Hyundai Tucson (2015-2020) review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The Tucson is a reasonably spacious crossover - ideal for growing families

Overall Auto Express Rating

3.5 out of 5

Practicality, comfort and boot space Rating

4.3 out of 5

Price
£31,440 to £40,325
Find your Hyundai Tucson
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Advertisement

Four six-footers won’t have any trouble getting comfortable in the Tucson, thanks to a roomy cabin that’s near the top of the class space-wise. Room in the boot is competitive as well; with the back seats in place, there’s 513 litres on offer.

This swells to 1,503 litres with the seats folded, which is comfortably larger than the Kadjar’s 472 and 1,478 litres. However, it’s just a shame that the rear seat backs don’t lie flat when folded, robbing the Tucson of a few extra litres of space.

Even with the Tucson’s sloping roof, there’s plenty of headroom, and all the doors open wide allowing easy access. But that sloping roof and thick rear roof pillars do have impact on rear visibility – parking sensors are a must.

Size

The Tucson is both longer and wider than its closest rival, the Nissan Qashqai, a car which isn’t exactly short on space inside.

The larger body naturally makes for more space inside than some of the Tucson's most competitive rivals, so you certainly won't feel claustrophobic when you're behind the wheel.

Leg room, head room and passenger space

Whether you're transporting three children or three adults, there’ll be no complaints about a lack of space in the Tucson. Even behind a long-legged driver, there’s still enough space for another adult, while the shallow transmission tunnel means there’s also a good amount of legroom for those in the rear, too. However, the centre rear seat isn’t the best in the class: it’s quite narrow and firm, meaning that the Tucson isn’t the most comfortable family crossover with three passengers in the back.

Boot

The 513-litre boot in the Tucson is 83 litres larger than the Qashqai’s capacity, while with the rear seats folded flat space increases to 1,503 litres. However, these capacities are for the petrol models. Go for a diesel, and the need to fit an AdBlue tank means boot space decreases to 484 litres and 1,474 litres respectively.

If you go for the Tucson 4x4, load capacity is affected again to accommodate the additional drive and the 48-volt hybrid system beneath the rear seats. Boot space decreases to 459 litres with all five seats in place and 1,449 litres with the rear seats folded. All cars have a space-saver spare wheel under the boot floor except for the 2.0 CRDi Mild Hybrid, which has a tyre repair kit.

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.6 TGDi SE Connect 5dr 2WD
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £30,075

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.6 TGDi 48V MHD SE Connect 5dr 2WD DCT
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £32,250

Fastest

  • Name
    1.6 TGDi 48V MHD 180 N Line S 5dr 4WD DCT
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £38,440

Most Popular

New Renault Scenic 2023 review: the famous nameplate returns in style
Renault Scenic - front
Road tests

New Renault Scenic 2023 review: the famous nameplate returns in style

We get behind the wheel of new all-electric Renault Scenic to see what all the fuss is about
27 Nov 2023
UK firm fitting ‘pop bang’ aftermarket exhausts fined in landmark court case
MINI Hatch exhaust
News

UK firm fitting ‘pop bang’ aftermarket exhausts fined in landmark court case

A successful court action against a workshop advertising and fitting non-standard exhaust parts is ‘a lesson for businesses’ from the DVSA
23 Nov 2023
“Renault is taking over as the manufacturer of cars for the people”
Opinion - Renault Twingo
Opinion

“Renault is taking over as the manufacturer of cars for the people”

Mike Rutherford thinks Renault is doing more than any other manufacturer when it comes to making affordable electric cars
26 Nov 2023