Hyundai Tucson review - Practicality & boot space

The Tucson features new underpinnings, and while it doesn't look much bigger than before, it has actually grown slightly in every direction. It now sits 20mm longer, 15mm wider and 5mm taller, while the space between the front and rear wheels has grown by 10mm. The last figure is particularly important, because while fitting bigger bumpers can make a car longer, its wheelbase usually dictates how much space is available for passengers.

Hyundai Tucson interior space & storage

Hyundai says there's 26mm more rear legroom in the latest Tucson. In conventional and hybrid models alike, the battery has been moved under the rear seats to improve packaging. The folding back seats have also made the switch to a 40:20:40 layout, which is another familiar trait of more expensive SUVs. This has the practical benefit of allowing two adults to sit either side of long items like skis or fishing rods, with the centre seat tipped forwards, and it’s a feature missing from the Renault Austral. The seats can be dropped by tugging levers just inside the boot or automatically in the Ultimate version.

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Boot space

Another benefit of the increase in overall size is a bigger boot. It has jumped up to 620 litres, which is an impressive 33-litre increase. The boot is a rectangular shape, with a slight loading lip making it easy enough to load larger items. It’s worth noting that it isn't quite as large if you choose the hybrid (616 litres) or mild-hybrid petrol (577 litres). Meanwhile, the large battery in the plug-in hybrid means its boot shrinks even more, to 558 litres. 

Fold the rear seats flat and boot space increases to an impressive 1,799 litres in the petrol version, decreasing to 1,737 litres for the plug-in hybrid.

While it's unfortunate that space diminishes depending on the version, even the smallest diesel setup beats the 526 litres offered by the Ford Kuga with its rear seats slid fully forwards. Meanwhile a Skoda Karoq offers between 479-588 litres of space, so the Tucson is very competitive.

Towing

The Hyundai Tucson can tow a braked trailer weighing up to 1,650kg, which matches the Toyota RAV4. However, the Volkswagen Tiguan can haul more, with a limit of 2,500kg for the 2.0-litre TDI with four-wheel drive.