2017 Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage

What's the difference?

The Tucson is an very capable all-rounder with few weak spots, particularly after a little tidy-up of the Active and Elite trims in the middle of 2016. It's a strong proposition in a very crowded part of the market dominated by a resurgent Volkswagen Tiguan and the Mazda CX-5 (with a facelift due for release this month).

The Active X is the best value for money Tucson as long as you don't need AWD (there are the occasional special editions based on its spec, though, like the Tucson 30th Anniversary) or extra grunt.

The Tucson's roomy, good-looking, well-built and rides and handles as well as anything else in the class. It's a difficult car to fault, even when it's been in our hands for lengthy periods. The fact it has squared up to the Japanese and Germans and held its own means it has to be very good, indeed.

Stop thinking of Kia as 'cheap and cheerful', because it doesn't apply any more. It's selling a lot of cars thanks in part to an industry-leading seven-year warranty, but they're also selling cars because they look good, they're well-specced and they're well priced.

The Sportage line is front and centre of this strategy, with smart specs and pricing right across the range. We'd like to see more driver aid safety systems added, while the update for the 2.0-litre petrol engine will also be welcomed. If you can stretch, the GT-Line is the pick for value and safety.

The Tucson is a terrific-looking car. Hyundai's styling has matured hugely in the last few years and the Tucson is a pointer to the brand's future - classy, Euro-influenced and with a strong personality linked to newer Hyundais as they roll through.

The lines are sharp, the headlights slim and the unpainted plastic applied around the wheelarches is just right - it doesn't look either penny-pinching or self-consciously masculine. It's also a cohesive exterior design, with links between the front and rear, a strong feature line to draw the two ends together and some great surfacing. Upper-spec models gain some chrome, most obviously in the grille.

Perhaps the only real criticism (and this is obviously subjective) is the chintziness of the alloys and cheap exterior detailing on higher models.

As out interior images show, the inside is lined with mostly good materials and plastics. The leather trim is a moving feast, with a mix of real and synthetic upholstery depending on build location (South Korea or Czech Republic) and model level. There's nothing wrong with the synthetic stuff, which is quite soft and resists heating up too much in summer.

Kia's exterior design has come into its own in this current generation of models, with its designers adopting  the same large, hourglass-style grille across the range.

There's a deferential nod to the Sportage's SUV intentions, with thin black plastic overfender liners and covers, while the nose offers good clearance for cityscapes and parking blocks.

The Sportage is among the sharpest looking medium size SUVs out there at the moment, and the Si and SLi models don't let the side down. They do miss out on the distinctive quad LED driving lamps of the top grades, but the single halogen foglights still look okay.

The GT Line stands out even further, with concept car-like 19-inch rims, a body kit, blacked-out exterior and an unusually cool headlight/LED driving lamp arrangement.

As the interior photos show, it's quite dark throughout, thanks mainly to its GT Line status. Various shades of grey and black dominate, with a lighter roof liner adding some ambience to the interior.

Right from the entry level version of the Sportage, this SUV is spot on for everyday practicality.

When it comes to colours, 'Clear White' is available right across the range, along with 'Clear Silver', 'Sparkling Silver' – more of a grey, really - and 'Fiery Red.'

The range-topping petrol can also be had in 'Snow White' or 'Cherry Black', while 'Mercury Blue' is available across most of the range. Brighter hues like orange and gold aren't offered.

The Tucson range has slightly differing cabin storage options but they all share the same headline figures of 488 and 1478 litres of cargo space, the latter figure for luggage capacity with the rear seats folded. There are a couple of underfloor cubby holes in the boot space, too.

Beyond the boot size, they've all got four bottle holders and four cupholders as well as a good-sized centre console bin under the armrest. Beneath the air con/climate controls is a tray that will fit your smartphone without drama and also houses the USB port and two 12 volt outlets (although the Active X has only one 12 volt outlet). All have a 12 volt point in the boot.

In terms of interior dimensions, rear legroom is good for people over 180cm tall as long as the driver doesn't think they're Stirling Moss and have to sit as far back from the steering wheel as their straightened arms will allow. You can thank the 2.65m wheelbase for all that room. Those in the back also get a rare treat - air conditioning vents at floor level and additional knee level ones in the Elite and Highlander.

The Tucson is 4.475m long, 1.85m wide and 1.65m high (with roof rails).

Right from the entry level version of the Sportage, this SUV is spot on for everyday practicality, with a load of features that will be used regularly – and a lack of gizmos that will be ignored.

The 7.0-inch infotainment screen is one of the standard features across the range, and can be controlled either by a touch or via a clear, concise and easy-to-operate line of buttons on the centre console – though the deep-set screen means it can be a stretch to reach it.

A pair of traditional dials brackets a small digital screen in the centre of the dash. Again, it's a real nod to simplicity and ease of use. The steering wheel controls are comprehensive, even on the base Si, but again they are simple to understand and use.

Storage spaces are plentiful and clever in the Sportage, too. Two cup holders are in the centre console, there's room for larger bottles in all four doors, as well as a pair of (slightly small) cup holders in the centre rear armrest.

There's 466 litres of boot size with the seats up – more, in terms of boot space dimensions, than the Mazda CX-5.

A pair of ISOFIX baby seat mounts are fitted on the rear outboard seats, but the centre rear sash belt is mounted in the ceiling. It needs to be disconnected if you want to make the most of the large cargo space, which is a pain, to be honest. It diminishes from the car's otherwise good practicality.

If you're running a kid's sport team, there's one question you'll undoubtedly have; how many seats does a Kia Sportage have? Just five, and there's no option for a third row.

The 60/40 split rear seats flop down quickly and firmly with the pull of a lever on the sides of the seats. There's 466 litres of boot size with the seats up – more, in terms of boot space dimensions, than the Mazda CX-5 – and 1455 litres of luggage capacity in the down position.

One small annoyance is a lack of auto-up on the passenger side front window in the entry-level Si, but it's common across a lot of Kia and Hyundai cars.

There are plenty of places to charges phones and tablets across all Kia Sportage models, with a pair of 12 volt sockets for rear-seat passengers and a pair for the front, as well as USB and auxiliary in ports.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is coming for the Si, we're told, and will be able to be retrofitted by dealers with a simple software upgrade. This allows you to use your phone like an MP3 player, amongst other functions.

There's no CD player or digital radio for the sound system, though the standard speakers are surprisingly impressive. The GT Line also gets an inductive phone charging tray.

Despite the Sportage being a medium SUV in size, it fits four adults in absolute comfort and ease.

A cargo net and tie-down hooks are included in the cargo area of SLi and above models, and there's a full-sized spare underneath the boot floor. There are also LED lights throughout the cabin.

Despite the Sportage being a medium SUV in size, it fits four adults in absolute comfort and ease, and five when required; three kids across the back is no problem. The driving position is slightly higher than expected, but it's still perfectly suited to both small and tall drivers.

The full-length glass sunroof of the top-spec GT Line doesn't affect head height, but it also doesn't slide back; it only tilts up.

Controls in the GT-Line for oft-used switches like lane departure and blind spot warning systems, and even the illumination controls for the dashboard are well placed, rather than being buried in the multimedia system menu. The top-spec car also gets an electronic handbrake.

How much is a Kia Sportage? Well, the entry-level Si is available in front-wheel drive (FWD) with a 2.0-litre petrol engine for $28,990, or all-wheel drive (AWD) with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel for $33,990.

The standard features list includes good quality cloth seats, 17-inch alloys, reversing sensors and camera (with moving guidelines), fog lights, automatic lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift, a 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with Bluetooth and streaming, three 12-volt plugs and a USB port.

Offered in AWD with the bigger 2.4-litre petrol engine only, the $30,990 Si Premium adds - electrochromic (auto dimming) rear view mirror, LED daytime running lights, rain sensing front wipers, driver and front passenger window auto up/down, illuminated vanity mirrors, satellite navigation multimedia system with SUNA traffic information, and dual-zone climate control air conditioning.

The SLi will cost you $33,990 in FWD 2.0-litre petrol form, or $38,990 for the AWD diesel, and adds smart key with push button start, leather appointed seats with contrast stitching, 10-way driver's power adjustable seat, front sensors, gloss black grille mesh and extra exterior chrome trim, LED tail-lights, a 4.2-inch TFT screen, automatic wipers, privacy glass, and a luggage net.

The price for the top-of-the-range Sportage GT-Line, meanwhile, is $43,490 for the AWD 2.4-litre petrol, or $45,990 RRP in AWD 2.0-litre turbo-diesel diesel form (no drive away price is offered). It's very well equipped in its price range with 19-inch alloys, AEB, lane departure warning, an automatic tailgate, keyless entry, auto lights and wipers, as well as gadgets like LED headlights and fog lamps, dual-zone climate control, vented and heated powered seats, and park assist.

Hyundai provides a choice of petrol and diesel engines but no full gas or petrol/LPG option.

In terms of engine specs, the Active, Active X and Elite FWD are available with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder GDI developing 121kW/203Nm. Pretty handy diesel specs. You've a choice of six-speed manual or automatic of Hyundai design and manufacture, but they're FWD only.

Early versions of the Active and Elite ran the older GDI engine until specifications changed in mid-2016.

Elite and Highlander AWD petrols pack a 1.6 litre turbo four-cylinder producing 130kW/265Nm, driving all four wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, again a Hyundai design. These are good power and torque specs for this engine size and is related to the Veloster Turbo's powerplant, but much more refined in the Tucson. Just a shame it isn't available in FWD Tucson models, even as an option.

All petrol engines get by with standard 91 RON unleaded and fuel tank capacity across the range is 62 litres.

A startlingly good feature across the entire range is the ride and handling.

The Elite and Highlander CRDi AWDs are powered by Hyundai's R-Series 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo-diesel, producing 136kW and a strong 400Nm, which is channelled to all four wheels via a six speed automatic transmission.

None of these engine and transmission combinations have stop-start technology to reduce consumption, but competitors, like the CX-5 and Tiguan, do.

It would be fun if the AWD system had more of a rear-wheel drive (RWD) feel, but alas, you can't have it all.

Towing capacity ratings are identical from Active to Highlander - 1600kg braked, 750kg unbraked.

The 1.6 and 2.0 petrol engine specs  have an oil capacity of 4.0 litres, the 2.0 diesel 7.6 litres. The specified oil type is mineral, with a 15W/40 rating for both fuel types.

Three engine specifications are available across the Kia Sportage range, with a six-speed automatic transmission standard on all models. Manual variants were discontinued late in 2016.

The engine specs of the base 2.0-litre MPI petrol engine in the Si and SLi are starting to show their age, with a more modern direct-injection unit likely to power the car in the near future.

The current motor pumps out 114kW at 6200rpm and 192Nm at 4000rpm, and is backed by a six-speed automatic that drives the front wheels.

Kia's common rail direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is a willing performer with excellent manners.

Kia's common rail direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo-diesel specs, meanwhile, are 136kW at 4000rpm, with 400Nm of torque available from as low as 1750rpm. Its horsepower is available across the range, and is a willing performer with excellent manners.

The top grade GT's engine size is a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol, and sports ratings of 135kW at 6000rpm and torque specs of 237Nm at 4000rpm, and is only available as an AWD. It's not offered with an LPG conversion, in case you're wondering.

Towing capacity of the 2.4-litre is 1500kg, the 2.0-litre can tow 1600kg, while the diesel can lug 1900kg of braked trailer; we'll bring you a towing review soon.

Kia's common rail direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is a willing performer with excellent manners. Its 136kW peaks at 4000rpm, while its 400Nm of torque is available from as low as 1750rpm.

Its six-speed auto is linked to a front-biased all wheel drive system that can send 40 per cent of torque to the rear wheels for extra 4WD traction. There's also a remote button to lock the centre diff, while a drive-select switch allows for Eco and Sport modes for gearbox and throttle.

CarsGuide's Richard Berry is running a Tucson Active auto with the 2.0 GDI on long-term test and so far it's returning 9.5L/100km against the claimed 7.9L/100km (manual and auto) in a mix of long highway runs (Melbourne to Sydney) and city running. For those who prefer to invert the standard measure to km per litre, that claim is 12.7km/L.

The Active X has the same claimed combined figure of 7.9L/100km. I ran a Tucson Active X automatic for six months and never bettered 10.5L/100km on standard unleaded in a mix of regular 80km/h running, lots of suburban battling and a little freeway work.

Hyundai reckons you'll get 7.7L/100km on the combined cycle with the 1.6-litre turbo GDI, and on our most recent test in a Tucson 30th Anniversary, we got 9.2L/100km, despite a 145kg weight increase over the GDI. Richard also managed 9.1L/100km in an Elite AWD 1.6 turbo.

For the 2.0-litre R-Series turbodiesel, Hyundai claims 6.8L/100km on the combined cycle. CarsGuide's last week long test yielded an impressively close 8.0L/100km, which is pretty good mileage, especially when bashing around town.

From a claimed combined fuel economy figure of 7.9 litres per 100km, we saw a best combined fuel economy figure on the dash of 9.1L/100km over 350km in the 2.0-litre petrol Si.

Our diesel test, meanwhile, returned a best combined fuel economy mileage figure of 7.9L/100km over 350km, versus a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 6.8L/100km.

The 2.4-litre engine is claimed to return a combined fuel economy figure of 8.5L/100km.

All Kia Sportage models have a fuel tank capacity of 62 litres.

The Tucson is a good car to live with. Like most Hyundais it is unusually easy to set the right position behind the wheel, with an excellent relationship between the pedals, wheel and the hip-point of the driver's seat. There's tons of adjustment to ensure you hit the spot.

Vision is good in almost all directions, apart from over the shoulder on the driver's side where the closing glass line tightens up. It's not an especially high car but feels high enough that you're above the traffic.

Although this isn't specifically an offroad review, ground clearance is 182mm with nothing on-board and you could almost u-turn in a normal suburban street with a turning radius of 10.6 metres.

A startlingly good feature across the entire range is the ride and handling.

Like Mazda, Hyundai has punted on buyers liking a multi-link rear rear suspension. It means a better balanced chassis (when done right) but more importantly, impressive ride compared to a couple of the segment's other cars which have cheaper, more compact torsion beam rear ends.

Multi-link-equipped cars cost more, but it's worth it. Australian Tucsons have individual spring and damper settings from Hyundai's very own local suspension tuning team.

Each Tucson has its own distinct driving character according to engine and transmission combination.

The only bugbear with the FWD cars is an over-enthusiastic propensity to centre the steering wheel if you give it a little too much throttle exiting a corner.

Each Tucson has its own distinct driving character according to engine and transmission combination.

The Active and Active X are roughly the same from behind the wheel, with just nuanced differences to do with the different wheel sizes. In both cases the six-speed automatic is a good choice, with a finely-judged shift quality and the ability to work out what you're up to. As it's only FWD, it's not an off-roader, although the curious inclusion of hill descent control suggests it might be. Then again, on the supplied tyres, perhaps not.

The GDI motor is quiet unless provoked to the redline and returns fair fuel economy around town, lacking as they are in stop-start or energy recovery. In fact, no Tucson features stop-start, the only real glaring spec omission. Performance figures aren't particularly quick, the GDI managing a 0-100km/h time of 10.2 seconds.

Moving up the range, and with the addition of a 1.6-litre turbo petrol and seven-speed dual clutch transmission, are the Elite and Highlander AWD models. The 1.6 turbo is very much at home in the Tucson, with a small bump in power from the Active X's 121kW to 130kW but a 20 per cent jump in torque to 265Nm. While the front drivers are the best handlers, the turbo 1.6-powered cars have the best engine.

It's a smooth, happy unit, hauling the Tucson around with vigour. The dual-clutch transmission isn't perfect, with hesitation at low speeds and a frustrating inability to quickly shift from D to R to D when you're in a hurried three-point-turn manoeuvre.

Apart from that little drama, this combination does turn the Tucson into a more relaxed car in traffic as that nice stream of accessible torque means fewer revs needed to make things happen and it's less sensitive to heavy loads.

The turbo petrol cars also very effectively mask the weight increase of around 145kg over the FWD models, with stronger acceleration from step off and in the gears. Four fatter tyres handle getting the power to the road and all the good bits of the Active X's ride and handling are transferred to AWD petrols, meaning a good change of direction and best-in-class ride.

The final combination is the AWD 2.0-litre turbo diesel found in the Elite and Highlander diesels. Reverting back to the six-speed automatic found in the naturally aspirated front drivers, the diesel is a very strong performer and, like the petrol 1.6, is a relaxed car in daily driving.

Only the CX-5 matches the Tucson for handling but it can't touch it for overall ride quality or road noise levels.

It is almost 200kg heavier than the Active and Active X, but the 400Nm of torque - almost double - means you can load up and still get around swiftly. Performance figures from 0-100km/h are similar to the 1.6 petrol (just over nine seconds for the diesel, and a tick under for the petrol) but in the gears acceleration is mighty. The diesel is the one for towing.

As in the petrol, the CRDis have plenty of grip on loose or wet surfaces and handle well in the dry, with good steering and a keen change of direction for a mid-size SUV, especially consi dering the further weight gain of the diesel engine. The diesel only comes with 4 wheel drive and any of the all-wheel drivers will tackle moderate off-road challenges.

Only the CX-5 matches the Tucson for handling but it can't touch it for overall ride quality or road noise levels, despite a similar rear suspension set-up. The Tucson is also exceptionally quiet for a car in this class, especially for front seat passengers.

Rear seat passengers enjoy a good ride, although the middle seat is quite firm for backsides of any size.

The Sportage is built for a life around town, and the lighter front-drive petrol powered Si is perfect for it.

The 2.0-litre engine gets thrashy and noisy when acceleration is needed up hills, though, with the automatic occasionally confused by which ratio to pick and hold. Despite its age, it's still a very smooth and tractable unit when coasting around on light throttle, even though its 0-100km/h performance figures won't worry even a warm hatch.

The Sportage GT Line diesel is light on its feet, even with the addition of the heavier AWD/diesel drivetrain.

The 2.4-litre engine fares much better, although its AWD drivetrain takes the edge off its ability to nip up hills.

The Sportage GT Line diesel is light on its feet, even with the addition of the heavier AWD/diesel drivetrain. It's also impressively quiet, letting minimal road noise into the cabin, despite larger, wider and lower profile 19-inch tyres.

All Sportages benefit from a localised tuning program for the MacPherson strut front suspension and multilink rear suspension that imparts a ride and handling set-up that leans towards firm and supportive.

With a few bodies and a bit of gear aboard, the occasionally sharp edges of the ride are nicely rounded out. A tight turning circle of 10.9m is also useful.

The Sportage is a predictable, stable and simple car to drive.

This is not an off-road review; after all, the capability of a crossover in the rough stuff is minimal at best. The ground clearance of 172mm, for example, is about 50mm less than that of a Subaru XV, and it doesn't suggest a safe wading depth.

Overall, the Sportage is a predictable, stable and simple car to drive, without the compromises that sometimes come with a taller SUV.

The base spec Si, Si Premium and SLi unfortunately all miss out on almost all of the electronic safety features available today, including blind spot detection, lane change assist, forward collision warning system, lane departure warning system and auto emergency braking – though all of this kit is standard in the top-spec Sportage GT Line.

All models enjoy a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, though, and each has six airbags, front (not Si) and rear sensors and a rear view camera.

Hyundai offers a fairly comprehensive after-sales agreement which starts with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and roadside assist for the duration, extendible to 10 years.

Hyundai provides capped-price servicing for the lifetime of the car, with the website listing every service up to 34 years/510,000km. Without wishing to be rude, it's unlikely it'll last that many years, but would probably survive that many kays in a shorter time period.

Service intervals and pricing differ depending on the engine and transmission.

According to the owners manual, the 2.0-litre in both MPI and GDI forms will bring you into a dealer every twelve months or 15,000km.

Service costs appear to be $269 until four years/60,000 when it jumps to $399 with subsequent services ranging from $269 to $480 up to 10 years/150,000km. After 15 years (!) an additional service level is available called 'iCare Essentials Plus' which is more rigorous and costs more if you so choose.

Most owners are pleased with the value of the car, the standard features and if there was a problem or complaint with their vehicle, it was quickly resolved.

For the 1.6-litre turbo, most services appear to be either $189 or $289 with the odd jump to $399 and $475 at the major 120,000km service. Hyundai wants to see you more often with this engine, every six months or 7500km, so it is more expensive to service.

The diesel bounces back to the 12 months/15,000km pattern of the 2.0 petrols, with services running at $379 until four years/60,000km when it spikes to $499. After that, expect to pay between $379 and $695 (eight years/120,000km).

All available engines make use of a timing chain rather than a timing belt, so there won't be any surprise replacement costs unless something goes very horribly wrong.

Resale value seems to be going okay for private sales. A 2015 Active X Auto sold for $32,990 and can fetch $23,200-$25,700 privately (70-78 percent). Dealer trades are less strong at between $18,900 and $21,400 (57 and 65 percent). It's still early days for the current Tucson, though.

The reliability rating of the Tucson seems good, with a dip into the usual forums here and overseas to explore common faults or issues yielding nothing concerning or widespread. In those same forums, most owners are pleased with the value of the car, the standard features and if there was a problem or complaint with their vehicle, it was quickly resolved.

There are no signs of automatic transmission problems but the dual clutch had a short-lived problem in the US that was fixed with a software flash for affected users and fixed in production. Australian-delivered cars were not recalled or mentioned as being affected.

There appear to be no turbo problems or clutch problems either.

Kia's seven-year warranty is the best in the automotive business at present, and includes roadside assist and a free first service at three months.

Capped-price servicing covers the warranty period, too, with $419 the lowest and $726 the highest service costs over four years for the diesel powered cars, with a seven-year total of $3695. That's an average of $528 per service.

The petrol service program costs between $306 and $711 per service. The majority of services are under $400, with seven years of maintenance costs equalling $2942. Don't forget to get your owners manual ticked.

When it comes to diesel problems, clutch problems or transmission problems, the new Sportage has shown no dramas.

If you are wondering if the Kia Sportage uses a timing belt or chain, all variants of the engine use the latter. A chain is preferable to a timing belt as it gives a longer life.

When it comes to diesel problems, clutch problems or transmission problems, the new Sportage has shown no dramas. A JD Power reliability rating study ranks it well, with few problems, complaints, issues or common faults.

Resale value for most Korean brands is still not as good as some of their Japanese rivals; a 2015 Sportage Platinum diesel, for example, will have lost about 30 per cent of its new value if trading in, or about 12 per cent on a private sale.

Waiting time on new cars is minimal, according to Kia.