Hyundai ix35 Review

The Hyundai ix35 was launched in March 2010 and was billed by some as the replacement for the Tucson SUV. However, the ix35 builds on the popularity of the Tucson and incorporates some impressive attributes that will certainly make it appeal to customers outside of the conventional SUV market.

Prices range from £16,995 for the entry-level ix35 Style 1.6 GDI 2WD (2 wheel drive) and rise to £24,395 for the range topping ix35 Premium 2.0 CRDi 4WD (four wheel drive) equipped with automatic transmission.

We tested the Hyundai ix35 Premium 1.7 CRDi 2 wheel drive (2WD) model coupled to the 6-speed manual transmission with an on the road price of £19,845.

The 1.7 litre CRDi diesel engine, which is available in 2WD form only is the most fuel-efficient model on offer in the ix35 model range and we found the fuel consumption to be very good, whilst touring we achieved 56mpg and 52mpg on a Motorway trip. Our test car was fitted with Intelligent Stop & Go (ISG). ISG automatically shuts off and then restarts the engine in congested city driving helping reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Hyundai quote the following fuel consumption figures with ISG – urban 47.1mpg, extra-urban 58.9mpg and combined 54.3mpg.

The 0-62mph sprint is completed in 12.4 seconds and the top speed is 108mph. The maximum power output of 85kw / 114bhp is delivered @ 4,000rpm.

The engine is willing and eager and didn’t feel as slow as the 0-62mph figures suggest. The 6-speed gearbox was light and easy to operate and the eco gearshift indicator was useful, indicating when to change up or down a gear for maximum fuel efficiency.

We found that the noise from the diesel engine intruded into the cabin and better sound deadening would resolve this issue.