Rent Hyundai TUCSON 2022 in Dubai

A Dubai summer is the real test of any rental, and the Hyundai Tucson 2022 is one of the family SUVs we're happy to put a family in when it's 45 degrees outside. You can settle the bill on delivery with a card or cash, so there's nothing to sort before the car reaches your door in Dubai. This is the redesigned generation, the one with the angular grille and the lights hidden in the chrome, and it backs the looks up with a roomy five-seat cabin and a big boot. The question here is whether it's the right pick for a hot-month rental, or whether your group pushes you somewhere else.

Heat, AC and the cabin in summer

From June through September this is what actually decides the rental. Leave the Tucson in an open lot at midday and the cabin bakes, the same as anything else here, so be realistic about that. What matters is the recovery. The AC pulls a baked cabin back to comfortable in a few minutes once you're moving, the front vents are strong, and rear passengers get their own outlets, which is the part that keeps kids in the back from suffering while the front cools first. The cabin is large, so give it a touch longer than a small hatch would need: start it, set it low, crack the windows for thirty seconds to dump the worst heat, then let it run. By the time you're out of the car park it's a cool place to sit.

Who the Tucson actually fits

Picture a couple or a family of four or five doing mall runs, school drops and the odd airport collection across a week. That's the Tucson's comfort zone. The driving position is high, visibility is good, and the cabin feels wider than the class average, so two up front and two or three behind never feel boxed in.

It's five seats, not seven. A group of six, or a family wanting a spare row for grandparents and bags, isn't served here, and clever packing won't fix that. Look at a Santa Fe or a dedicated seven-seater instead. And if it's just one or two of you running light around the city, a hatchback parks easier and costs less to run.

Spec at a glance

Boot space and whether your luggage fits

With 540 litres behind the rear seats, the Tucson takes a couple of large hard cases standing upright with room left for a pushchair or the weekly shop. A DXB or DWC pickup with two big suitcases and carry-ons loads cleanly, no laps required. Drop the 60/40 rear seats and you've got a near-flat floor for a flat-pack run or a bike. Inside, storage is sensible rather than flashy: deep door bins, a usable centre console, cupholders that hold a Dubai-sized iced coffee.

The engine, and how it feels on the road

The 2.0-litre makes 150 hp through a front-wheel-drive automatic. Around town it's smooth and quiet, which is most of what a Dubai rental does, and the gearbox is unfussed in stop-and-go traffic. On Sheikh Zayed Road it's competent rather than quick: it holds 120 calmly, but a hard overtake needs a moment because the engine has to wind up before it pulls. If your week is mostly E11 blasts and you want instant punch, a turbo crossover feels livelier. For everything else this engine is enough.

Front-wheel drive makes it a road SUV. It's at home on the highway and in the mall basement, not on soft dunes, so leave the desert tracks to a proper 4x4.

Parking, size and the rules

At 1865 mm wide it's a normal SUV, not a barge, and the rear camera and sensors make tight multi-storey bays and Marina ramps straightforward. The 192 mm of clearance clears Dubai's speed bumps and mall ramp lips without scraping, and the high stance gives a clear view over traffic. On running costs, Salik tolls and any RTA fines pass to you as the renter, so keep an eye on the gates and the cameras. Seat belts are mandatory in every seat, and children under four need a child seat, which we can fit on request.

The verdict

For a couple or a family of four or five who want a good-looking SUV with a big boot and a cabin that copes with the worst of the Dubai summer, the Tucson 2022 is one of the stronger value picks for the week. Rent it if you value space and a calm, cool cabin over straight-line speed.

Size up to a seven-seater if you're carrying six or more or need that spare row, and drop to a hatchback if it's just one or two of you living in the city. Pick the Tucson for the boot, the comfort and the way it shrugs off the heat, and take the engine for what it is: relaxed, and perfectly suited to how most people actually drive here.