MID-SIZE MARVELS

The latest breed of family SUVs are loaded with technology but don’t come cheap

Mid-sized SUVs are the most popular vehicles on the road these days but price rises have pushed some of the better equipped models close to $50,000, out of the reach of young families. So with an eye on the bank balance, we’ve assembled the cheapest versions of the new Hyundai Tucson and Volkswagen Tiguan, plus Toyota’s best-selling RAV4.

HYUNDAI TUCSON

Bold styling ensures the new Tucson will turn heads.

Priced from a touch more than $38,000 drive-away, the SUV comes with the most comprehensive safety package of this trio. The Tucson will pull you back into line if you try to change lanes when there’s a car in your blind spot and prevent your kids from opening the rear doors if there’s another car coming.

It will also slam on the brakes if you’re about to back into a pedestrian, while there’s an airbag between the driver and front passenger to stop them from clashing heads.

Entry-level Tucson models get an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless phone charging, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s no satnav or climate control aircon, though, and no push-button start.

The dashboard looks great, with a nicely sculpted design similar to high-end luxury cars, but the driver’s 4.2-inch screen is basic. Upgrading to a full-width digital dashboard requires spending $3500 for the N-Line pack, which also includes leather and suede seats, bigger wheels and other goodies.

There’s no doubting the cabin appeal, but the Tucson is let down by its standard engine.

It uses a claimed 8.1L/100km to make modest 115kW and 192Nm outputs, sounding noisy and stressed while doing so. An indecisive transmission doesn’t help, swapping gears often as it looks to extract the most from the engine.

You have to spend a further $4300 for a more powerful and efficient 1.6-litre turbo engine with 132kW and 265Nm, paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive traction.