Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Hyundai ix35 SUV (2009-2016) - Practicality & boot space

There’s plenty of space inside the Hyundai ix35 and the boot is a good size, if a little tricky to use

Carbuyer Rating

3.5 out of 5

Owners Rating

3.8 out of 5

Read owner reviews
Practicality & boot space Rating

3.4 out of 5

Hyundai ix35 interior space & storage

The Hyundai ix35 has quite a striking exterior design, but that doesn’t come without compromise to interior comfort. For example, the line that runs below the side windows sweeps up towards the back of the car. That makes the ix35 look sporty, but it also reduces the size of the rear windows, which makes for a rather dark interior.

That sweeping line also means that the rear-most roof pillars are extremely thick, which can make reversing tricky. It also increases the size of your blind spot when you’re changing lanes on the motorway. The rear window isn’t that large, either, making it hard to see out the back when reversing.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The ix35 is 4.4 metres long and 1.8 metres wide, which is pretty close to the size of a Ford Focus. However, the Hyundai is obviously taller, which gives you a much more commanding view of the road. Parking sensors are standard on the SE model and above.

The rear doors are a little on the small side, which can make getting up into the back of the ix35 awkward. Once in, there’s a decent amount of room – the floor is flat across the back, too, so even a middle-seat rear passenger should be able to get quite comfortable. However, taller rear-seat passengers may struggle for headroom due to the curve of the roof.

Boot space

Boot space is good, with 591 litres on offer – way up on the 456 litres of the Ford Kuga or 416 litres of the Skoda Yeti. The boot is well shaped, too, making it easy to load large, square items.

The rear seatbacks fold with a 60:40 split, but there’s no remote boot release on the key fob, as there is with some rivals. The rear seat bases doesn’t fold up, either, so you don’t get a completely flat load space, but the 1,436 litres of room is decent, if slightly smaller than what you get in both the Ford and Skoda with seats down. 

The Hyundai also has a host of useful hooks and cubbyholes around the cabin to keep small items from flying around. However, like all high-riding SUVs, the ix35 suffers from a high load lip. This isn’t a particular problem in day-to-day use, but lifting heavier items in can be a bit of a struggle.p;

The practicality of the ix35 FCEV is compromised by its large hydrogen fuel cell, which cuts into boot space, reducing it to 436 litres from the normal 591. Other than that, though, the car matches the other models in the ix35 range.

Towing

If you plan to use the ix35 for towing, the 1.6-litre petrol and 1.7-litre diesel models can pull a braked trailer of up to 1,200kg. The 2.0-litre automatic diesel model can tow up to 1,600kg, while the 2.0-litre manual diesel can manage a full 2,000kg.

That makes the ix35 pretty competitive, although the Toyota RAV4 has a higher towing limit. Even so, with its four-wheel-drive traction and powerful 2.0-litre CRDi diesel, the ix35 is a very capable tow car. All models can also cope with a load of 100kg on a roof

Skip advert
Advertisement

Richard is a former editor of Carbuyer, as well as sister site DrivingElectric.com, and he's now Deputy Editor at Auto Express. Having spent a decade working in the automotive industry, he understands exactly what makes new car buyers tick.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
28 Mar 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
26 Mar 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
26 Mar 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide
Public EV charge point
Tips and advice
11 Jan 2023

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
best electric cars
Best cars
28 Mar 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024