The new Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage are closely related under the skin, so it’s no surprise that the two are similar as tow cars.
Both have the same engine, which has more than enough muscle to pull any sensibly matched caravan. The Tucson accelerated from 30-60mph in 11.8 seconds, and easily carried on to 70mph. The engine does sound rather gruff, though.
Stability at speed inspires confidence at 60mph and beyond. Once up to 70mph there was some slight movement from the caravan, but nothing alarming.
The lane-change test caused no trouble for the Hyundai. As we pushed harder and faster the caravan began to slide, but it never pulled the Tucson off line.
The conventional handbrake held car and caravan still on a 1-in-6 slope without needing undue force, and the Hyundai easily pulled to the top.
As a car to live with everyday, we’d prefer a more settled and serene ride, but the Tucson handles neatly.
Inside, there’s reasonable head and legroom front and rear, and a high level of standard equipment. We were impressed to find room for every item of our testing load of holiday luggage, especially as the Tucson has a full-size spare wheel under the floor.
