HOW many times have you heard it..? ‘You've got to find a niche in life!' Well, car makers are certainly good at making a living out of discovering ‘niches'.

At the moment there seem to be more so-called niches than mainstream sectors - mini MPVs, SUVs, superminis, compact execs, 4x4s and of course (that relative newcomer) ‘crossovers'.

The latter is a car-cum-SUV that looks rather chunky but does not necessarily have four-wheel-drive and can be a bit of a people carrier as well. Mind you, what car isn't a ‘people carrier' to some degree, anyway?

I've been driving one of latest and growing band of crossovers, the Hyundai ix35. In case you haven't noticed Hyundai is one of a handful of makers that have bloomed during the ‘Crunch', capitalising on good value, reasonably priced models and a generous warranty - five years unlimited mileage to be exact.

Styling has moved away from the basic and the brash into an era of European elegance and freshness, so although you may be driving a bargain it doesn't  feel or look like a ‘value' label.

The ix35 is a looker, no mistake - it could easily be mistaken for a Ford Kuga, which is noticeably dearer, with its robust, cab-forward design and wedge-profile.

Prices start at little over £16,000 for the two-wheel drive version, but I went for the genuine article with all-wheel drive and top spec.

The 2.0 CRDi 4WD Premium weighs in at £21,745 and includes a load of goodies such as 18in alloys, MP3 compatibility, cruise control, hill start control, panoramic tilt-slide sunroof and reversing sensors.

In other words, it's top dollar but you can still add more tinsel - full leather trim is £700, and sat-nav is a reasonable £800.

As with most SUVs, a diesel power is the engine of choice. The blend of good economy, high torque and strong acceleration where it is needed is rightly deemed the better option.

The two litre turbo diesel knocks out a healthy 134bhp which is sufficient to give it a 112mph top speed and acceleration to 62mph in 10.2 seconds -  about par for the course.

It hums along quietly with little harshness and squeezes around 40 miles out of a gallon, at least in my hands. The official combined figure is 47.9mpg. The tank holds 12.7 gallons so the range between filling up is over 500 miles.

Most of the time you are unaware of the 4WD system - it kicks in only when traction is reduced, so protecting economy and reducing wear and tear.

Handling is largely car-like with fairly low roll angles and good agility. It's not quite as refined as the dearer Freelander or Kuga, but not far behind.

Unlike the bigger Santa Fe model, the ix35 is a pure four or five seater without a final rear row of seats. The boot can carry nearly 600 litres of luggage with seats in place and up to 1436 litres when the back ones are folded.