The joins at the base of the A-pillars have been reworked for strength and rigidity, and more insulation and dampening has been placed around the car to improve the cabin environment. Unsurprisingly, all these changes mean the Tucson is heavier than its predecessor, despite the use of better-quality material in its construction.

The coefficient of drag is down 0.2 points to 0.33 thanks to some aerodynamic tweaks that add visual impact while also reducing wind noise – this Tucson is a lot more quiet than its predecessor and Hyundai claims that its cabin is quieter than the CR-V, RAV4 and Escape. To achieve this Hyundai has added several new covers and insulation panels in and around the engine and transmission as well as altered the wheel well inners.

Those aerodynamic improvements result in a 0.3 L/100 km improvement in fuel economy with the 2.0L engine, now down to 9.0 combined. Complete ratings are 10.1/7.6/9.0 city/highway/combined for the 2.0L FWD, 11.0/9.0/10.1 for the 2.0L AWD and 9.9/8.4/9.2 L/100 km for the 1.6T.

Inside, the interior feels more premium both in terms of material and design. The newest design language for the centre-stack and infotainment system is more similar to Kia’s than it used to be, and that’s a good thing.

But while the instrument cluster, infotainment system and switchgear are all improved, the rear seats are church-pew firm and hard plastics litter the cabin area.

The rear passengers do get their own air vents and reading lights, with every one of the eight interior lights operated by its very own switch – even the lights behind the sun visors. I could sit comfortably behind myself in the rear seat with no issues of headroom or legroom, and the rear seats recline at a steep angle if you do need to open up some space.

The driver will appreciate easy-to-read gauges and on upper trims, the trick 4.2-inch TFT information screen embedded in the instrument cluster. It can show trip, audio, navigation and set up options all controlled with steering-wheel buttons.

Over in the centre stack, Hyundai’s touchscreen and redundant-button combination is a good one. All of the major functions are accessed via their own hard button, and the touchscreen functions are large and well-spaced to make them easier to use. The large, prominent “mute” button for the navigation guidance is a particularly welcome touch.

Here, like in so many other cars, the nanny-state restrictions intrude obnoxiously. You can’t pair your phone (or your passenger’s phone) unless the car is in park – not stopped, not in neutral: in park. And the passenger can’t even enter navigation commands; they have to be done with the voice guidance unless the car is stopped. When the car is stopped, the navigation is great to use with house number, city and street all on one screen. You can enter them in any order and the keyboard is easy to use with large buttons.

The tuning knob to rapidly flick through stations is a bit of a reach for shorties like me but there are steering wheel controls for those of you who tune by preset more than channel.

Hyundai claims an 877L cargo capacity with a maximum possible of 3,771 L if you fold the seats down. That math seems off to me given that the entire passenger compartment is only 2,894 L. Eyebrow-raising cargo claims aside the cargo area is substantial, and an adjustable false-floor opens up an additional 5.1 cm of depth if you need it. Under that false floor resides a full-size spare tire.

Connect with Autos.ca