Hyundai Tucson review

There are five trim levels to go with the multitude of powertrain options – Hyundai won't let you say you didn’t have any choice when it came to a Tucson. 

First up is the entry-level Advance at £32,000 in 1.6-litre petrol guise. Then it forks out in two directions, with Premium and N Line both starting at £34,500, while N Line S and Ultimate each begin from £37,000.

The mild hybrid is around £1,500 more than the standard setup, with the full hybrid another £2k on top of that. Going for the PHEV option adds around £7k–£8k to the entry price. Want 4WD? That’s a £1,500 uplift on your car and only available from Premium trim upwards. You can easily see your Tucson bill spiralling out of control: the top-spec Ultimate model with the 4x4 PHEV powertrain will cost £45,875. Jeepers.

Value for money and big warranties have always been a mainstay of the sensible Hyundai. So of course the Tucson comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty. 

What are the trims like? 

Advance cars come on 17in alloys and get dual-zone aircon, auto LED lights and wipers, heated electric mirrors, front and rear parking sensors plus a rear camera, keyless go, wireless Apple/Android and charging, plus the 12.3in infotainment screen with satnav. 

Premium brings 18in alloys, electric heated front seats, heated rear seats, powered tailgate, adaptive cruise control and a fancier sound system, while the N Line at the same price loses some of those features but swaps them for 19in alloys, leather trim inside and some styling upgrades on the outside.

N Line S is based on the Premium car spec but with the N Line styling, and offers heated and ventilated front seats on top, plus matrix LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof and 360-degree parking help. Don’t ask us what the Ultimate trim is for – it loses the N Line styling pack and gains seat memory function for the driver.

Help me pick one.

It would be easy to get tempted by the ripe levels of spec that are on offer as you climb the pricing tree, but we would suggest that you stay strong and opt for the Premium trim. It's got a punchy amount of kit for where it sits, and it's probably the sweet spot in the range unless you really want to go for some of the fancier toys.

The PHEV is best reserved for people with short commutes and company car schemes – we like the laidback standard hybrid option for its mix of value and economy.