Hyundai says that the ix35 "blurs the boundaries between small SUVs and family hatchbacks", but I must say that it feels very much like a small SUV to me. A friend commented that it also looks very similar to all its rivals, and I think he has a point, though Hyundai's German-based design team has created a reasonably pleasing shape whose only major downfall is the ridiculous rear side windows.If Hyundai was consciously intending to make rear visibility even worse than that of the Nissan Qashqai (a villainous piece of work in this respect), it succeeded brilliantly, though I'm not sure why it would want to.Like the Qashqai, the ix35 gets better after that. In fact, overall it's very good indeed. At this early stage in the ix35's life, most versions are fitted with a 134bhp two-litre turbo diesel engine - there's also a more powerful two-litre petrol, and other, smaller units will be along soon - and you would be hard pushed to find anything better in the market right now.One unusual aspect of the engine is that the camshafts are driven by a chain rather than a belt. If that doesn't mean much to you, don't worry. The main benefit is that, unlike a belt, the chain won't need to be replaced as the car grows old. A possible downside is increased engine noise, but Hyundai seems to have found a way round that, since the ix35 is impressively quiet for a diesel SUV.The 134bhp maximum power ouput is good without being outstanding, and it leads to reasonable performance figures of 0-62mph in 10.8 seconds and 113mph flat-out. What these figures don't tell you is how well the engine performs at all speeds. Many diesels fall into a sulk below 1500rpm and force you to change down a gear, but this one has enough low-end grunt to accelerate from 1100rpm even in top gear.A small SUV with power so readily available might struggle to put it on the ground, but this one doesn't. You can have four-wheel drive if you want it, for an extra £1000, but unless you intend to go off-road I wouldn't bother.The ix35 has no problem putting its power down on tarmac, and unless you do something really outstandingly stupid you're not going to get into trouble. The ride quality is excellent too, though the amount of body movement might make your passengers start to feel a little queasy if you're pushing hard. In gentler motoring they're likely to enjoy the considerable amount of room in both front and rear, and the very comfortable and supportive seats.With all seats in place, the ix35 has a luggage capacity of 591 litres, which is very good for the class. Lowering both sides of the 60/40 split rear seat increases the volume to 1436 litres.All ix35s are notably well-equipped, with air-conditioning, heated front and rear seats, active headrests, hill start assist, heated door mirrors, follow-me-home headlights, reverse parking sensors (and oh boy, you'll be needing those), a trip computer, Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition and a radio/CD/MP3 with an iPod connection.The Premium model, as tested here, costs £1750 more, for which you get 18" alloy wheels (rather than the 17s on the entry-level Style), a panoramic sunroof, automatic headlights, chrome doorhandles, cruise control, dual-zone climate control air-conditioning (with humidity sensor and ioniser), electric folding door mirrors, rain-sensing wipers with a de-icer function, keyless entry, rear privacy glass, part-leather upholstery and roof rails.Typing long lists of equipment like that is not the most fun part of a motoring journalist's job, but I've done it to illustrate the fact that you get a lot of kit in an ix35. The surprise is that at the time of writing it's all available - along with the impressive driving experience, comfort and practicality - for just under £20,000.And although I don't particularly want to type this bit either, the fact is that if you specify both the £800 Media Pack (reverse parking camera, touchscreen satellite navigation, seven-speaker audio system) and the £700 Individual Pack (full leather upholstery, auto-dimming rear view mirror, compass and blue-lit instruments), but avoid the four-wheel drive, you end up with a quite amazing specification for less than £20,000.In this day and age, that's quite a deal, yet there is nothing about the ix35 which makes it feel like a car you had to buy because you couldn't afford anything better. Hyundai has brought some impressive products to market in the past few years, but in some ways this one is possibly the best yet. Engine 1995 cc, 4 cylinders Power 134 bhp @4000 rpm Torque 236 ib/ft @1800 rpm Transmission 6 speed manual Fuel/CO2 47.9 mpg / 153 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 10.8sec Top speed 113 mph Price From £20262.00 approx Details correct at publication date
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