Larger, edgier, more engaging … the fourth generation of this medium sports utility makes a strong pitch for category gold.

Price: $72,990

Powertrain and economy: 1.6-litre turbo diesel inline four with 100kW/320Nm, seven-speed dual clutch automatic, AWD, combined economy 5.2L/100km, CO2 135 grams per kilometre.

Vital statistics: 4500mm long, 1865mm wide, 1650mm high, 2670mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 620 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Compelling, up-to-the-minute sophistication and quality; roomy; drives well.

We don’t like: Flawed CarPlay integration; turbo petrol better value at this spec level.

 TUCSON holds status as Hyundai’s strongest seller so, conceivably, it stands as the most important car with brand fans.

 In any other year but this one, right? Electric is the future and there’s so much going on in 2021; Government ambition is cemented and brands are rolling out product in increasing count.

Among them South Korea’s largest car maker. Already an early leader in that field, Hyundai is now of course immersing all the deeper with its first car to be designed, engineered and produced purely with batteries onboard.

Timing for the release of the landmark Ioniq 5 could be considered to be uncomfortably close to Tucson’s launch drive. Basically, within a month of the first settling into sale, showrooms were being reconfigured to accommodate the second.

In isolation, the new Tucson presents as a huge talking point. It has smart new looks, fresh engines, plenty of tech. And it has a huge following; plenty of owners of the preceding generations will surely be keen to check out what’s new.

And yet, history will ultimately reflect that a vehicle that could fairly be considered the last of its kind in a fossil-fuelled context will be considered less important than the car making wholesale commitment to the powertrain core to our future.

Regardless that these models have little commonality in duty or design, on occasion of anyone sauntering into a sales area to see what this Tucson is about is very likely to have attention diverted by the other brand-new thing in the viewing arena. It has such a commanding presence.

So, regardless Ioniq 5 and Tucson are world’s apart, the simple fact of these representing worlds in collision is pertinent. Would you go to buy one and instead fall for the other? Simply the price of the high-end Tucson on test here being close to the sticker attached to an entry edition of the latest electric is hardly going to be useful when reconciling that one. 

Times are changing. Tucson has more to present, as well. In the here and now, all drivetrains are as they have always been: Purely fossil-fuelled. Next year, though, we will have this five-seat sports utility wagon in mild and plug-in petrol-electric form. Will there be a full electric further in the future? Potentially not as a Tucson. Perhaps, though, something might emerge on the Ioniq’s platform.

Ioniq is not the only familial product that might stand to rattle Tucson’s cage. As always, there is a Kia cousin to consider; albeit from early next year – incredibly, Tucson has a six month head start over the Kia Sportage.

However, there won’t be one without the other.  Of course, the Kia and Hyundai each have their own external styling directions; interior presentations also alter to suit each brand’s mood, though fundamentals within the cabin won’t.

This time, however, though both platform-share, Kia’s car is on a slightly longer wheelbase. Also, the engine on test here is the one that appears least likely, simply by dint of their sourcing arrangements (Hyundais from Europe, Kias out of South Korea) represent in the sibling marque’s catalogue.

On top of all this, the brands’ SUV pricing strategies weight in. Sorento is already so much less expensive than its Santa Fe sister ship. Will Sportage undercut Tucson just as markedly? While only one Sportage sticker is so far known, this being for a 2.0-litre front-drive model that requires buy-in before Christmas to be eligible for a special introductory price, the fact that this model when discounted undercuts its Tucson equivalent by $15k is in itself gulp-worthy. These brands have always been competitive, yet that’s a heck of a punch.

If that scrap broadens, then the Tucson tested here is likely to be the only variant on the Hyundai side to escape bruising; simply because it’s 1.6 turbodiesel is the only powerplant not shared into the Kia portfolio.

As energetic as it feels, this engine falls short of being the maker’s mighty mite. With 100kW and 320Nm, it makes 37kW less power and 96Nm less torque than the 2.0-litre diesel that presumably would have been implanted in the car had Hyundai here chosen to source it from South Korea rather than the Czech Republic.  So why didn’t they? Two words: Clean Car.

Government’s impending emissions and economy regulations are going to be least kind to diesels as a rule. Hyundai here thinks the 2.0-litre engine – which Kia is taking – will be hit by penalties however it is confident the 1.6 will not, this latter engine having been engineered to meet tough pollutions regs in Europe, where it otherwise contains to.

This isn’t all crystal clear, yet, because Hyundai’s quoted figures are with the NEDC test cycle, which is a bit old now and not what the Government uses to see if a car is too polluting or not. NEDC figures are typically a bit lean, meaning the car really uses more fuel and emits more CO2 in the real world.

Another element to all this is that the diesel might be a short-termer regardless, as Hyundai here just isn’t sure about the health of combustion ignition interest in the wake of Dieselgate and, so, it might yet decide that the impending petrol hybrids might better meet that consumer desire anyway. They’re Green enough and should be gutsy, making 169kW/350Nm combined and 195kW/350Nm combined respectively.

Even so, the diesel in the here does nothing to disgrace itself; it feels muscular and easy-going and not too audible, even at start-up from cold. Our own car is a quasi competitor, being a diesel Skoda Karoq, and in terms of refinement, performance and efficiency, the Korean engine gives our VW Group 2.0-litre a good run, particularly out in open road conditions. Only if you’re really hoofing does it lose composure; go easy and it’s just a smooth worker. After a couple of hours 100kmh touring it was returning an indicated average fuel consumption of 6.3 litres/100km, which didn’t seem too bad for this size and shape of vehicle. Notwithstanding that the road user charge has to be taken into account, that sort of running makes for cost effective ownership.

This engine fulfils in three variants, topping out with the Limited on test, which has all the fineries but is also an expensive choice, being in fact the most expensive version of the Tucson family. That dulls the allure, frankly. For the same money, rivals will offer larger alternates. Including, erm, a next size-up-model from a certain Hyundai stablemate.  

So, while it is stronger in feel and also more relaxed than the other current choices for Hyundai, I’d probably rather save $4000 and buy into the 1.6 turbo petrol, which is livelier, has a sweeter sound, a more engaging temperament for those who think the ‘sport’ part of SUV should really mean something and doesn’t have too much of a drinking problem. That engine also engages through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic which is preferable to the entry model’s six-speed traditional auto. Also, the 1.6T petrol comes with the N Sport dress-up, which adds an interior trim package including different seats, plus a gloss black grille, twin-outlet exhaust and special alloys.

Talking of looks. In an incredibly saturated corner of the market, it’s good to find a vehicle that stands out for being boldly styled – more on that in a minute – and also impressively finished and kitted.

Impeccable assembly has long been a Hyundai trademark, but this is a brand also pushing to be considered more premium, which shows in the design as much as the specification.

The cabin’s fitout and presentation is a big step up from the preceding car, which in its own right wasn’t too bad, with a trim that’s still durable yet clearly more upmarket. The elegant sweep of fabric and metallic/piano black finishes across the dashboard alone speak to a generous budget.

Ultimately the exterior treatment makes the bolder, more glam statement, with crisp slashes in the bodywork and, of course, those impossible-to-ignore parametric lights at the front. Call the LED-laden frontage cool, call it ‘quirky’, yet it is well rendered.

When the lights are off, it looks like one large grille, and when illuminated, there's a unique light signature. It is certainly something to behold in the dark; it’s your SUV turned ‘Close Encounters’ spaceship. The array is largely decorative as it’s only the lower set that actually provides the illumination, with corner-mounted foglights in back-up. The rest is just for show and showing off. One thought: Rear-enders are almost always the fault of a following driver. I’d had to be the inattentive person who wrecked the front and was landed a repair bill.

As bold as the front-end is, you need to check out the rear too; the more epxensive models take a full-width LED strip that lights up under braking.

That interior also reaches high, with a new centre console that has a slab of digital screen with large and crisp icons sitting above media and air conditioning controls; all touch-based at this price. Buy the entry car you have to settle for physical controls and analogue gauges instead of the Limited’s swish and highly coherent digital instrument cluster.

Every version, though, has the gear selection system that, as per the Santa Fe, removes a traditional stick in the middle and instead provisions push buttons for park, reverse, neutral and drive. It frees up space, but cannot be hurried and you find yourself double-checking every selection. So better? Not really. Just different. You’ve another toggle switch nearby, which clicks through Sport and Eco modes. The car defaults into the latter on start up, but likely as not you’ll soon alter it.  

The effort to go upmarket is undermined a little by shapeless front seats and finding that, somewhat strangely, the higher-end Tucsons don’t have the wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay meted the lower-spec ones. This is apparently due to how the wireless charging and navigation systems work. It’s not awkward having to cable in your phone but I’d be irked to pay more to get less just because of a factory fail. Wrong-way around wiper and indicator stalks also arrive through its Czech sourcing.

This model being on the shorter wheelbase than its Kia cousin won’t seem any issue, given how spacious it is, not just up front but also in the rear. It’s not quite stretch-out limo-like, and a reminder that the rear bench is better for two than three came when a seatbelt alert flashed up after two friends buckled into the back. Turned out one was sitting on the anchor point for the vacant centre position. Tucson also has a big boot and quick-access levers in the allow you to stow the rear seats remotely – a feature everyday users will no doubt appreciate.The Limited has a motorised hatch that can be opened remotely or by waving a foot under the bumper; also great when you have your arms full. But it is a bit flighty; it surprised me when it activated without me intending it to. The only reason for it triggering seemed to be that I was simply standing behind the car for a period.

Tucson’s driving demeanour is pretty par for the course; it’s aimed at families so puts comfort-first, and that’s reasonable. There’s surely going to be a pukka N version en route, nd although the introductory drive in deepest Taranaki proved it can be up for fun, ultimately you’d stretch to call it an all-out driver’s car. However, in its own way, it is quite satisfying to drive. The powerplant has no particular difficulty motivating the car, but the effect of the mass is obvious when you push beyond a certain point; then you will encounter understeer. Still, it has good traction, hardly suffers for grip and the control weights feel about right. It’s very tidy for what it is.

An absolutely huge array of active safety equipment is a great back stop. There’s a ton of tech on board to keep you out of trouble in various driving situations. All models get automatic emergency braking in response to hazards such as pedestrians or cyclists, blind spot warnings and interventions, ‘intelligent’ speed limit warnings and steering interventions to keep you in your lane. The forward collision assist can be a bit too well-meaning in its intrusions, likewise the lane keep, but you cannot knock the intent.

What I like about the Tucson is that, as much as it is still strong on practicality, there’s a far more profound sense of style and quality this time around. Sure, the ‘sensuous sportiness’ styling theme is rather confrontational, but it’s not an uncomfortably-styled car and there are many elements to its design and equipment level that would not be out of place in a truly premium product. As one ‘for instance’, the instrument binnacle integrating blind spot cameras that display what’s going on around you is a feature you don’t see in much more expensive fair.

It’ll take until the hybrids’ arrival next year for Hyundai here to have a complete rival to the RAV4, whose battery-assisted drivetrain has been a real sector-pleaser – though, on that note, the Tucson will surely leap ahead with a plug-n replenishment capability lacking from the NZ-provisioned Toyota.

Is the diesel a better punt than the 1.6 turbo petrol? Realistically, while the former does nothing wrong, it might not have a long time here and, frankly, the petrol is a cracker. Plus it provisions in a cheaper, even more eye-catching package.

The only other hesitancy is one that arises with every Hyundai that has a Kia equivalent. If you’re prepared to wait until early next year, there’s nothing to say the Sportage won’t be just as good. And nothing to suggest it won’t be at a stronger price point.

Considering purely on grounds of its design, engineering and technology uptake, it comes up extremely well within Hyundai’s strong suite of SUVs in this market. Positioned above the Venue and Kona and below the Santa Fe and Palisade, this Tucson surely settles in as the family kingpin.