2019 Hyundai Tucson vs Mitsubishi Outlander

What's the difference?

Does the facelifted 2019 Hyundai Tucson change the game for the mid-size SUV segment? Not really.  But it does improve an already well-rounded package.

The availability of the SmartSense safety pack on lower grades is welcome, even if some competitors offer some of the kit as standard. Even so, it'd be hard to go past the value on offer in an Active X 2.0-litre FWD model with the safety pack, which is our pick of the range - even if at least some of the safety stuff should really be standard. 

Like most Mitsubishi models, the base model has all the good stuff of the top-of-the-range, although I'd skip the ES and go for the ES ADAS. For all the extra cash, you don't really get that much more in the Exceed because there's not much in Mitsubishi's grab bag. There's almost nothing to commend the Exceed over the LS.

As a city car, the PHEV is quite good as long as you don't ask too much of it. The electric range is useful for school runs or shortish commutes (if you can park near a power point) and when you're flat, the engine sorts you out.

Like the rest of the Outlander range, it's honest transport and not much else. The PHEV, though, proves that when Mitsubishi puts its mind to something, it can turn out quite alright.

The exterior design of the updated Tucson is largely unchanged - the metalwork hasn't been altered, but there are new graphic differentiators if you take a look at the lights at either end of the SUV.

Hyundai's new cascading grille design dominates the front end, and while the shape of the headlights hasn't changed, the inlays have, and along with the new bumper there are more angular LED daytime running lights. You can tell the higher-grade versions by the horizontal slatted chrome grille, while entry models have a black honeycomb look with a silver frame.

Sadly, you can only get LED headlights on the top spec, but the appearance on lower grade models which run halogen projector lamps is really dumbed down by the mix of crisp white angular lights and a round, yellowy bulb in the middle.

The tail-lights are slightly different looking - again, with a different inlay, and again with LED only fitted to the top spec. The reflectors have moved up a bit, mirroring the i30's Euro-look back end.

As you may expect, there's no difference to the dimensions - it's the same size from nose to tail at 4480mm long, 1850mm wide and up to 1660mm tall (with roof rails).

No matter which model you get, there's not a sporty edge to the Tucson - you can forget about a body kit or rear diffuser, but there is a tailgate spoiler. A set of side steps could be fitted, but may be unnecessary, because the Tucson doesn't sit up that high. 

You guessed it, the interior dimensions are unchanged, too. But as the interior images show, there are now different options when it comes to the colour of the leather you can get. You can choose the lighter leather as part of a 'Luxury Pack'.

The Outlander's fresh nose from a year or so back is leaps and bounds from when the car first landed in 2012. While there is a bit more chrome than I consider strictly necessary, the PHEV's face is no different to other cars in the range.

What is different is idiotic, over-sized PHEV badges on the car's flanks. They look crooked, too, which is a bit disheartening. But at least onlookers will know you care.

The car is otherwise quite conventional to look at. The dinky wheels have too many spokes and belong on a Toyota Crown and there's little in the way of flair. But this car is not about flair, so that's fine.

Inside is also fairly dull, but does the job. The new touchscreen integrates nicely, though and everything seems to fit. Some of the switches look like they're from Jaycar - the heated seat switches for example - but it all seems solid enough.

Every time I drive an Outlander, I think the interior will take a pretty good hammering, which is reassuring. The flimsy-feeling action on the door handles is less so.

Oddly, the full leather of the Exceed isn't as nice as the leather/micro-suede of the LS.

The changes inside include a dashboard layout that mirrors the Santa Fe and Kona, and looks a damn sight more modern than the existing set-up.

It comprises a new tablet-style media screen, which is a 7.0-inch unit in the base model and this 8.0-inch screen in the rest of the range. The bigger screen adds digital radio and sat nav, but all models come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Some people might like the screen being up on top of the dash, so it's in your line of sight and easier to touch-control when you're driving. Others will prefer where it used to be, down where the air-vents are now.

The controls are all well placed, the seats are comfortable and offer good adjustment, and the storage is well sorted, too - there are cupholders between the front and rear seats, bottle holders in all four doors, and loose item cubbies here and there, too, plus a wireless phone charger in the high-spec model. 

There are two interior colour options on the Active X, Elite and Highlander leather-clad models, and it's tidy… but does it feel as special as a Mazda CX-5? Not quite.

The back seat is very roomy, considering the external dimensions of the Tucson aren't as big as many of its competitors. With the driver's seat set in my position (I'm 182cm tall) and myself positioned behind it, I easily have enough rear legroom to be comfortable, enough toe room to stop them from going numb, and a lot of headroom, too - even in the high-spec Highlander with the lovely panoramic glass roof.

You should be able to fit three across the back without too much hassle, and there are dual ISOFIX positions and three top-tether points. Rear air-vents are only fitted to the top two specs, which is annoying, and the top three models get a rear USB charger, but the base model misses out.

The boot space dimensions on offer in the Tucson are good - bigger than a Nissan Qashqai and Mazda CX-5, but not quite as big as an X-Trail or Honda CR-V. The luggage capacity is 488 litres with the seats up, and the storage space expands to 1478L with them folded down flat.

Every model has a full-size matching spare wheel under the boot floor and cargo liner (and you get a retractable cover to keep prying eyes away from your boot cargo), and the top-spec gets an electric boot lid. If you're a sales rep or have dogs, you might want to consider a barrier, which you can fit behind the rear seat. 

If that's not enough size, every model comes with roof rails, so fitting a roof rack system won't be too much of a problem.

One of the Outlander's few outstanding features has been its status as a bargain seven-seater. That's out the window with the PHEV, but given it needs a (big) battery, that's fair enough.

The boot is a handy 477 litres with the rear seats in place and if you put them down, you have an impressive 1608 litres. Front and rear rows score a pair of cupholders each and there's a bottle holder in each door.

Passenger space is good for four but given it's slightly narrower than similar cars its size, the middle rear passengers feels the squeeze.

The $53,990 PHEV Exceed, the car I had for a week, recently came in for a price cut, a very handy $1500. If you don't need or want what the top-of-the-range has to offer, you can start with the ES at $45,990, the ES ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assist Systems) at $47,490 and the LS at $50,490.

The Exceed rolls quietly off the line with 18-inch alloys, a six-speaker sound system, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, active cruise control, auto headlights and wipers, partial leather interior with micro-suede inserts, electric front seats, heated and folding power mirrors and electrochromatic rear vision mirror.

Entertainment comes from Mitsubishi's new 7.0-inch touchscreen from the ASX and, truth be told, it's fairly ordinary. But it does have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is very welcome indeed given the absence of sat nav.

The range is pretty complex in terms of drivetrains, engine specs and ratings, but let's go through each motor in detail.

The entry-level engine is the 2.0-litre four-cylinder non-turbo petrol model, which Hyundai calls the 2.0 GDi (gasoline direct injection). It produces 122kW of power at 6200rpm and 205Nm of torque at 4000rpm, and is available with a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission. It comes in FWD (4x2) only. This drivetrain has seen some tweaks for better refinement, but the changes aren't groundbreaking.

The next engine up is actually smaller in engine size, but features a turbocharger to up the horsepower - it's the 1.6 T-GDi, and it has 130kW of power (at 5500rpm) and 265Nm of torque (1500-4500rpm). It only comes with a dual-clutch automatic and AWD (the system is an on-demand unit, as opposed to a proper permanent 4WD set-up with low-range). This drivetrain is unchanged compared to the pre-facelift version.

The diesel engine on offer is the 2.0 CRDi turbo four-cylinder unit, which has 136kW (at 4000rpm) and 400Nm (1750-2750rpm). It used to be available with a six-speed auto, but now has an eight-speed automatic.

The fuel consumption of this model has dropped - more on that in the next section. The engine is Euro 5 compliant, meaning there is no AdBlue, but there is a diesel particulate filter.

So there are two petrols and a diesel, but we don't get any LPG, plug-in hybrid or EV versions of the Tucson.

No models on launch had a towbar fitted, so there's no part of this review that touches on that element of load capacity - but every model has the same towing capacity of 750kg with an un-braked trailer and 1600kg for a braked trailer. However, the towball down-weight limit differs for the front-wheel drive (120kg) and AWD models (140kg).

Gross vehicle weight, or GVM, varies depending on the model, with the base FWD Active listed at 2070kg (with a minimum kerb weight of 1497kg) and the top-spec diesel AWD Highlander listed at 2280kg (min. kerb weight: 1707kg).

Be sure to check out our Hyundai Tucson problems page for any mention of diesel problems, automatic gearbox problems, engine, clutch, battery, suspension, cruise control or transmission issues. 

The PHEV has a 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 87kW/186Nm and two 30kW electric motors that bring the total combined power outputs to 120kW/332Nm.

A 12kWh/40Ah battery hides under the boot floor and takes around six hours to charge from a domestic circuit and if you get a fast-charger, that comes down to an 80 percent charge from 25 minutes.

Power goes out via all four wheels and a single speed automatic.

The Hyundai Tucson isn't the most efficient SUV you can buy, but nor is it the thirstiest - and the numbers are largely unchanged as part of this update.

Fuel economy is rated at 7.8 litres per 100 kilometres (or 12.8 kilometres per litre, if that's how you prefer it) for the petrol 2.0-litre manual FWD, while the 2.0-litre auto FWD claims 7.9L/100km (12.6km/L).

The turbocharged petrol 1.6-litre DCT AWD model has claimed consumption of 7.7L/100km (13.0km/L)

Diesel fuel consumption is improved thanks to the eight-speed auto, now rated at 6.4L/100km (15.6km/L), where it was previously 6.8L/100km (14.7km/L) for the Highlander.

All models have fuel tank capacity of 62 litres - a good size to ensure decent mileage for long-distance driving, especially if you stick to ‘Eco mode'.

The official combined cycle figures are listed at 1.7L/100km. Some years ago editor Flynn managed something close to this figure but I fear it involved hazard lights and driving slowly down the hard shoulder - hyper-miling, if you will.

My esteemed colleague managed a day's motoring on 7.5L/100km which seems reasonable, but he started the day with a full battery. When I did that, I saw about the same figure, which seems a bit high. You're not necessarily going to save a lot of fuel or carbon unless you're careful on the road and diligent with the charging.

Mitsubishi says a full battery will give you 54km but that's exceedlingly (sorry) unlikely.

What might you expect if you drive it without having charged it up? We gave that a go and the results weren't amazing - 11.3L/100km. So keep it charged or it's just a heavy, quiet Outlander LS.

There was a mix of models on offer at the launch. I drove the diesel Elite, the FWD versions of the Go and Active X, and the turbo-petrol Highlander. So I came away with a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each drivetrain - though it must be said there are no real deal breakers, here.

Let's start off with the 2.0-litre petrol drivetrain, which will account for the vast majority of Tucson sales, and has been tweaked in this iteration with peak torque coming in a little sooner. That means you don't quite need to rev it as hard to get the best out of it, but it still likes a rev.

This time around, though, the refinement has been improved, with less raucousness to it as you build revs. And while it isn't fast, it doesn't struggle to keep moving, and is more than suitable for the vast majority of peoples' needs.

If you choose the Sport drive mode the transmission seems to behave itself a bit better than it does in Eco or Comfort, holding gears a little longer - but on the steep, twisty mountain roads we were on, I chose the select gears manually (though there are no paddle shifters on any model).

There are no drive modes on the Go model, so you can't quite get the same result. It's a slightly more tedious drive experience, but only if you're attacking hilly roads. On the highway and around town, you'll find little to whine about.

What's most impressive about the Tucson is its Mazda CX-5-beating drive experience: there's a great level of connection for the driver, with the steering offering natural and rewarding response (best in the lower-grade models), and the suspension dealing with lumps and bumps extremely well. 

I also drove the Highlander with the 1.6T engine and DCT. There are some vehicles with these sorts of gearboxes that are more renowned for their automatic transmission problems than anything else, and you may have read some issues with Hyundai's ‘box, too. But from a test drive perspective, there's not a lot to complain about.

My steer was pretty much problem-free, though there is a chance you might find the low-speed manoeuvrability compromised, as the combo of the turbo engine and DCT can be a little laggy in terms of throttle response. 

I noted that the Highlander, with its bigger wheels and low-profile tyres (245/45/19) felt a little heavier on centre when turning, and there was a bit of road noise to contend with, too. The ride, though, was nicely sorted.

What about the diesel? Well, if you can justify the expense, you will be getting the best drivetrain of the lot in the Tucson range. 

It revs smoothly once the engine is warm, and is barely perceptible at highway pace. The new eight-speed auto shifts smoothly, and its hard to catch it in the wrong gear, with the torque of the engine easily allowing you to power out in higher gears without raising a sweat.

Now, if you're into stats and facts, here are some numbers for you: 172 = ground clearance mm; 11 turning radius metres; 2.51 = turns lock-to-lock (down from 2.71).

What about performance figures? Well, Hyundai doesn't offer up any claims for 0-100km/h acceleration or top speed, but it's fair to suggest either of the turbocharged drivetrains in Sport mode will reward the more enthusiastic driver more than the 2.0-litre will.

The roads we drove weren't exactly fit for an off road review, and these sorts of SUVs typically aren't the best candidates for a lift kit or all terrain tyres. But the damp gravel roads we found ourselves driving on were littered with pockmarks and potholes, and the Australian tuning team seems to have done a terrific job.

The ride compliance is largely very good, with the front suspension only occasionally jolting hard into sharper edges (especially in models riding on the larger alloys wheels), but the rear suspension was very well judged.

And if you want to push it hard in corners, you'll be surprised by how much each of these models will morph into a high-riding rally car - the Aussie engineers have done a terrific job of blending suspension control, compliance and comfort with accurate steering, and the end result is a rewarding drive, even in the entry-level models.

While the petrol and diesel Outlanders are varying levels of ho-hum, the PHEV is not too bad. The instant response of the electric motors is far preferable to the teenage whining of the petrols and grumbling of the diesel. One of the Outlanders worst features, the CVT, is absent as the engine plays no part in directly driving wheels.

When I first started driving it, I was deeply disappointed that the PHEV doesn't try very hard to recover charge when you lift off the throttle. Drive a BMW i3 and you'll find you barely need the brake. But I discovered if you nudge the nasty plastic shifter down (or pull the lovely alloy paddle), the display told me I was in B3. Lifting off created a much more agreeable drag and the dash graphic showed more enthusiastic recovery. Another nudge or pull and B5 got me closer to what I thought should be the starting point. But I was pleased nonetheless as it helps eke out further electric range.

Apart from that, the ride is crashy and bumpy - Mitsubsishi's engineers seem to have 'solved' the extra kerb weight problem by stiffening everything up, meaning the lolling body control of the other cars is firmed up a little. It just isn't all that flash at suburban speeds on suburban roads.

The near-silent whoosh of the electric motor will eventually be replaced by the daggy drone of the petrol engine. It's sharply at odds with the calm refinement of the electric propulsion and is a bit of a shame that it crashes the party so rudely.

In highway running the engine fades into the background and you can get used to the comfortable seats, pleasant cabin ambience and the good view ahead.

The Exceed has seven airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, reversing camera, reverse parking sensors, forward AEB, lane-departure warning, active cruise, lane-change warning, lane-change assist, around-view camera, reverse cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning and auto high beam.

Also on offer are two ISOFIX and three top-tether child seat anchor points.

The Outlander range scored five ANCAP stars in 2014.

Hyundai's strong reputation for ownership has helped make the company one of the country's best-selling brands.

Admittedly, the five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty isn't the standard-setter it once was, with a few other brands like Ford, Holden, Mazda and Skoda moving to a similar plan. 

But not many can match Hyundai's service cost plan - it has a capped price servicing program that runs for the life of the car, which undoubtedly helps with resale value (so does making sure you get genuine dealership stamps in your owners manual/logbook - and that should also help you with wriggle room if you encounter problems or run into common faults, complains or issues).  

Maintenance requirements are determined by the drivetrain - if you choose the petrol turbo you're in for maintenance every 12 months or 10,000km, while the non-turbo petrol and the turbo-diesel require servicing every 12 months or 15,000km.

There's some variance across the pricing for the first five years of maintenance. For the 2.0-litre petrol, the average cost is $301 over 60 months/75,000km; the 1.6-litre turbo petrol works out at $317 per visit (for 60 months/50,000km); and the diesel averages $486 per visit over 60 months/75,000km.

You can do your own research into reliability ratings, but Hyundai takes care of its customers - if you service your vehicle with them, they'll give you up to 10 years' roadside assist for free, and you'll get the same duration for map updates, too, if you need them.

Mitsubishi offers a five-year/100,000km warranty with four years roadside assist in the form of a motoring organisation membership.

The company also offers capped-price servicing, which amounts to $1095 over the three years of the program. It would be nice for that to extend further, but there you go. The PHEV's servicing is cheaper than the diesel but more expensive than the petrol by about 30 percent.

Your dealer expects a visit every 12 months or 15,000km.