HYUNDAI is making a play for a bigger chunk of the SUV market with an all-new version of the Tucson.

Replacing the ix35 in the Korean car maker's line up and reviving a name last used on its SUVs back in 2009 the newcomer is bigger and better all round.

Keenly priced and costing from £18,695 to £32,345 the new Tucson is a fair challenger to the likes of Honda's CR-V and the Ford Kuga.

With a range of two petrol engines and three diesels Hyundai is pitching the Tucson across the SUV spectrum.

For outright economy there is a two-wheel-drive 1.7-litre diesel rated at 61.7mpg with emissions of 119g/km while on the performance front Hyundai is introducing a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engined Tucson that can manage 0 to 60 in 9.1 seconds and comes with a sporty dual clutch transmission.

In between - and best for off road work - are two versions of a 2.0-litre diesel, one with 136ps and the other 185 which have fuel figures of 54.3 and 47.9mpg and 0 to 60 times of 10.9 and 9.9 seconds respectively.

All pass muster and the new Tucson performs in a healthy fashion and without drama. It feels sturdy and well balanced on the road and noise levels and the general feel is nicely refined.

Compared to the ix35 - itself a highly polished SUV - the Tucson is a huge step forward with more space inside and a larger boot capable of carrying 10 per cent more with space ranging from 510 to 1,503 litres.

Passenger room front and back is above average making for a comfortable cabin that can seat five.

Equipment levels are high and all but the base models come with sat nav and speed limit recognition systems with the likes of lane departure warnings and blind spot monitors also available.

Higher grade Premium and Premium SE Tucsons cost from £25,045 lean towards the executive sector and feature leather trim, heated rear seats as well as emergency braking systems.

With the range topping Premium SE - prices start from £28,345 - the Tucson comes with a power operated tailgate, LED headlights and an opening panoramic sunroof while automatics can self park.

Like for like it's up with the best and the Tucson is also quite serious when it comes to the 4x4 models which come with a locking differential and hill descent control giving it a fair amount of off-road ability. Ground clearance is just under eight inches.

From a driver's perspective the Tucson is straightforward to operate with most functions available from a cluster of buttons on the centre console or steering wheel mounted controls.

Of the four variants we tried none was a let down and the Tucson looks the part, purposeful but stylish.

The lower powered 2.0-litre diesel and the 1.6 turbo are particularly impressive and with the dual clutch set up it is quite sporty to drive although it would benefit from paddle shifters to supplement the tiptronic action from the gear lever.

Our real world fuel figures were 31mpg from the turbo petrol (Hyundai claims 37.7) and 36.7 from the 2.0-litre diesel automatic, 41 from the manual and 49 to the gallon from the 2WD 1.7 diesel.

For an SUV of such proportions the Tucson is well above average, keen on pricing and very owner-friendly with a five year, unlimited mileage warranty.