Took delivery of a Hyundai Tucson Ultimate PHEV 4WD a few weeks back (3 weeks from ordering). This was to replace a 2019 BMW X1 2.0i XLine 4WD. Ideally, I would have liked another petrol SUV but none on the scheme appealed. I would have seriously considered leaving the scheme but my wife (the benefit holder) was less keen. The deciding factor was that my wife now needs a person hoist to get in, so I didn’t fancy having that drilled in to a 3 year old BMW X5 (that was my first choice for a private purchase).
We didn’t want a BEV as we don’t want to have to make charging stops away from home on longer trips, so we decided to try a PHEV as we can charge it in our garage after each use and won’t have any range issues (or need to charge) when away from home. So far so good, but we have a holiday next week so will see what the fuel economy is like with only the one charge (before we leave).
In terms of what else was in the shortlist and why did we discount them in lieu of the Tucson;
New Tiguan – Having had 4 previous Tiguans, we both felt that the new one is a step backwards in interior quality. Didn’t like the infotainment setup and the new model has less standard kit than the old one and option prices are ludicrously expensive (more than the premium brands).
Mazda CX-60 – I liked this, but reviews were patchy (ride quality, engine refinement) and the AP was way too high for what it is, especially when the option packs were removed.
Ford Kuga – I like Fords and have had a few, but build quality wasn’t a patch on the Hyundai. The top spec Tucson doesn’t feel like a step down from the BMW, whereas the Ford felt like two steps down.
Subaru Forrester – Big but everything else woeful, including performance, fuel economy, infotainment and truly appalling rear seats (worst I’ve ever sat in).
BMW X1 – Although not yet on the scheme, I was tempted to wait for the PHEV version to appear (which I suspect it will in time). However, after 3 x 24 hour tests in different iX1s, I feel that BMW have over complicated their previously class leading infotainment system and I just didn’t find it anywhere near as user friendly as older versions. The Hyundai system in their latest generation cars is far more intuitive and, as a result, easier to use when driving.
Whilst I’m not a fan of Hyundai’s exterior styling, the interior of our Ultimate was better than anything else we looked at and the standard kit is frankly amazing and seems to work well so far. Early days though and I’ll want to get a good few thousand miles under my belt before really assessing it.