Hyundai ix35 Highlander diesel 2010 Review

Hyundai ix35 Highlander diesel and ix35 Elite petrol

Road Test

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It seems to us that the ix35, Hyundai's replacement for the Tucson, is a car that owes much to Ford's Europe-only (so far) Kuga for its looks. The small Ford crossover would have been on the radar of Hyundai's European styling studio, although the Kuga may have reached the market too late to play a major part in the ix35's design.

Hyundai's compact SUV embodies the same sort of flowing style also a prominent element in the design of the company's iFlow sedan concept. It's clear that the ix35's 'Fluidic Sculpture', to use Hyundai's term, represents the future design direction for the Korean manufacturer.

And no wonder. Compared with some of the ix35's local rivals in the compact SUV segment, it's an attractive car indeed. And the Hyundai's appeal doesn't end with its looks.

The Carsales Network recently tested two variants of the ix35, the flagship Highlander grade with the turbodiesel/automatic combination and the mid-range Elite grade with 2.4-litre petrol paired with automatic transmission also. On the road, either variant of the ix35 feels like a first-generation RAV4. They have the same compact and nimble feel about them.

In both cases, too, the ix35 combines practicality with comfort and a fair degree of driveability -- particularly with the combination of 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine and Hyundai's own six-speed automatic in the Highlander model.

The Highlander's diesel engine was noisier than expected though. At freeway speeds it was often a 'battle of the bands' contest between road noise from the Kumho 225/55 R18 tyres and the engine for noise vibration and harshness (NVH) in the cabin.

You would forgive the noise from the engine if you were expecting this car to be a low-$30K entrant in the segment, but it's just under $38K before on-roads. And it is the super-lux flagship of the range! Countering NVH should be even more of a priority in a flagship getting up there in price.

By contrast the 2.4-litre petrol engine in the ix35 Elite is altogether nicer. It has a slightly hollow timbre about it, but it's relatively sporty and refined, plus it will rev to its 6500rpm redline without qualm and it provides decent performance from 2000rpm right through the rev range.

At freeway speeds, it's practically inaudible and what noise there is permeating the cabin comes from the tyres and wind.

There are two reasons why buyers would choose the diesel over the petrol engine -- and they're the same as always: more torque, lower fuel consumption. Fuel use for the diesel-engined ix35 over the week was 9.2L/100km, which included a bit of offroad work and very little of your actual open-road touring. The petrol-engined ix35, also called upon to do very little cruising, returned a figure of 12.6L/100km. No offroad work for the petrol variant, but it was given a bit of an on-road thrashing.

Despite its noisiness, the diesel's impressive grunt will earn it forgiveness from ix35 owners. Turbo lag is noticeable from a standing start, but after the wait the engine really hauls. It's matched to Hyundai's six-speed automatic transmission in this application and the two make a lovely coupling.

Designed in-house by Hyundai, the auto box is commendable for the smoothness with which it changes gear. It's a little slower in reaction times than some of the latest Euro six-speeders but it's a capable unit overall.

The same comments apply in the case of the ix35 Elite. Matched to the 2.4-litre petrol engine, the auto transmission is smooth, competent and responsive. Also, the ratios seem to be fairly well chosen, particularly compared with the ratios in the transmission of the front-drive Mazda CX-7 driven recently.

The engine itself lacks the sheer ability to move you that the diesel can offer, but some buyers may still prefer it over the diesel, for its other attributes (NVH, for one).

Dynamically, as we said in the launch review for the ix35, it's a middle of the road offering in the compact SUV segment. It doesn't compete with the Volkswagen Tiguan or CX-7 for on-road manners, but grip is adequate and the sharp steering response compensated fairly well for the middle-of-the-pack feedback. But on that point, the Hyundai's steering can get pretty light at times. It felt better at higher speeds (say 70km/h and above) when there was less assistance to mask what was happening at the wheels.

As a matter of fact, the Hyundai's stability control became seriously disturbed on a couple of bitumen corners taken at moderate speed on a cold Melbourne morning up in the hills -- and there was no notice through the steering wheel that grip was compromised. Subsequently, we drove the ix35 Elite and found the stability control worked almost seamlessly on bitumen, so our freaky experience in the Highlander was plainly due to a section of icy road.

Overall, the ix35's roadholding on sealed roads seemed to be at least the equal of other compact SUVs. The Elite put nary a foot wrong and was hard to provoke on damp bitumen when tested a week after the Highlander. For ride comfort the Highlander definitely coped better than the Elite, which was demonstrably firmer.

We took the ix35 Highlander bush and found that it has slightly better wheel articulation than Mitsubishi's Outlander, but probably not quite as good as in the CX-7 (although it's a close-run race). Despite a wheel off the deck on a couple of occasions, the ix35 was ready to push itself forward on three wheels, provided the ground was flat and relatively firm.

Uphill, the Hyundai ran out of traction, although we would point out that the ix35 was tested on a foggy morning and the track was pretty greasy in parts. The Highlander redeemed itself somewhat in a water course, so the jury's still out where the ix35's traction is concerned.

On tougher uphill grades, the Highlander struggled before it even reached the deeper-rutted section of track. That was with the diff locked as well, leading us to believe that the tyres just aren't up to the job. Arguably they don't need to be for the demands of most prospective ix35 owners.

Reaching the top of another grade required full throttle and several seconds wait, while the car's drivetrain and traction control re-adjusted torque to the different wheels. The fact that it reached the top at all impressed enough, it's just that it had to work a little harder to do so than other SUVs.

Approach and departure angles seemed better than similarly priced and positioned cars in the segment, but the Hyundai's ground clearance didn't fill this reviewer with great confidence. The ix35 looks like it stands tall, but the unnerving sounds of scraping quickly began to emanate from under the Hyundai's floor.

Turning off a flat track onto a steep, downhill grade extended the suspension on one corner. With the car's wheel raised off the ground, we opened the driver's door and heard the light rasping of metal on metal. That points to slight torsional bending as a consequence of this manoeuvre.

With respect to the packaging of the ix35, the H-point is just about spot-on for ease of entry and egress -- speaking as a male adult of average height at least. The driving position provides one of the most commanding positions available in a compact SUV -- a real bird's-eye view of the action, thanks to the relatively high-mounted seat, clever instrument layout and low beltline.

We liked the one-touch engine-start/stop button, which can be relied upon to crank the engine while you're still buckling your seatbelt.

It's no surprise that, with its small-car footprint and good field of vision, the ix35 is fairly easy to park. The ix35 Highlander came with a reversing camera that displayed in the left side of the rear-view mirror.

This is one feature that divided opinion at the Carsales Network. One of the staff here liked it, but this writer would much prefer to have parking sensors and acoustic guidance. Furthermore, if you back using the car's exterior mirrors, the camera display is either a distraction or you ignore it altogether.

There are a couple of minor ergonomic no-nos. Buttons for the diff lock and Downhill Brake Control are located low and to the right of the steering column, where they're harder to locate, while the HVAC controls are not entirely intuitive to use and require a bit of studying. As an example, the mode switch to change the source of the airflow for the Highlander's climate control system is integrated with the temperature setting dial for the second zone -- not where one would expect it to be. The rear window demist button in both vehicles meantime was placed close to the front-passenger's right knee.

On the subject of the dual-zone climate control system, it had to be cranked right up to provide what this reviewer would consider adequate heating. Any setting below 23 degrees could be too cold for some. Still, who are we to complain about air conditioning that's too efficient? That said, the manual air conditioning system in the ix35 Elite was just as effective.

Both cars came with a USB input for an iPod, which is always a blessing in any test vehicle. Remote controls on the steering wheel would allow the driver to scroll through the playlist on even a tiny iPod Shuffle connected to the car's audio system.

While the input jacks for the audio system are easily spotted, in an open oddments bin where the centre fascia meets the centre console, the key slot can be found tucked away out of sight in the bin under the centre armrest. It seems safer than having the key rattling around in cupholders or poised to shatter your kneecap in a crash, but some will find it inconvenient.

Being a keyless system, of course, the key needn't be inserted in the slot for it, but withdrawing it -- in the Highlander -- signals to the car to switch on the interior lights and unlock the doors. In the Elite grade, it's merely a safe place to keep the key, and nothing more. The dome lights activate and the doors unlock when you shift the transmission to Park in the lower-grade model.

In Highlander trim, the ix35 is well equipped and comfortable. In fact, Hyundai has fashioned very comfortable and supportive seats for the ix35 -- although they're bordering on too small for larger physiques. The ix35 Elite is also loaded with plenty of gear for the money. In fact, there's not much in the Highlander that necessarily warrants the extra dosh; certainly not the panoramic sunroof -- not in this country, we would suggest.

In fact, when you consider the extra features in the Highlander, there's a real sense of diminishing returns for the higher purchase price. There's the reversing camera already mentioned; the sunroof, which at least has a blind to keep occupants from cooking the Aussie sun; 18-inch alloys in lieu of the Elite's 17s; electric fold-in side mirrors; six-disc CD audio system; heated front seats and the dual-zone climate control.

From this reviewer's perspective, the lack of steering wheel reach adjustment in either car -- something touched upon in our launch review -- is a problem. It's a problem not just because we're demanding and want everything possible in a relatively inexpensive car, but because it would actually allow the driver to sit further afield from the pedals.

As it is, this reviewer had two options, slightly raised knee and mildly stressed ankle or an upright backrest and an arms-length stretch to the steering wheel.

Around town and on shorter trips, this would pose less of a problem, but over longer distances, it will become wearying. Hyundai tells us that the problem will be resolved within the next three months, when shipments of a revised ix35 are due to arrive with the reach adjustment as standard.

In the rear, there's plenty of knee room and reasonable legroom for adults. With this car's standard panoramic sunroof eating into rear-seat headroom, it's getting marginal, but adults of average height will still be comfortable enough on even longer journeys.

Boot space is not huge, not against something like the Mitsu Outlander, which is over 250mm longer than the ix35 -- and all but 30mm of that extra length is outside the wheelbase. However, the ix35 has that compact feel about it, which will hold its own appeal for some buyers. And at the end of the day, it's still practical enough for the majority of goods-carrying tasks you're likely to throw at it.

As far as the two different levels of trim go, and speaking personally, the only item exclusive to the Highlander that this reviewer would want is the six-disc CD audio system, but since the Elite comes with the iPod connection anyway, even the six-stacker is redundant. All those extra features in the flagship certainly add up to $6000 worth, but only if you want them.

What confuses the issue is the Highlander's standard diesel engine. To get this engine in the Elite will absorb $3000 of that $6000 margin.

And why would you necessarily purchase the ix35 in the first place, in either grade? When you consider the ix35 is not a strongly-credentialed offroader and its small footprint takes precedence over other SUV virtues, we can best sum up by observing that the Hyundai is a chic offering for around-town work. That's true of most compact SUVs, although the ix35 abuses the privilege somewhat.

Still, it provides lively performance in a straight line and a mix of comfort and style for the price.

Hyundai will have few worries selling the ix35 in droves -- something already taking place.

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