Tucson, a stylish and understated SUVTucson, a stylish and understated SUV
Tucson, a stylish and understated SUV

Is Tucson the go-to car for Middle England?

REMEMBER how Volvo used to be the car for middle England? An unusual title for a model from Sweden, but it ticked all the right boxes: interestingly foreign. Reliably boring but still enough pzazz enough to make a statement. And commonplace but not common.

Now Volvo has shunted itself further upmarket and its vehicles are now chosen by people who might otherwise drive BMWs or Mercedes-Benzes. So, what does middle England

drive today? Why, Hyundai of course.

This Korean brand was once more cheap than cheerful but it has gradually managed to creep its way up to respectability.

The way it has transformed its image could make a thesis on a business marketing degree course.

Now its stylish models are very much at home in the gravelled driveways of detached houses in villages up and down the country, and no-one is embarrassed to say they drive a Hyundai. In fact, the Tucson tested here is now a top 10 seller. It is a twin with the Kia Sportage.

The interior feels upmarket and there is a wide choice of engines including petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid. The car recently also received a facelift which also enhanced the exterior looks and improved the interior design even further, too. The price is scary: the test model is £43,495 but don’t be deterred. Prices begin at around the £32,000 mark and if you can treat yourself to the Ultimate, the flagship version,

you will be impressed.

OK, so it will chat, tweet and bleep like something demented in a bid to keep you safe but you can adjust or delete the sounds. I know they are there to keep you safe but less is more

in my opinion.

Engines are now all electrified with mildhybrid, plug-in hybrid and hybrid powertrains as well as two and four-wheel-drive options available. It is available with five different trim levels, Advance, Premium, Ultimate, N-Line

and N-Line S.

The range kicks off with the entry-level Advance – which starts at £32,000. Standard equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps and taillights, privacy glass, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, front

and rear USB-C charging ports and customisable interior lighting. The Advance is only available in two-wheel-drive format and can be chosen with mild-hybrid, hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines.

The Premium models start at £34,500 and add 18-inch alloy wheels, electrically adjustable heated front seats and rear seats, heated steering wheel, cloth and leather seat trim. It’s

equipped with the same offerings as the Advance trim in terms of engines with the Premium also available as a four-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid.

The N-Line gets the same starting price as the Premium at £34,500 and adds equipment such as bespoke 19-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured wheel arches and sportier N-Line front

and rear bumpers. You’ll find the same engine setup as Premium models here too. N-Line S starts from £37,000 and adds electrically adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, among

other features. The top-of-the-line Ultimate spec is priced the same as the N-Line S from £37,000 but takes a more luxurious approach with 19-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlamps, memory function on the driver’s seat,

ventilated seats and the option of either black, grey or Cypress green leather.

This is the fourth generation Tucson and on looks alone it is a premium winner. Tucson is the firm’s global bestseller, so such a radical redesign was a bold choice aimed at grabbing an even bigger slice of sales. Judging

by how many you see on the road, it looks to have been a success.

Each of your engine choices are based around a 1.6-litre petrol engine, with choices ranging from no electrification, a mild-hybrid, a self-charging hybrid, and a plug-in hybrid. It’s that final option we’re testing and it pairs an

electric motor with the petrol unit to provide a combined output of 261bhp and 350Nm of torque.

The motor is powered by a 13.8kWh battery that brings a range of up to 35 miles.

Official economy figures for plug-in hybrid vehicles are never particularly indicative of real-world driving, so you’ll only achieve the claimed 202mpg figure if you’re always charging and rarely using the petrol engine. We

achieved 45-50mpg over the course of our time with the car, though considering we didn’t top up the battery this is pretty respectable. It feels sportier than I expected. There’s a real sense of urgency to the Tucson’s throttle response at lower speeds.

Visibility is pretty good when driving around town and the pedals and steering weights are well-judged, so it’s easy to make smooth progress in traffic. Then once out on the open road, it’s not too stiff on rough roads but comfortable enough for long distance trips.

The cabin is a massive improvement on earlier Hyundais. It’s practical though, being bigger than its predecessor. With this in mind it’s great for families, even if the boot is slightly smaller than non-hybrid models to account for the batteries

The “infotainment” is good and the screen is large and clear, but there are a lot of fiddly buttons that made navigating menus awkward. With this being Hyundai’s bestseller, it’s no surprise the brand has given the Tucson such

an overhaul. It fits neatly between Kona and Santa Fe and frankly I think it’s the best of the three.

Hyundai Tucson Ultimate 1.6 plug-in hybrid:

£43,495. Range starts at £30,540; 1.6-litre petrol engine with electric motor generating 253ps;

Top speed 118mph and 0 to 60mph in 8,6 seconds

Economy: 202mpg;

Emissions 29g/km; Five years’ Warranty unlimited mileage.

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