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What's the difference?
If you look at Hyundai Australia’s current line-up there are some key pieces missing. Perhaps the most obvious is the lack of a Tucson Hybrid to compete against the popular Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, as well as the likes of the newer Kia Sportage Hybrid, and Nissan X-Trail e-Power.
Fortunately for Hyundai there is a solution that will fill the missing piece - the Tucson Hybrid. It’s been available in overseas markets for several years but only with the steering wheel on the left-hand side… until now. Hyundai Australia has finally confirmed that it will be adding the hybrid powertrain to its local line-up in 2024.
But we wanted to get a headstart to find out if this new model has what it takes to challenge the RAV4 and others. So CarsGuide.com.au headed to Los Angeles, California for an exclusive drive of the Tucson Hybrid to give you an idea of what to expect when it does arrive down under.
Obviously at this early stage we don’t have concrete details of what exactly we’ll be getting in Australian showrooms, but the US model is reportedly a very similar example of what we’ll get. But with that in mind, our scores for each category and the model overall should be taken as a preliminary judgement - not a definitive verdict.
This week I’m family testing the new Mazda CX-5 Akera G35 and the top-grade model is well-equipped. But it faces stiff competition in the mid-sized SUV market with rivals like the Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage and the ever-popular Toyota RAV4.
How do you remain competitive in one of the most popular SUV classes? My family of three is finding out for you!
As Toyota has found with the RAV4, these types of ‘self-charging hybrids’ are popular with customers because they offer more performance, lower fuel economy and require no change in behaviour - no plugging in or managing battery range.
There’s a very good reason for Hyundai to add the Tucson Hybrid to the local line-up, because it will expand the appeal of what is already a popular SUV. Many buyers have turned off diesel in the wake of the Volkswagen emission scandal, so hybrids such as these have greater appeal.
Especially if Hyundai can keep the price difference between the hybrid and diesel to a similar level to what we’ve already seen with the Santa Fe. In these current times of high petrol prices and cost-of-living pressures, anything that can make driving better financially we welcome.
The Mazda CX-5 Akera G35 offers small families a great host of premium features, as well as solid power and handling – all in an attractive package. But the emphasis here is on ‘small’ families because it’s on the compact side for a mid-sized SUV and its rivals offer more back seat space.
Its ongoing costs are reasonable and I enjoy driving it, so it gets a 7.6/10 from me.
My son calls out the back seat as a bit squishy but he otherwise likes it. He gives it a 7.0/10
What’s interesting about the design is that there isn’t anything unique about it, at least not overtly different from the rest of the Tucson range. As electrification becomes the norm rather than the exception, car makers have realised car buyers don’t need or want their electrified cars to be styled dramatically differently.
As Toyota's decision to drop the Prius in Australia and instead relying on the Corolla to cater to buyers looking for a hybrid model demonstrates, buyers have evolved with their tastes.
Instead both outside and in, the Tucson Hybrid is a regular-looking SUV that will appeal to anyone looking for a fuel-efficient model.
The Mazda CX-5 hasn’t seen much change to the exterior other than a more horizontally-styled grille. It’s a medium SUV with a handsome kerb-side presence thanks to its full-suite of LED lights and 19-inch alloy wheels. It’s an inoffensive design that should appeal to a wide audience.
The interior looks premium with the brown Nappa leather upholstery and black leather trims. The plethora of soft-touchpoints throughout reinforces that the Akera is the top model.
There's one thing I really like about Mazda and that's how it manages to balance the traditional with the new. The cabin is a seamless blend of the two elements.
The instrument panel features a 7.0-inch digital display but still has analogue dials. There's a 10.25-inch multimedia system on the dash but still a bunch of control buttons and dials to press. The gear shifter is coupled with an electric brake, the sunroof is coupled with a manual blind. You get it.
This duology between high-end tech and traditional elements makes the interior feel up to date but very accessible.
Despite the addition of the hybrid powertrain elements the Tucson remains a practical family car. While it’s not the biggest SUV in its segment it offers adequate room for a family of four or five.
The front seats are comfortable and there’s good small item storage, as you’ll find in the existing Tucson range, with cup holders, a wireless smartphone charging pad, lidded console box and deep door pockets. The rear bench is good too, with enough room for my 180cm frame to fit in relative comfort, as well as cup holders in the fold-down armrest and a bottle holder in the door.
Crucially, the boot capacity is the same in both the petrol and hybrid Tucson in US specification, which means it should translate to the same 539-litres offered here. The boot floor is flat, which will make loading and unloading easier, but it’s worth noting that the US-spec model we drove had no space for a spare tyre and instead relied on a puncture repair kit.
Despite sitting in the medium-SUV segment, the CX-5 is on the compact side for cabin space and front passengers benefit the most in terms of leg- and headroom.
Back rowers get a decent amount of headroom but legroom is squishy and my legs press into the back of the drivers seat when its in my driving position, and I'm only 168cm tall!
My seven-year old complained about his space and asked Dad to slide forward for more room, which is something to consider if you have gangly teenagers.
The seat comfort sits on the firmer side for both rows and the electric front seats are narrower and shorter than I like for long journeys but for the A to B trips, they’re comfy enough.
Only the driver’s seat gets powered lumbar support but they both have heat and ventilation functions.
Individual storage is average for this class with a smallish glove box and middle console that has a removable shelf. A deep utility tray, which houses the wireless charging pad and a 12-volt port, sits in front of the gearshift and there are two cupholders in the centre console.
Each door has a shallow storage bin and the front doors also get a skinny drink bottle holder.
For individual storage in the rear, you get map pockets on the rear of the front seats and two cupholders in a fold-down armrest.
The armrest also houses two USB-A ports and the heat function buttons for the outboard seats and it's because of this positioning and the narrower width of the seat, that the back row feels more suited to two, rather than three passengers.
The technology on the whole is easy enough to use but the rotary dial operation of the multimedia system is a bit annoying to access while on the go.
The wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is a great feature and means one less cable to worry about but the built-in satellite navigation with 10-year map updates is a highlight. The head-up display pulls through the nav directions, too, which is always handy.
You also get two USB-C ports and another 12-volt outlet up front, so everyone should be sorted for charging.
The boot features a powered tailgate which is a handy family feature and a temporary spare tyre is located underneath the level floor.
You get 438L of storage capacity with the second row seat upright, which is plenty for my errands and grocery shop. That jumps up to 1340L (VDA) when the rear seats are folded.
The cargo cover attaches to the lid, meaning it stays out of the way when you're loading stuff into the boot.
While Hyundai may have confirmed the impending arrival of the Tucson Hybrid, the details are still under wraps. That’s likely because the hybrid will coincide with an as yet unseen mid-life refresh of the Tucson that was first revealed back in 2020.
Because of that there’s no public confirmation of pricing and specification for this new addition, but we can extrapolate what to expect based on the rest of the Hyundai line-up. Based on the recently added Kona and Santa Fe Hybrids, it’s a safe bet there’s likely to be two variants of the Tucson Hybrid. Expect an entry-level model - likely just called Tucson Hybrid - and a more luxurious variant - probably carrying the Tucson Hybrid Premium name, or possibly the Highlander badge.
Precisely what specification they will include and how much they will cost remains to be seen, but again we can probably take an educated guess based on what we’ve seen with the Kona and Santa Fe. The Kona Hybrid carries a $4000 price premium over its petrol-powered equivalent, while the Santa Fe Hybrid costs $3000 more.
So if the 2024 Tucson prices stay flat (which is possible but not guaranteed) expect the Tucson Hybrid to start around $46,900 and the Tucson Hybrid Premium/Highlander at $53,900.
There are five grades for the CX-5. The top two grades, the GT SP and Akera, have a choice between a 2.5-litre petrol or turbo-petrol engine.
On test here is the flagship Akera grade with the 2.5L turbo-petrol engine. Before on-road costs, it is priced at $55,000. That positions it towards the top-end of its competitors with the Kia Sportage GT-Line AWD coming in at $49,920 (MSRP) and the Toyota RAV4 sliding in just under at $54,410 (MSRP). However, the new Honda CR-V is more expensive by $2.0K.
The Akera is well-equipped with premium features like a sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, a heated steering wheel and brown Nappa leather upholstery.
The technology is well-rounded with a 10-speaker Bose sound system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 10.25-inch multimedia system with built-in satellite navigation (including map updates for 10 years).
There are some good practical features, too, like a powered tailgate, keyless entry and start as well as powered lumbar support on the drivers' seat.
This is the heart of the matter, with the Tucson Hybrid combining a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a small electric motor. The petrol engine makes the same power as the ‘SmartStream G1.6’ in the current Tucson, 132kW/265Nm. But the addition of the 44kW electric motor takes the total powertrain output to 168kW/349Nm.
The powertrain is paired to a six-speed automatic transmission as standard as well as Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel drive system.
The Akera is an all-wheel drive with a six-speed auto transmission and our test model has the 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces a maximum power output of 170kW and 420Nm of torque. The turbo ensures it never feels sluggish, even when you’re hitting hills.
Hyundai USA rates the Tucson Hybrid fuel economy at between 6.1L/100km and 6.3L/100km depending on the variant. It must be noted that US fuel economy figures do alter to Australian numbers, but as a guide those figures are competitive without being class-leading.
The X-Trail e-Power returns the same 6.1L/100km, but the RAV4 Hybrid uses just 4.8L/100km so there’s room for Hyundai to close the gap.
But at 6.1L/100km the hybrid would be the most fuel-efficient member of the Tucson range in Australia, with the diesel managing 6.3L/100km and the 1.6 turbo petrol using 7.2L/100km. So there’s reason to think adding this hybrid option would expand the appeal of the Tucson.
The US-spec models have a 51-litre fuel tank which means a theoretical driving range of up to 835km on a single tank.
The compromise for getting extra power from the turbo is fuel efficiency takes a hit.
The official combined fuel cycle figure is 8.2L/100km but my real-world usage came out at 10L/100km. That’s after mostly open-road driving this week, too, so it’s a bit thirstier than I was expecting.
Based on the combined cycle number and the 58L fuel tank, expect a driving range of around 784km – which is still great for the odd road trip.
The extra power and torque makes for a notable improvement in performance over what’s currently offered in Australia. The Tucson Hybrid feels quite punchy off the mark whenever you engage both the engine and motor. While it’s not exactly a ‘N Performance’ model, it does feel sprightly for a mid-size SUV.
Plus there’s the added bonus that the electric motor can do all of the work some of the time.
So if you do a lot of urban driving and can be careful with your right foot you may be able to get close to, or even beat, the claimed fuel economy.
It’s difficult to make a definitive comment on the handling, because the version we drove had the US suspension tune, which felt softer than what we’ve experienced here to deal with America’s very average road conditions. Even so, our test drive did demonstrate that the addition of the hybrid system, and the added weight it brings, doesn’t have a negative impact on the way the Tucson drives. It still feels like a well-balanced and responsive SUV and we’d certainly expect that to be the case of Australian-bound models.
The Akera turbo-petrol delivers a decent well of power to dip into and it feels peppy in most situations. Even when you’re overtaking or getting up to speed you don’t feel like you’re nearing the bottom of the power barrel.
Steering is responsive and the car is agile when you tackle narrow car parks or streets. However, you still get some roll in corners which my passengers felt more than I did.
The cabin is quiet, even at higher speeds and the suspension is firm enough that you feel the bumps but you’re not jostled about. The ride comfort is still good.
I’ve said it before but I love parking medium SUVs because their size is so forgiving in a car park! The Akera is no different and it’s especially easy thanks to the ultra-clear 360-degree view camera system. You also get front and rear parking sensors to help out when needed.
Again, this is an area where we don’t know any specific details, but it’s almost certain that the Tucson Hybrid will follow the same safety features as the rest of the range.
There’s all the usual acronyms you expect these days, such as AEB (autonomous emergency braking), ESC (electronic stability control), BSM (blind spot monitoring) and RCTA (rear cross-traffic alert).
The biggest difference between the current range and the hybrid is likely to be the loss of the full-size spare wheel. Given the unique Australian conditions, if Hyundai can find a way to fit even a spacesaver spare it would be more appealing and safer than the puncture repair kit.
The addition of an all-new engine variant typically requires a new crash testing program under the ANCAP safety ratings, but the rest of the Tucson range is five stars and there's no reason to think the hybrid would be dramatically worse.
The Akera has a bunch of safety features that are always great to have on a family SUV and a standout is the 360-degree camera system. It’s super clear and well-positioned on the dashboard for easy viewing.
Standard safety items on the Akera include LED daytime running lights, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, a driver fatigue monitor, AEB, forward collision warning and traffic sign recognition.
The previously awarded five-star ANCAP safety rating for this model has just expired and models built from January 2024 onwards are thus unrated. The CX-5 features six airbags, which is a little low for a family car but I like how many safety features this has overall.
There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seat positions and three top-tethers but two seats will fit best. Front occupant comfort is compromised when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.
It’s safe to assume that Hyundai Australia will offer its standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for the Tucson Hybrid.
Servicing costs are unclear but it’s probable that the more complex hybrid powertrain would mean a higher price. But Hyundai Australia will likely offer a servicing plan, so you’ll know up front what you’re in for.
The CX-5 comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is average cover for the class but some of its rivals offer longer terms.
There is a five-year, or up to 75,000km capped-price servicing program and services average $423 per workshop visit, which is competitive.
Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.