G4NA vs G6BA 2.7 V6
Side-by-side reliability comparison
Specifications
Character
G4NA
"The port-injected 2.0 non-turbo petrol of the Nu family, used in the Hyundai Tucson TL, Elantra, i40 and ix35 and the Kia Sportage QL, Optima, Cerato and Soul. Simple and cheap to service, with a timing chain and no direct injection. Its weak point is the thin-liner aluminium block: Russian specialist press and workshops report piston and cylinder scuffing, sometimes before 100,000 km, often started by debris from a disintegrating catalytic converter, and oil consumption from sticking oil rings. Hyundai added piston-cooling oil jets and stronger bearings from 2017. Keep oil changes short and check for knocking on a cold start."
G6BA 2.7 V6
"Simple naturally aspirated 2.7 V6 of the first Tucson, Sportage and Santa Fe. German guides call it basically reliable and US examples have passed 400,000 km. The one thing that matters is the timing belt: it is an interference engine, the hydraulic tensioner can wreck the belt early, and a broken belt bends the valves. Change belt, tensioner and pulleys on time (every 60,000-90,000 km) and check the crankshaft pulley. Very thirsty, especially with AWD."