Ilona Hanne takes the Hyundai ix35 for a spin - and lets a man and some teddies ride along too

She says: Picking up the ix35 from Energy City Hyundai in New Plymouth, I was instantly taken with the spacious and luxurious feel to the inside. The infotainment system was intuitive enough to enable to Luddites such as myself cope with synching my phone immediately and didn't have too many buttons to distract from driving.

I had plenty of room to stretch my legs in both the driver and passenger seats, while the smaller members of the test drive family found the back seats to be more than ample for themselves and the various "crash-test teddies" who came along for the ride.

As someone who is known to lose keys in the depths of my handbag on a daily basis, the proximity key was always going to be a feature I appreciated, as was the push-button start.

Heading back to Stratford the drive was enjoyable thanks to minimal road noise combined with an audio system that not only synchs with an iPod but also allows you to record from the radio or a Bluetooth phone conversation.

It drives like a car, with the added benefit of the higher seating position.

Ilona Hanne

The ix35 feels smaller than some of its well-known competitors but its actual size is within a percent or two of its class-mates; giving plenty of room for four or, if necessary, five adults, the shopping and whatever else you choose to throw at it.

For the kitchen sink you may have to add the optional tow bar, which would turn the ix35 into a capable towing vehicle with a braked towing capacity of 1600kg, as well as 750kg unbraked.

He says: Taking the car up the mountain with a mandatory pit stop at The Stratford Mountain House on the way down gave us plenty of opportunity to test out the traction control, as well as the motor-driven power steering.

The traction control kicked in a few times - more a reflection of the great cornering and handling, as well as our desire to find the car's limits - and didn't distract from the sporty feel. This feature adjusts the steering feel depending on the speed you are travelling, firming up at higher speeds and softening at lower speeds.

The automatic 6-speed transmission made driving up the mountain a pleasant experience, and overtaking was as easy as it gets. The 2.0 litre R-Series diesel engine delivers 135 kW of power at 4000 rpm.

A quick trip to the farm gave an opportunity to try its climbing and descent abilities into and out of the river crossing, as well as up some steep paddocks.

Wading through the stream was a breeze and engaging the diff lock was probably more important for my peace of mind than the ix35's ability to get through and climb out the other side. This feature however shows that Hyundai is serious about the ix35 being able to leave the sealed road.

Our conclusion: The Hyundai i35 is a great vehicle whether you want to go on a family road trip or use it on the farm to nip across a paddock or stream to check stock.

With Energy City Hyundai offering a three-year 45,000km service plan at no added cost when you purchase any used ix35 this month, it is no surprise they are selling well.