It’s one of the vehicles we are asked most about here in Rev.ie. The good value and stylish Hyundai Tucson is a crossover that oozes family appeal and has done extremely well on the Irish market. Not only was it voted Irish mid sized SUV Of The Year in 2017 but it also topped the charts as the highest selling SUV in 2016. Much of that is down to its large interior, refined ride, affordable price and excellent resale value. The Tucson essentially replaced the ix35 and arrived onto the Irish market with a more aggressive design that has an imposing front grille, large wheel arches and bulging bodylines. It made the outgoing ix35 look a little sheepish by comparison.

As with all Hyundai’s of this generation the Tucson is well equipped with every model getting LED daytime running lights, alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, automatic headlights and steering wheel controls. Inside you are greeted with a spacious cabin that uses functional hardwearing plastics in areas most prone to abuse. Once seated the driver and passenger get large comfortable multi adjustable seats, which are not intrusive on rear legroom even when the seats are moved back to accommodate a driver of six foot. The rear bench seat can take three adults with ease and long journeys should not be in anyway cumbersome with decent headroom.

At the time of writing there were five engines to choose from, which included two diesel and three petrol variants. Our test vehicle was fitted with the most economical 1.7CRDi with 116hp, which returns a claimed 61.4mpg. This for us was the engine to have but if your annual mileage doesn’t warrant diesel power then the entry-level 1.6-litre petrol should suffice. Both are front wheel drive, which is more than adequate for our climate. Should we see more harsh winters with snow then there is an all wheel drive offering. Fuel consumption for the 1.6-petrol and 2.0-litre diesels is less impressive but in straight-line performance they will both pull better than the 1.7CRDi.

Hyundai’s latest driver assistance systems are available, including lane keep assist and blind spot monitoring to help keep you safe on long drives, as well as active emergency braking to prevent or reduce the impact of collisions. If you purchase an automatic model you can also get an automated parking system that requires the driver to operate nothing but the brake pedal as the sensors guide you into a parking spot. Our test car at the time was priced at €29,995 but entry into the Tucson started at €25,245. The 2.0 litre diesel was a shade over €28,000 at the time of launch.

The Tucson is a good value crossover that’s practical and extremely easy to live with. It drives very pleasant albeit with a hint of body-roll through the corners but that’s to be expected from a vehicle of this height that is predominantly aimed at comfort and not sportiness. For piece of mind Hyundai are hard to beat with an unlimited mileage five-year warranty compared to most other brands conventional three year or mileage limited warranty. For us the smart buyer will opt for a 1.7CRDi in perhaps SE Nav trim and you will enjoy a well-equipped SUV that will give all of the comfort and refinement of a premium car with the added practicality for a hell of a lot less.