It's a classic automotive sibling rivalry, isn't it? Two cars, born from the same family tree, yet often carving out their own distinct identities. That's precisely the situation with the Kia Sportage and the Hyundai Tucson. Both are stalwarts in the popular family SUV segment, and with their latest iterations, they're offering compelling hybrid powertrains that make them even more appealing to today's eco-conscious buyers. But when you get down to the nitty-gritty, what truly sets them apart?
Hyundai, in particular, has been on a roll lately, pushing boundaries with everything from their zippy Ioniq 5 N to the quirky Inster city car. Their Tucson SUV certainly looks the part, aiming for a bold, innovative aesthetic. Yet, for a while now, it's found itself playing second fiddle to its closely related cousin, the Kia Sportage – a vehicle that has consistently impressed us, even snagging our title for best family SUV and becoming a bestseller in the UK. The Tucson, while a capable car, just hasn't quite matched the all-around brilliance of the Sportage.
Hyundai's aiming to change that with a significant update to the Tucson. On the outside, the changes might be subtle, but the real story lies within. The interior has been redesigned to be more user-friendly and feel more premium, while tweaks to the suspension promise a more refined ride. The big question, though, is: has Hyundai done enough to finally leapfrog the Sportage?
To find out, we lined up the latest Tucson (in Premium trim) against its Sportage counterpart (a GT-Line model), both equipped with essentially the same hybrid powertrain. This engine has been tweaked for 2024 to meet stricter emissions, resulting in a slight dip in power. So, how do they stack up?
On the Road: Performance and Ride
Under the hood of our contenders is a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired with an electric motor, delivering a combined 212 horsepower. Unsurprisingly, their straight-line acceleration is quite close. The Tucson nudges ahead, hitting 60 mph in 6.8 seconds, while the Sportage takes a fraction longer at 7.1 seconds. When you need to merge onto a motorway or make a quick overtake, both offer a strong surge of power, clocking 30-70 mph in a brisk 6.2 seconds. The only slight frustration across both is the six-speed automatic gearbox, which can be a tad slow to react when you demand a sudden burst of speed.
As hybrids, they can manage short bursts of electric-only driving around town, keeping things hushed as long as the battery has juice. The electric motor's near-silent operation means when the engine's off, the cabin is remarkably quiet. And when the petrol engine kicks in, the Tucson's unit is less intrusive than before, fading into the background more discreetly than in the Sportage. On the motorway, neither car suffers from excessive wind or road noise, though the Tucson feels marginally more isolated from the outside world.
Previously, the Tucson's softer suspension made it feel bouncier over bumps and crests compared to the Sportage, and less stable at higher speeds. Now, it feels more controlled. You'll only really notice a bit of float on particularly choppy roads, where the Tucson takes a moment longer to settle. The Sportage's setup remains slightly firmer, still holding the edge in balancing ride comfort with tight body control, though the gap has narrowed considerably.
On country lanes, the Sportage still feels more precise and confidence-inspiring, leaning less in corners and offering more natural-feeling steering. While the Tucson leans less than it used to and has plenty of grip, it's still best enjoyed at a more relaxed pace.
Both cars feature regenerative braking to recapture energy, with the Tucson offering adjustable strength. However, the Sportage makes for smoother stopping thanks to its more immediate brake response. Still, the Tucson managed quicker emergency stops from both 30 mph and 70 mph.
Inside the Cabin: Driving Position, Visibility, and Quality
Finding a comfortable driving position is easy in both. You get a great range of adjustment for the steering wheel and seat – the Tucson's driver's seat is electrically adjusted, while the Sportage requires a bit more elbow grease. Both offer adjustable lumbar support, a welcome feature for longer journeys.
While you sit slightly higher in the Tucson, the low-slung dashboard in both means you can still easily see over the bonnet. The Tucson offers a clearer view over your shoulder, thanks to larger, longer rear side windows. Both cars have shallow rear screens, which can hinder rearward visibility, but thankfully, both come with a rear-view camera as standard, complemented by front and rear parking sensors.
In front of you, both cars feature digital instrument displays alongside their infotainment screens. The Tucson's 12.3-inch display is slightly larger than the Sportage's 11.0-inch screen, and its graphics are crisper. Neither is particularly configurable, though.
Where they both excel is in their straightforward climate controls. Instead of being buried in the touchscreen, they're managed via a separate panel mixing physical and touch controls. The Sportage's slim panel can be a bit fiddly, with small icons that double as media controls. The Tucson's panel is larger, with permanent displays for climate and media, and its physical rotary dials are chunkier and easier to grip.
The GT-Line Sportage's part-suede seats offer better support during cornering compared to the Tucson's cloth ones. Elsewhere, both cabins feel solid, with plenty of soft-touch plastics, woven fabrics, and padded areas on doors and the upper dashboard. All buttons and switches have a satisfyingly damped action. With its interior upgrades, the Tucson now matches the Sportage for quality and pulls ahead of many rivals in its class.
Infotainment Systems: A Digital Duel
Hyundai has equipped all Tucson models with a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen as standard, matching the Sportage's size. The newer software makes the layout more intuitive, with some icons placed more conveniently. A row of physical shortcut buttons below the screen makes switching between functions a breeze. While both offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the Tucson adds wireless connectivity for added convenience.
The Sportage's 12.3-inch screen is sharp and responsive, though some icons could be larger for easier targeting. Thankfully, you don't have to delve too deep into sub-menus to find what you're looking for. The standard six-speaker sound system is a bit flat compared to the upgraded eight-speaker Krell system in the Tucson Premium trim.
Space and Practicality: Living with Them
There's no shortage of space up front in either car; passengers around 6ft tall will find ample head-, leg-, and elbow room. Some might prefer the Sportage's higher centre console between the seats, which creates a slightly more cocooning feel, but the Tucson's dual-tier layout offers generous storage, including a pair of extra trays underneath. There's also a storage shelf on the dashboard above the glovebox.
In the back, another 6ft adult can sit comfortably behind a front occupant, with good head room in both cars and slightly more leg room in the Sportage. When you need to squeeze in a middle passenger, the wider Tucson offers a bit more shoulder room, but in either car, they'll have to straddle the floor.
For added comfort on longer trips, both have reclining rear seatbacks and fold-down central armrests with cupholders. However, only the Sportage offers separate climate controls and air vents for rear passengers, along with hooks on the back of the front seats for small items.
Only the Tucson comes with a powered tailgate, and while its boot is longer than the Sportage's, they can actually carry a similar amount of luggage. Both boots can swallow eight carry-on suitcases beneath their covers, making them among the most capacious in their class.
The boot floor in both cars is height-adjustable. In its higher setting, it sits flush with the entrance sill and the lowered rear seatbacks, making it easy to load bulky items. In the lower setting, there's a small lip to lift items over, and the floor slopes up towards the seats.
Both cars feature 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, offering more flexibility than traditional 60/40 setups. You can remotely release the seatbacks by pulling levers in the boot. This feature was previously exclusive to more expensive Tucson versions.
Buying and Owning: The Bottom Line
For company car drivers, the BIK tax rates for these hybrids are slightly lower than for equivalent mild-hybrid petrol cars, but due to their higher list prices, the monthly outlay is almost identical. If you're in this situation, a plug-in hybrid or a fully electric vehicle would make more financial sense.
The Sportage's lower price tag makes it more attractive to private buyers looking to pay with cash. However, if you're willing to negotiate with a dealer or buy a car from stock via our online new car deals service, you can often secure larger discounts on the Tucson, narrowing the price gap.
If you opt for a PCP finance agreement, the difference shrinks even further. With a £3,500 deposit on a three-year, 10,000-mile-per-year agreement, you'll pay £507 per month for the Sportage. The Tucson will set you back £510 per month, thanks to a £2,000 manufacturer deposit contribution (at the time of writing, the Sportage's contribution was £1,500).
Overall, for a private cash buyer, the Sportage will be cheaper to own over three years and 36,000 miles, though the gap is less than £1,000. While insurance costs are slightly higher, servicing is cheaper, and the Sportage is predicted to depreciate slower than the Tucson.
Fuel costs are very close. In our real-world economy tests, the Tucson achieved 44.4 mpg, while the Sportage managed 44.6 mpg.
Both cars come generously equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, climate control, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and full LED headlights. However, the Tucson throws in some extra goodies to justify its higher price, including integrated rear door sun blinds, the upgraded sound system, and the aforementioned powered tailgate and electric front seat adjustment.
In the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, the Sportage ranked 12th out of 48 family SUVs, placing it one spot higher than the Tucson. The latter comes with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty as standard, which is more extensive than most rivals. Even so, the Sportage's warranty is longer at seven years, albeit capped at 100,000 miles.
When tested by independent experts at Euro NCAP, both cars achieved the maximum five-star safety rating. However, the Sportage offered slightly better protection for front passengers in a frontal impact, while the Tucson provided better protection for the driver's chest in a side impact. Both are packed with safety kit, including automatic emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, and lane keeping assist.
Our Verdict
Previously, the Tucson couldn't quite match the Sportage, which offered a more refined interior and a better balance of driving and handling. However, this updated model has made remarkable strides, and there's now very little between them. In fact, we wouldn't blame you for choosing the Tucson. For just a few extra pounds on a PCP deal, you get a better-equipped car with a more user-friendly interior.
The Sportage clinches this test primarily on cost. For private buyers, it's simply cheaper to buy and run, and for company car drivers, you save a few pounds each month. Add to that a slightly more engaging driving experience and a longer warranty, and the Sportage remains the one to beat.
First Place – Kia Sportage
Pros: Great value, engaging to drive, longer warranty, refined interior.
Cons: Slightly less spacious rear legroom than Tucson, less intuitive infotainment shortcuts.
Second Place – Hyundai Tucson
Pros: More spacious rear legroom, more user-friendly infotainment, better equipped for the price, quieter cabin.
Cons: Higher purchase price, slightly less engaging to drive, shorter warranty.
Ultimately, both the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson are excellent family SUVs. The choice between them often comes down to personal preference and specific priorities. If value and a slightly more engaging drive are paramount, the Sportage takes the crown. If a more refined interior, slightly more space, and a touch more tech appeal to you, the Tucson is a very strong contender.
