Hyundai ix35
Hyundai ix35 2.0 diesel 'Style', LHD

ADULT OCCUPANT

FRONTAL IMPACT 15,2 pts FRONTAL IMPACT
HEAD Driver airbag contact Passenger airbag contact CHEST Passenger compartment Windscreen Pillar rearward Steering wheel rearward Steering wheel upward Chest contact with steering wheel stable 4mm none 4mm none stable stable

Total 32 pts | 90%

Driver

Passenger

SIDE IMPACT CAR SIDE IMPACT POLE

7,5 pts 6,6 pts

UPPER LEGS, KNEES AND PELVIS Stiff structures in dashboard Concentrated loads on knees LOWER LEGS AND FEET Footwell Collapse Rearward pedal movement Upward pedal movement none brake - 62mm brake - 31mm none none

SIDE IMPACT Car Pole

Head protection airbag Chest protection airbag Yes Yes

REAR IMPACT (WHIPLASH)

WHIPLASH
Seat description Standard cloth, 4 way manual Reactive 1 pts 1,9 pts 1,9 pts 2,5 pts
ADEQUATE MARGINAL WEAK POOR
Head restraint type Geometric assessment TESTS - High severity - Medium severity - Low severity

CHILD OCCUPANT

18 MONTH OLD CHILD
Restraint Group Facing Installation Fair G0/1S 0, 0+, 1 rearward ISOFIX anchorages

Total 43 pts | 88%

FRONTAL IMPACT
Head forward movement Head acceleration Chest load protected good good

SIDE IMPACT

PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTIONS INSTALLATION 11,5 pts 4 pts 2 pts Head containment Head acceleration protected good

3 YEAR OLD CHILD

Restraint Group Facing Installation Fair G0/1S 0, 0+, 1 forward ISOFIX anchorages
Head forward movement Head acceleration Chest load protected good fair
PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTIONS INSTALLATION 11,4 pts 4 pts 2 pts Head containment Head acceleration protected good

VEHICLE BASED ASSESSMENT

Airbag warning Label
Text and pictogram warning label permanently attached to both sides of the passenger sun visor

PEDESTRIAN

Total 20 pts | 54%

GOOD MARGINAL POOR

SAFETY ASSIST

Total 5 pts | 71%

SPEED LIMITATION ASSISTANCE - 0, not available ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) - standard SEATBELT REMINDER

2 pts 1 pts 1 pts

HEAD PELVIS LEG

14 pts 0 pts 5,6 pts

- driver - passenger

DETAILS OF TESTED CAR

SPECIFICATIONS
Tested model Hyundai ix35 2.0 diesel 'Style', LHD

SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Front seatbelt pretensioners Double pretensioner for driver
Body type Year of publication Kerb weight

5 door SUV 2010 1610kg

Front seatbelt load limiters Driver frontal airbag Front passenger frontal airbag Side body airbags Side head airbags
VIN from which rating applies applies to all ix35s of the specification tested

COMMENTS

Adult occupant The passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal impact. Dummy readings indicated good protection for the knees and femurs of both driver and passenger. Hyundai presented additional test data which showed that similar levels of protection would be offered to occupants of different sizes and those sat in different positions. In the side barrier impact, dummy readings were good. However, in the more severe side pole test, the curtain airbag got trapped in the door pillar trim and did not deploy fully. As this airbag is intended to provide protection in all types of side impact, a penalty was applied to the head score for both the side barrier test and the side pole test. Chest protection was marginal in the side pole test. The seat and head restraint offered good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. Child occupant Forward movement of the 3 year dummy, sat in a forward facing seat, was not excessive. In the side impact, both dummies were properly constrained by the protective shells of their restraints. The front passenger's airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position and clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag. A permanently attached label clearly warns of the dangers of using a child restraint in that seat without first disabling the airbag. Pedestrian The bumper provided predominantly good protection to pedestrians' legs. However, the front edge of the bonnet offered poor protection and scored no points. The protection offered by the bonnet was good in some areas where a child's head might strike but was marginal away from the centre. Protection for an adult's head was mixed but most areas tested were poor. Safety assist Electronic stability control is standard equipment on all variants along with a seatbelt reminder system for the driver and front passenger seats.

Published on: 3 March 2010 www.autozine.co.uk

Hyundai ix35

Sensible seduction
A couple of years ago it seemed like such a good idea. Many fell for the seducation of an "SUV". These so-called "Sports Utility Vehicles" promised to combine the rough looks and ample space of an off-roader with the comfort of a normal car. But in real life the SUV turned out to consume excessive amounts of fuel and have poor handling. On top of that, the image of the SUV has become politically incorrect. Hyundai now claims to offer a sensible alternative with the ix35.
To avoid any resemblance with an SUV, Hyundai calls the ix35 a "crossover". This is not a civilised off-road vehicle, but an extra large estate. Compared to its predecessor, the Tucson, the ix35 is much lower and wider. The ix35 is the first car that has been shaped according to Hyundai's "fluidic sculpture" design language. The shapes look like waves, as if the car was sculpted by the wind. The dynamic, and at the same time formal looks, give the ix35 some resemblance to SUVs from luxury brand Infiniti! Especially when seen straight from the front, the ix35 has a tough, self-assured look.

Interior

Regrettably, the cabin is less exciting to look at. The blue lighting makes for a special ambiance, but other than that the ix35 is an unremarkable car on the inside. The number of buttons and levers is limited, which makes the dash look clean. The interior has one tiny flaw: the button to operate the trip computer is located behind the steering wheel, making it unsafe to operate while driving. Just like any other Hyundai, every ix35 is fitted with an iPod-interface.
SUV's are often bought as a towing car. To make the ix35 a serious alternative to an SUV, extra attention was paid to its towing capabilities. Depending on the engine the ix35 is allowed to tow trailers of 1,600 to 2,000 kg (braked).
The legroom in the rear is above average. The room in the front is fair, but no more or less than that of the competition. This "crossover" sits a bit higher than a regular car. This makes getting in and out of the car easy and gives excellent visibility over traffic. The ix35 doesn't give the driver a mighty feeling; for some the feeling of operating a mighty vehicle makes a car like this particularly attractive.

Diesel

For now the ix35 is available with one petrol and two diesel engines. First the 136 PS / 320 Nm strong diesel engine was tested. This is powerful enough to easily keep up with traffic, while always offering enough reserve for a quick acceleration. At the same time the engine isn't so strong that it is always teasing the driver to go faster. In other words: the 136 horsepower engine is just right. Despite the engine speed or gear, the "2.0 CRDi" always offers lots of torque making this is a very relaxing drive. The engine noise is average for a car like this.

Off-roader?

The ix35 can be fitted with four-wheel drive, but that doesn't make it an off-roader. All wheel drive is meant as an extra safety feature for driving in slippery conditions. The overhang on the front and back make the ix35 quickly hit the ground on steep descents or obstacles.

Despite its drive train (front-wheel or four-wheel), every ix35 is fitted with an aid to make climbing and descending easier. Most other brands only offer these assistants on four-wheel drive models. The hill descent control makes the car safely descend from a hill with a maximum speed of 8 km/h; the driver doesn't have to operate the brake or throttle. When climbing, the brake is automatically held for two seconds, preventing the car from rolling backwards while accelerating from a standstill.
To save fuel, the battery is disconnected while driving. When the vehicle is braking or coasting, the battery is charged. To further reduce fuel consumption, the ix35 has a shift indicator that shows the most economical moment to shift either up or down. The test car was not fitted with a start/stop mechanism,
but Hyundai is planning two extra frugal engines that will have a start/stop system. Hyundai claims the "2.0 CRDi" uses 5.5 litres of fuel per 100 km (37.6 mpg). On a very demanding track with twisty mountain roads, the test car used 8.0 litres per 100 km (35.3 mpg). After doing some off-road driving and high speed testing, this increased to 8.4 litres per 100 km (33.6 mpg).
that the ix35 hardly tilts over in corners. Even when deliberately making wild moves, the car hardly gets out of balance. Even though the handling of a normal car with the same price tag is still better, compared to an old fashioned SUV the ix35 does offer more safety and far superior handling.

Petrol

A second test drive was done with the 163 PS / 194 Nm 2.0 litre petrol engine. This is much more eager than the diesel engine, but has poor performance at high speed. To save fuel the fifth gear is very long. The downside of this choice is that it is almost mandatory to shift down to accelerate when already at motorway speeds. Also, the clutch of the petrol model does require some getting used to. When driving only on back roads and when trying to be as economical as possible, the trip computer showed an average fuel consumption of 5.5 litres per 100 km (51.4 mpg) for the 2.0i CVVT". After completing the same route as previously driven with the diesel model, the fuel consumption increased to 8.7 litres (32.5 mpg). This is a remarkable figure, since diesel engines tend to be more economical by nature. The big difference is that the diesel is always frugal, even when driving at high speeds. The fuel consumption of the petrol engine suddenly increases when driving fast.
After driving for several days, the ix35 gives the impressions that the Koreans listened very well to their customers and truly scrutenized the competition. The ix35, therefore, complies to every rule and scores on every point. But this doesn't give the car a very strong character. It is like a Barbie doll: it may have the perfect measurements, but still isn't very arousing. In case of a car this may be a good thing, despite that SUV of the past, the ix35 is a sensible seduction.

Conclusion

Is the Hyundai ix35 the long awaited alternative for the SUV? Yes, up to a certain level. Just like every other SUV the ix35 offers tough looks and lots of interior space, but in a more modest package. The driving position is set a bit higher than in a normal car, making the ix35 easy to enter or leave and giving good visibility over traffic. A traditional car is after all still and more economic. The ix35 is not a miracle car that forgives and forgets all drawbacks of the SUV. However the ix35 is a big step forward. Both the petrol and diesel engines offer good performance. Regrettably, the low fuel consumption promised by Hyundai is hard to realize in real life. Because the ix35 is a "crossover" and not an "SUV", four-wheel drive is just another option. Thanks to the firm suspension, handling is safe and predictable. So instead of the conventional SUV, the ix35 is a sensible seduction.

Handling

A big disadvantage of SUV's is their poor handling which is caused by their high centre of gravity and equally high weight. Because of this the ix35 is much lower than a traditional SUV. It also has a firm suspension. The result is

Specifications

Hyundai ix35 2.0 CRDi Style

Size and weight

Length Width Height Wheelbase Kerb weight Trailer Trailer - braked Fuel capacity Luggage space 441 cm 182 cm 167 cm 264 cm 1433 kg 750 kg 2000 kg 58 l 591/1436 l

Engine and performance

Capacity Cylinders / valves Max power Max torque Drive Acceleration 0 - 62 mph Top speed Average mileage Mileage urban Mileage extra urban CO2 emissions 1995 cc 4/ 136 bhp @ 4000 rpm 320 Nm @ 1800 rpm voorwielen 9.4 secs 182 km/h 5.5 l / 100 km 6.6 l / 100 km 4.9 l / 100 km 147 gr / km
Price Price base model 17,995 16,495