Hyundai Tucson PHEV
A healthy electric-only range gives this popular family SUV another selling point On sale Now Price from £39,330
Plug-in hybrid version of Hyundai’s roomy family SUV promises a healthy electric range and low running costs – at a price
THESE DAYS, A family SUV doesn’t earn its school run stripes unless it offers a plug-in hybrid option. The ability to do routine daily journeys on battery power alone, combined with a petrol engine for splash-and-dash convenience on longer trips at the weekends, is understandably compelling.
The Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) is the latest to join the roster of electrified SUVS, which include the larger Ford Kuga, the Peugeot 3008 and premium options such as our 2021 Family SUV of the Year, the Volvo XC40.
The Tucson PHEV uses a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine and a six-speed automatic gearbox, working together with an electric motor that’s powered by a 13.8kwh battery. On a full charge (which will take about seven hours from a three-pin domestic socket, or two hours from a 7kw home wallbox), the Tucson is good for up to 38 miles of zero-emissions driving, together with the possibility of up to 201.8mpg if you can plug in regularly and do mostly short trips.
Unlike many of the plug-in hybrid alternatives in this class, the Tucson comes with four-wheel drive and a variety of terrain settings, but in practice it’s no heavy-duty off-roader, and its towing capacity is a relatively weedy 1350kg (braked). However, four-wheel drive gives the Tucson a bit more of a ‘proper SUV’ feel than front-wheel-drive rivals and promises extra peace of mind on slippery roads, due to its enhanced traction.
Stick the car in Pure EV mode and it’ll quietly whirr all the way up to motorway speeds. It’s easy to drive smoothly when running on electric power, thanks to its seamless acceleration, but the inconsistent brake feel takes some getting used to.
It’s a shame that the petrol engine and electric motor don’t work particularly slickly as a team in Hybrid mode, nor do they bring especially sparkling performance on faster roads. Even moderate acceleration sometimes brings a slight hesitation in forward momentum, together with a noticeable change in how responsive the accelerator is when electricity passes the baton over to petrol power. This is exacerbated by the automatic gearbox’s fairly lazy shifts.
Fortunately, things feel rather more calm
and collected when you’re just trundling around town; here, the quick, light steering is really pleasant to use, although it can be easy to turn in to a corner more aggressively than you intended to. Up the speed on open roads and there’s plenty of body lean during hard cornering, even with the optional Tech Pack (£1050), which includes adaptive suspension. With this fitted, ride comfort is soft and cushy yet nicely settled at higher speeds, although scruffy town roads still bring about a subtle fidget.
Inside, the PHEV is little different from any other Tucson, except you can’t buy it in entrylevel SE Connect trim, just sporty N Line and more luxury-oriented Premium and Luxury trims. All give you a supportive, heated driver’s seat with adjustable lumbar support, plus convenient wireless phone charging and a comprehensive 10.3in infotainment touchscreen that’s one of the best in the class.
The PHEV is just as good for rear passengers as any other Tucson, too; they’re treated to reclining seatbacks and can stretch out, thanks to generous reserves of head and leg room. That said, although the Tucson is broad compared with most of its rivals, shoulder room is still a bit tight when three adults sit side by side.
The boot, meanwhile, is wide and spacious and will easily swallow a double buggy and all the associated family gubbins, but space taken by the battery means you don’t get the underfloor storage that other Tucsons offer.
If you’re a company car driver, the Tucson PHEV falls into the same 11% benefit-in-kind tax band as the Kuga. While the Tucson’s higher price pushes payments up by around £300 a year over the equivalent Kuga, it will still cost far less in car tax than any comparable diesel or petrol alternative.
As with its siblings, the Tucson PHEV is comfy, well equipped and spacious. But as PHEVS go, it isn’t particularly quick or refined, and the Kuga usefully undercuts it on price.
SAYS Pricey plug-in Tucson offers economy advantages but doesn’t raise the game