving in ‘Straya) plus auto headlamps, a 7-inch multimedia system on that floaty tablet thing with Apple CarPlay & Android auto.

Tucson Active X jumps up to 17-inch alloys, you get tyre pressure monitoring, rear parking sensors, there’s a splash of leather, eight-inch sat-nav, DAB+ radio and eight speaker Infinity audio system, heated, power folding wing mirrors and USB power for row two.

Tucson Elite comes with 18-inch alloys, a power driver’s seat, proximity key and pushbutton start, rain-sensing wipers, privacy glass, a luggage net, plus of course all the safety stuff you pay extra for on the Chitioux and Active X.

Elite is therefore is the real value model in the range in my view.

Tucson Highlander gets all the fruit - except auto parking. In addition to all the stuff lower down in the range, there’s 19-inch alloys, LED light package front and rear, front parking sensors, panorama glass roof, solar glass, a power front passenger’s seat (both front seats are heated and ventillated). You also get a heated steering wheel. There’s an auto tailgate, a sexier instrument cluster, auto-dimming interior mirror, and the wireless phone charging pad.