Hyundai’s SUV star revealed

Keep an ‘i’ on Hyundai at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The revamp of the Korean brand’s entire range will continue with a big brother for the i10, i20 and i30.

The ix35 is an all-new compact SUV that will replace the Tucson. And these images show it’s likely to draw heavily on the styling cues of the ix-onic concept which premiered at March’s Geneva Motor Show. It will also set the design agenda for future Hyundai models.

Updated petrol and diesel engines from the firm’s current line-up will be used. Insiders say the ix35 will have a similar pricing structure to the Nissan Qashqai, which costs from £13,000 to £22,000. A key rival will be Ford’s Kuga, and it’s claimed to match the blue oval 4x4 for power, driveability and practicality.

Like Hyundai’s other ‘i’ model, the ix35 has been created at the firm’s design and technical centres in Frankfurt. But it won’t be the only new SUV on Hyundai’s show stand.

A facelifted version of the larger Santa Fe will also debut, with styling revisions plus new powertrain, steering and suspension set-ups. The idea is to fine-tune the driving experience to help it keep up with fresher rivals.

“SUVs have been a cornerstone of our success for many years and have helped to raise the profile of the Hyundai brand in Europe,” said Allan Rushforth, Vice-President of Hyundai Motor Europe.