The salary you need to afford Hyundai’s newest SUV in South Africa

Motorists will need to earn at least at least R61,345 per month in order to afford Hyundai’s latest SUV on a finance plan in South Africa.
The Korean carmaker recently launched the facelifted Tucson which is available in three trim levels – Premium, Executive, and N Line – with prices ranging from R559,900 to R859,900.
The base Premium is fitted with a 2.0-litre, naturally aspirated petrol engine, which develops a total of 115kW and 192Nm.
A six-speed automatic gearbox sends this power down to the front wheels, leading to an average fuel consumption of 8.9l/100km.
The Executive and N Line, meanwhile, feature a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel block with a greater output of 137kW and 416Nm.
The Executive is front-wheel drive while the N Line is all-wheel drive, but both versions use the same eight-speed automatic shifter and consume roughly 7.4l/100km.
Visually, the updated family SUV has new daytime running lights, skid plates, alloy wheels, and a new bumper.
Standard equipment across all new Tucson trims includes 18-inch alloys, LED headlights, auto-folding side mirrors, a multifunction steering wheel, artificial leather upholstery, manual air conditioning, a wireless charging pad, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, and a floating 12-inch dual display for the driver and infotainment systems, the latter of which supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
The Executive builds on this with roof rails, larger 19-inch alloys, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry and start, automatic climate control, electronically adjustable front seats with lumbar support, heating, and ventilation functions, a heated steering wheel, and an electric tailgate.
The N Line, meanwhile adds driver attention monitor, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, a panoramic sunroof, a Bose stereo, adaptive cruise control, and racing cosmetics like N badges, unique 19-inch rims, a black grille, and leather/suede seats with red stitching.
What you need to earn

We can use the following formula to work out the monthly payments on the new Hyundai:
- Car price – R559,900/R859,900
- Payment term – 60 terms (5 years)
- Interest – 11.00%
- Deposit – 0%
- Balloon – No balloon payment
- Extras – No optional extras
According to this, you’ll need to pay at least R12,269 per month for the Premium, and up to R18,792 per month for the N Line.
Financial experts then recommend that you do not spend more than 20% of your gross monthly salary on vehicle payments.
This means you’ll need to earn anywhere from R61,345 per month to R93,960 per month to afford the new Tucson on a finance plan.
Note that this figure does not account for insurance, fuel, and maintenance, which must all be factored into your budget.