Budget cars were never meant to be so good.

The Hyundai iX35 is essentially a Land Rover Freelander or a Ford Kuga, with many thousands of pounds off the list price.

Now, you may expect a cut-price 4x4 to have a few shortcomings. Well, it doesn’t have quite the polish of a BMW or the ability of a Land Rover, but it’s a very, very good alternative.

OK, it’s not perfect – the cabin is a tad plasticky, the petrol version is best avoided and the body-styling is good, but not brilliant.

But as an overall package, it’s exceptional. It costs from £16,495, which is £10,000 less than a Kuga and £5,000 less than a Freelander.

Even the better-equipped test version, which costs just under £20,000, is exceptional value.

For me, the most surprising feature was the quality of the ride and handling. It illustrates how far Hyundai has come that such a model can offer such an upmarket, refined ride.

In fact, Hyundai as a brand is doing pretty well. It sold tens of thousands of cars under the scrappage scheme and helped propel the marque alongside the bigger names.

The iX35 follows the trend for family crossovers that combine the practicality and sensible proportions of hatchbacks with the high-rise driving position of SUVs.

Initially available with a 2.0-litre petrol or diesel engine, with the option of on-demand four-wheel with the diesel, a new 1.6-litre petrol and super-efficient 1.7-litre diesel unit have been added.

These elements are to be expected from an eminently sensible, value-for-money proposition, but the cutting edge styling is perhaps not. It’s a struggle to find an angle from which the iX35 suffers aesthetically. Granted, it’s not supercar exotica, but it’s more than a match for its European rivals and a shape drivers can be proud to be seen at the wheel of – an important factor when considering the ‘badge snobbery’ issue.

Inside, there’s a similar appeal. Build quality is strong and the interior layout smart and stylish. An attractive set of dials greets the driver and there are nods towards occupant convenience; window and door mirror switches are angled towards the driver, for example (a trend that appears to be to comfort in this decade what damped grab handles were to comfort in the previous one).

It’s roomy, too. Headroom is naturally very good, but legroom in the rear is surprisingly generous and the boot is not short of potential. The iX35 does not feel particularly wide, however; three adults across the rear bench may find things a little cosy.

The sensible dimensions pay off in terms of road manners, however. Like all good crossovers, it doesn’t feel like a big car in town, but offers an excellent driving position with a genuinely commanding view.

The 2.0-litre diesel unit provides evenly distributed torque, making it an undemanding car to drive. Refined on the motorway and with a duly responsive and well-behaved chassis on a B-road, it’s hard to find fault.

The steering may be a little springy for some, with the wheel whipping around aggressively to the central position when emerging from a junction, but this does equate to a responsive feel.

In terms of road-holding, the four-wheel drive chassis has benefits, but the two-wheel drive version is very capable.

The iX35’s piece-de-resistance, however, is its equipment. Two trim levels are available, Style and Premium, with upgrade packages bringing sat-nav, improved dials and a more powerful sound system.

Even the entry-level model gets heated front and rear seats, reversing sensors and Bluetooth. The upper grade, itself only a small additional financial commitment, gets a full-length sunroof, dual-zone climate control keyless entry, auto-lights and wipers and more.

At the iX35’s asking price, that’s a hard factor to ignore.

Hyundai iX35 2.0 CRDi 5-dr 2WD Premium:- PRICE: £19,745 on the road.

ENGINE: 2.0-litre diesel unit producing 134bhp and 236lb/ft torque via six-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels.

PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph in 9.4 secs. Top speed 113mph.

EMISSIONS: 153g/km.

COSTS: 47.9mpg.

WARRANTY: Five years’ unlimited mileage warranty.

Steve’s ratings: Performance: 4/5 Ride/Handling: 3/5 Space/Practicality: 4/5 Equipment: 4/5 Security/Safety: 4/5 OVERALL: 4/5