What’s not?
- The Tucson feels well-made, but some of the harder, scratchier interior plastics detract from the quality feel.
- The 1.7-litre turbo diesel might be smooth and torquey, but it’s no fireball when accelerating! It feels slower than the official quoted figure of 13.7 seconds.
- That tiny, curvy rear screen might help the Tucson to look sharp, but it does compromise rear visibility
The Verdict
Hyundai believes that models like the Tucson transform the brand and we have to agree. The Tucson will not only be attractive to current Hyundai drivers, but will also see new company car converts to the brand because it’s such a massive step forward over the outgoing iX35.
However, is it good enough to topple the crossover favourite – the Nissan Qashqai?
The Acenta Premium 1.5 dCi diesel, is probably this Tucson’s closest rival. The Hyundai gets off to a good start by being over £1,600 cheaper and could be on your drive for just £212 per month, but the Nissan wins on CO2 emissions, with a 17% company car tax band versus the 21% of the Hyundai.
The Tucson’s 119g/km emissions are good, but it can’t quite match the Qashqai’s 99g/km figure. So it’s close, but for company car drivers the Tucson isn’t quite good enough to topple the Qashqai – but further engine changes in the pipeline announced by Hyundai could change this result.
