What makes a car premium? Is it the badge the model bears on its nose, or is it the level of technology on offer inside? Is it the refinement, or the quality, or the fact that spending more money means you don’t have to make compromises compared with a more mainstream alternative?
In truth, it’s all these things and more – and for brands such as Hyundai that have been clamouring to elevate their image to a more upmarket status, this push towards a more premium product is embodied by the Korean firm’s new Tucson SUV.
It’s a big departure from what came before it, and given Hyundai’s experience and success with electrification, this Tucson Hybrid should help when it comes to refinement.
With the Volkswagen ID.4 just entering the US market, I decided it was time to see how this new electric SUV compares against gasoline-powered compact SUVs it is theoretically competing against.