Tucson is off to a great start

By last Wednesday there were 1,116 pretty smug car owners in the country and another big cohort of people would have been very pleased that a further shipment of Hyundai Tucsons had docked in Dublin and was being distributed to customers up to yesterday.

For, with some reservations, the new and totally revised Tucson is one of the biggest steps forward for an existing car in recent times. But it shouldn't be forgotten that the previous model Tucson was one of the most successful cars on the Irish market, often topping the overall sales chart. Even in the very difficult 2020 it held second place, with 3,227 cars sold, which gave it 3.65pc of the market.

With its strong start the new Tucson is likely to be the country's top seller this year and, from what I have seen, this will be well-deserved.

Why?

Well, this fourth-generation Tucson (sometimes called the iX35 in previous versions) offers more space in roughly the same footprint, very accessible good technology with really clear instrumentation, attractive design - especially from the front - and some excellent hybrid petrol and battery power plants. This latter point puts the diesel engines, on which the Tucson so often relied in the past, into the shade and are worth the price hike - except for very large mileage owners who might be doing a lot of motorway journeys.

However, beyond all that the Tucson now drives so well. Where the previous models lumbered, the new version has a precise agility that belies it as a five-person SUV which looks as though it will take on the rough side but in practice will be bought as a robust 2WD vehicle for the school run and general family driving.

You'll get good economy around town, possibly as much as 5.8l/100km (48mpg), and really perky performance.

There is excellent leg and headroom in the rear and its luggage capacity of 616 litres is first class - the Tucson took my bike in seconds when the seats folded flat. The test car was the Executive Plus Hybrid model at €42,095 before p&p, with massive 19-inch alloys. Purists might say that there would be a slighter softer ride on smaller wheels, but anyone who loves the impact of a big family SUV will go for the 19s.

I loved the wraparound front cockpit, which had just the right amount of chrome and different black textures of cloth and plastic to give a real upmarket feel.

It stands comparison with some of the top Teutonic models. The ambient mood cabin lighting will be especially liked. The automatic box with the hybrid models is absolutely quiet and seamless in its operation and its four-button control is a lovely upmarket feature - as are the 10.25-inch screens for both the infotainment and the instrument panel. The controls for the heating and ventilation, including steering wheel and seats, are separate and very easy to use.

The entry-level Comfort Plus diesel is €32,845, with the 1.6 petrol hybrids beginning at €36,345. A plug-in hybrid is on the way and I would think a full EV can't be far behind.

The Tucson is really striking to look at, especially if it is in your rear-view mirror. It makes a statement. But as they say, it doesn't matter how you look if you can't walk the talk. The Tucson does.

However, I was annoyed that there wasn't a driver's side grab handle. These are very useful for people getting into such an impressive car.

Initially more worryingly, a reader told me he was put off buying by the lights of the Tucson - which certainly look the business but didn't cut the mustard for him, especially seeing the verges on dark and unlit roads.

He wanted my opinion. Frankly I had no complaints and I was driving at night - albeit on suburban roads and Phoenix Park - for seven days. I also trawled through other writers and sites as well as putting the question to Hyundai and again found that no issues with the lights had been reported.

In fact the overall lighting system gets an awful lot of positive comments, mainly because of the design. I must take the reader at his word. Yet he was going from an MPV to a very chunky SUV and it may take a bit of getting used to in achieving the right driving position.

However, he asks a very pertinent question about whether there is a certain standard of light output in lumens the car manufactures have to achieve to pass tests in Europe. In fact Hyundai gave me a pretty comprehensive answer: "The parametric lighting and integrated wing lighting (Halogen or LED) conform and exceed European vehicle UN-ECE regulation build and safety legislation and in real time provide extraordinary driver vision when driving the New Tucson."

It might be worth the reader trying the Tucson again. He could be missing out on what he says was a "lovely car inside and out". There is also the excellent five-year warranty.

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One of the successes for Volkswagen, as it pivots away from memories of dieselgate into an electrified future, was the launch of the fully electric ID.3 hatchback last year. Coming later this spring is its big sister the ID.4, a very tasty fully-electric crossover which doesn't go the whole SUV route but still has a very impressive road presence. About 1,700 sales are likely to be made this year, with a number being the First Edition model with a range of 520km.

The car has bigger space than the very popular Tiguan but is a much smoother and sleeker ride. I took it out briefly recently and thought it stunning.

There is a very good value version for €43,426 (after grants), which may come down by another €1,200 if the 21pc VAT rate is extended after next month.

There is also a very highly specced €56,565 model and, at the other end, a 52kwh version on the way with a 348km range at under €36,000 (after grants).

What I really liked about the ID.4 was its very stylish look inside and out. It has class. The Tuscon may be going full out to become a massively successful SUV with all the tricks of that rather aggressive sector. But the ID.4 had more actual relaxed style and for those people who want to go electric and want a nice blend of saloon, hatchback and crossover it could really appeal.