Hyundai Tucson (2020 - )

The Hyundai Tucson is a five-door, five-seat family SUV that’s big on style, performance and practicality. And it has and still is scooping numerous awards to reflect just how capable it is.

Customers get bundles of choice with trims called SE Connect, Premium, N Line, N Line S and range-topping Ultimate. Although there is no diesel variant, there are a number of petrol engines to choose from, some of which offer mild hybrid or plug-in hybrid technology for added fuel efficiency.

In addition, owners need to decide between two or four-wheel drive, along with six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes. As I say, plenty of customer choice without it being overwhelming or confusing.

We opted for the 1.6-litre hybrid model in Premium specification with automatic transmission for our test drive.

The Hyundai Tucson is a stylish five-door family SUV that looks impressive when approached from any angle. The main focal point is the huge cascading grille with very distinctive light clusters that help make the car instantly recognisable at night.

There are protective wheel arch mouldings, smoke-effect tail light casings that are connected by a light bar, twin exhausts, body-coloured door handles and mirrors, privacy glass, plus 19-inch alloy wheels.

Moving inside, the interior features heated cloth seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel that can also be heated against the winter chill, plus a wealth of on-board technology to explore.

The main focal point within the cabin is a centre stack that incorporates the 10.25-inch navigation infotainment screen with sharp graphics. This is where you access the likes of the eight-speaker Krell sound system, Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity and plenty more besides. It’s also where you need to go each time the car starts up if you want to deactivate the lane keep assist system which can be a pain.

There are separate controls beneath this screen to adjust all the air con settings and large, clearly-marked push buttons are pressed to select the relevant gear.

The 10.25-inch driver display screen, behind the steering wheel looks like an after-thought though. It’s oblong, sticks out a bit and really lowers the tone. However, it can be modified to preference and offers clear readouts along the way.

My other gripe were the clunky air vents that slide back and forth to activate. These got stuck a couple of times and needed some brute force to shift them and that’s not great while you’re driving.

Powering the Tucson Premium that we tested was a four-cylinder, 1.6-litre petrol engine delivering 230PS and 350Nm of torque. This front-wheel drive model could complete the 0-62mph sprint in a respectable 8.0 seconds and maxed out at 120mph.

The acceleration through the six-speed automatic transmission was smooth and responsive with nicely timed shifting and plenty of power on tap for short bursts of pace to overtake slower moving vehicles. And the presence of steering wheel-mounted paddles means you can control the gear-changes manually for added fun.

The car is balanced and composed when driven hard along twisting country lanes with confident grip, and the elevated seating is a real bonus as it offers the driver a great view across the hedgerows. In addition, this car can put in a shift on the motorways too, effortlessly cruising at 70mph. And finally, its agility impressed in busier town centres where, once again, the excellent driver visibility is always appreciated.

Drive modes called Eco and Sport alter the characteristics and handling of the Tucson with Sport introducing a nice edge to the mix. The steering is fairly light but offers ample driver feedback and the vehicle’s effective suspension set-up does an admirable job of smoothing out any bumps and dips.

The Hyundai is a family-sized SUV that stretches 4,500mm in length, is 1,865mm wide (excluding mirrors) and 1,645mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,680mm.

Those dimensions mean the Tucson boasts ample space up front and in the back, where three adults are treated to generous levels of leg, head and elbow room.

There is manual seat and steering wheel adjustment, so finding a comfy driving position is a simple process. And thanks to the elevated seating, the all-round driver visibility is excellent. 

This is vital on a family vehicle that is likely to feature regularly on the school run with cars, bicycles and pedestrians darting out from all angles. In addition, the Tucson has an extensive list of safety features and driver assistance aids that help to protect occupants and also other road users.

The boot can swallow 616 litres of luggage, a limit that increases to 1,795 with the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat and, with family holidays in mind, the Tucson can tow a caravan or trailer with a braked weight of 1.65 tonnes. The car features a trailer wiring package in readiness for those getaways.

And there are a number of practical storage compartments scattered throughout the cabin, including a glovebox, central cubby, wide door bins with a bottle holder, front and rear cup holders, trays, seat back pockets, along with front and rear USB charge ports to keep devices connected on the fly.

The Hyundai Tucson line-up is priced from £30,200 for the entry-level 1.6-litre 150PS SE Connect model with a six-speed manual gearbox and rises to £43,575 for the high-end Ultimate model powered by the 1.6-litre 265PS plug-in hybrid powertrain, with four-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission.

Our test car, the 1.6-litre 230PS hybrid model in Premium guise, was priced at £36,840 and there were no optional extras fitted to cause any nasty shocks at the check-out counter.

According to official figures, under WLTP-testing, the car could deliver a combined 49.6mpg with carbon emissions of 131g/km. This CO2 figure would result in a first year Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) charge of £255 dropping to the standard fee of £180 after 12 months.

For anyone looking at combining business with pleasure and considering the Tucson, as tested, as a company car, it has a Benefit in Kind tax rating of 31 per cent. The plug-in hybrid versions would prove more attractive with their low 31g/km of emissions and between 30 and 35 miles of electric driving range which would lead to a BiK rating of 12 per cent.

Our test car sits in insurance group 19 and the Tucson comes with Hyundai’s impressive five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty as standard.

The family SUV sector is one of the most fiercely competed segments in the industry and carmakers are constantly launching new models into the mix. The Tucson is a multi-award-winning vehicle, but is starting to look a little jaded inside the cockpit.

But that said; it is still an outstanding car that’s packed with tech, comfortable and practical, great to drive and it won’t break the bank in the process either.