Hyundai ix35 (2009 – 2015) Review

When the Hyundai ix35 was launched, it shifted the dial on how the company and its cars were regarded. Yes, it came with the usual lengthy warranty and low running costs, but it was good to drive and a serious threat to the Nissan Qashqai in the booming SUV sector. It also gave the likes of the Ford Kuga and stablemate the Kia Sportage a lot to think about. Read on for our full Hyundai ix35 review.

The Hyundai ix35 was effectively the replacement for the dated Hyundai Tucson, but it was a very different car in every department.

It’s a huge improvement in design, quality and comfort, but it also retained the South Korean brand’s typical strengths of generous equipment and value for money.

Although it looks like an off-roader, most versions are are two-wheel drive. However, even if you opt for a 4WD model, CO2 emissions and fuel consumption are both lower than with most rivals of the time, helping to keep running costs down.

Sit behind the wheel and you could be forgiven for thinking that you’re in a Volkswagen of the same era, with upmarket, well finished materials and a smart design.

It’s incredibly well equipped with air-conditioning, Bluetooth and heated seats in the front and back. Some of the colour choices are a bit drab, but we can overlook that.

Add in a great range of engines, including a refined and punchy 2.0-litre CRDi diesel that returns a claimed 51.4mpg, and the Hyundai ix35 stands out against more expensive competition as a strong used buy. In fact, there’s very little to criticise.

Good looking, easy to drive and cheap to run, the Hyundai ix35 is one of the best family SUVs on the road for the money.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar’s Hyundai ix35 review here.

There’s a lot to like about the way the Hyundai ix35 drives.

For starters, it doesn’t flop into bends or through corners, showing a surprisingly athletic attitude to handling with little body lean and plenty of grip.

You will notice a slightly firm ride on anything but the smoothest of roads, but this only becomes a small issue if you choose one of the higher spec trims that have 18-inch alloy wheels as standard. They tend to pick up on ruts and dimples.

However, the cabin remains quiet and calm at all speeds, and the Hyundai ix35 is an excellent choice for longer journeys, thanks to its decent refinement.

It’s also handy around town, thanks to its relatively compact size and good turning circle.

The majority of buyers will opt for the excellent 136PS 2.0-litre, which develops a handy 320Nm of torque at 1800-2500 rpm. T

There’s plenty of pulling power on offer from low revs, and the Hyundai ix35 is quiet too.

In contrast, the 4WD version hangs on better, but at the penalty of more noise, especially at around 2000rpm and 60mph in sixth. Usable engine torque doesn’t come in until quite late, at about 1750rpm.

You can trickle down at about 1250rpm, but no lower, or it starts jerking and the gearshift indictor flashes at you to change down.

That actually means you can’t use sixth below about 45mph, and you can’t use fifth under 30mph. Four-wheel drive mode is activated by a button on the dash.

This locks the car into permanent 4WD and works up to 25mph, splitting power equally between the front and rear wheels.

The 163PS petrol engine lacks the low-down pull of the 2.0-litre, but it’s lively enough, and a good engine for buyers who don’t rack up mega mileages.

That said, it too offers decent economy, with a claimed 38mpg, and smooth performance – provided it isn't revved too hard.

The petrol is available as a two-wheel drive only, and has a five-speed gearbox, where the 2.0 diesel is a six-speed.

The entry-level 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.7-litre diesel engines were available from later in 2010. They are perfectly fine, but the larger engines make more sense for almost every buyer.

When it was tested by Euro NCAP in 2010, the Hyundai ix35 scored a five-star rating to make it one of the safest cars on the road at the time.

Time and testing has moved on since then, but all models come with six airbags, ABS anti-lock brakes and ESP traction and stability control.

You also get Isofix child seat mounts in the outer back seats, and rear parking sensors.

The Premium trim added a reversing camera to the mix.

There was no maximum weight quoted for an unbraked trailer being towed by the Hyundai ix35.

However, it can pull between 1600kg and 2000kg depending on the engine and drivetrain of the car you are using.

For that peak number, you need the 2.0-litre diesel model with four-wheel drive.

You sit high and get the impression of a lot of metal around you in the front of the Hyundai ix35.

There’s also plenty of room and adjustment in the driving position, and you’ll find space for three in the back and comfortable seats for longer journeys.

The 591-litre load area is 41 litres bigger than that of a Ford C-MAX of the same age. Yet at 4410mm, it's actually 9mm shorter than the Vauxhall Astra of the period.

Disappointingly, the rear seats don’t fold completely flat in the clever cantilever manner of the previous Hyundai Tucson.

Yet under the load floor, there’s a full-size alloy spare wheel, an exact match for the road wheels, allowing you to rotate and even out tyre wear if you want to.

On the move, the Hyundai ix35 is generally quiet with only a small amount of road noise. One nice touch is that front and rear heated seats are standard – something that only top-end luxury cars can usually boast.

Inside, the Hyundai ix35 not only feels substantial, but also exudes quality.

The materials used are excellent, and there’s a real attention to detail, from the subtle blue backlighting to the Audi-esque leather stitching.

The dash is stylish, with easy-to-read dials and switches that are easy to use on the move.

One minor criticism, though, is that some of the colour choices lend the cabin a slightly drab appearance.

An infotainment touchscreen was an optional extra when the Hyundai ix35 was launched, but it went on to become standard in the SE Nav model.

The seven-inch screen is a bit small compared to the latest crop of infotainment displays, but it’s reasonably clear and easy to use, albeit missing some of the functionality of newer set-ups.

However, it does come with Bluetooth connection and voice recognition.

A Hyundai ix35 for £4500 from a dealer seems like decent value to us.

This will get you an earlier car with around 75,000 miles on the clock, so it still has plenty of life left. At this price point, you’ll have choice of diesel or petrol engines.

For something newer, you’ll need a budget of £10,500 for a late Hyundai ix35 with the 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine and four-wheel drive.

This nets you a very well equipped Premium model with 40,000 miles to its name.

If you want to keep costs down as much as possible with the Hyundai ix35, you should look to the 1.7-litre turbodiesel with its Intelligent Stop-Go system.

This switches off the engine automatically when the driver puts the car into neutral at a standstill.

This only comes with front-wheel drive, further saving weight, and Hyundai claimed an average fuel consumption of up to 54.3mpg.

In normal driving, our Real MPG data shows this to work out at 48mpg, which is pretty good.

The 2.0-litre turbodiesel with four-wheel drive claims 49.6mpg, but delivers around 36mpg, or nearer 30mpg with the automatic transmission.

Opt for a petrol and the rare 2.0-litre unit had an official figure of 37.7mpg, and gets close with around 35mpg.

More common is the 1.6 petrol that Hyundai quoted as delivering up to 44.1mpg. In our experience, this figure is more likely to be in the low-30s.

Road tax comes in at between £180 and £365 depending on the model you choose, with the 1.7 diesel offering the cheapest annual fee.

Insurance should be not too much of burden for most drivers. The mid-range 1.7 CRDi ISG SE Nav, for example, falls into group 17 (out of 50).

The Hyundai ix35 range sits between groups 14 and 22, so none should be too pricey to get covered.

When the model was launched, it came in just two trim levels, starting with the Hyundai ix35 Style.

It has 17-inch alloy wheels, ESP, air-conditioning, Bluetooth phone connectivity, heated front and rear seats, electric heated door mirrors with integrated LED side repeaters, a leather steering wheel and gear knob, reverse parking sensors and a trip computer.

The Hyundai ix35 Premium version addx 18-inch alloys, a double-length panoramic glass sunroof, automatic headlights, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, electric folding door mirrors and keyless entry with an engine start/stop button.

It also enjoys rear privacy glass, rain-sensing wipers, part-leather upholstery and roof rails. Options include full leather seats, touchscreen sat-nav and a reversing camera.

In 2013, the line-up was revised with S, SE, SE Nav, Premium and Premium Nav models.

The Hyundai ix35 S offers 16-inch alloy wheels, remote central locking with alarm, USB and Aux connections, air-conditioning, a glove compartment with cooling function, trip computer, Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) and Downhill Brake Control.

Move to the Hyundai ix35 SE and you get 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition, cruise control, front foglights, heated front and rear seats, LED tail-lights, rear parking sensors, an auto dimming rear-view mirror and leather steering wheel and gearknob.

The Hyundai ix35 SE Nav goes further with sat-nav with traffic alerts, a rear-view parking camera, upgraded seven-speaker sound system and ‘sharkfin’ antenna.

With the Hyundai ix35 Premium, you benefit from 18-inch alloys, bi-xenon headlights with self-levelling system, chrome door handles and headlamp washers. There’s also keyless entry, leather seats and privacy glass.

The Hyundai ix35 Premium Panorama adds an electric tilt and slide panoramic sunroof as standard.