2026 Hyundai Tucson Petrol review

Rivals

The mid-size SUV segment in Australia is brutally competitive. Here are the three cars most Tucson shoppers cross-shop.

Kia Sportage

The Sportage is the Tucson's platform twin. Same engines, same transmissions, same underpinnings. The differences come down to styling (the Sportage has a more polarising front end), interior layout (the Sportage gets a wider curved dual-screen display), and pricing (very similar). Boot space is nearly identical at 543L vs 539L. Honestly, test-drive both and buy whichever one you prefer sitting in. Neither is objectively better. Full comparison in our Sportage vs Tucson head-to-head.

Toyota RAV4

The RAV4 is the sales king in this segment, and for good reason. It offers the option of a hybrid that returns around 4.8L/100km and Toyota's bulletproof reliability reputation. Where the Tucson wins: design (the RAV4 looks more conservative), interior tech (the RAV4's infotainment is showing its age), and price at comparable spec levels. The RAV4 Hybrid is cheaper, though, which matters. See the RAV4 vs Tucson comparison for the data.

Mazda CX-5

The CX-5 leans on cabin materials, and it offers a 2.5L turbo petrol. But it's smaller (466L boot), doesn't offer a hybrid, and the infotainment runs through a rotary controller rather than a touchscreen. If design and a turbo engine matter more than space and efficiency, the CX-5 is worth a look. But the Tucson is the more practical all-rounder. We also compare the Tucson against the larger Mazda CX-60 if you're considering stepping up.

Fuel Economy

This is a tale of two engines.

The 2.0L petrol is rated at 8.1L/100km combined. Treat that as a lab number: a naturally aspirated 2.0L uses more in town and less on a steady highway run. It's not bad for a naturally aspirated 2.0L, but it's not particularly impressive either. The RAV4 petrol does similar numbers.

The hybrid is where the Tucson really shines. Rated at 4.9L/100km combined in front-drive form and 5.3L/100km with AWD, it uses far less than the petrol on the claims. A hybrid gets closest to its claim in stop-start traffic, where the electric motor does more of the work.

Over 15,000km a year at current petrol prices ($1.55/L), the 2.0L will cost approximately $1,820 annually. The hybrid drops that to around $1,230. That's a saving of roughly $590 per year, or $2,950 over five years. The hybrid also gets AWD, which on the petrol model isn't available at all. So you're paying a premium, but you're getting more than just better fuel economy.

Price and Running Costs

Hyundai prices the Tucson competitively, and the range is structured simply enough that you won't spend hours trying to work out which variant to buy. Four main grades, with petrol and hybrid options through the middle of the range.

The base petrol at $39,350 is a mid-size SUV with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, LED headlights, and a full suite of safety gear.

The Elite Hybrid at $48,350 is the pick of the range, in our view. You get the more powerful and efficient hybrid drivetrain plus the Elite's upgraded interior, under the $50k mark before on-roads. All-wheel drive adds $2,500 (Elite Hybrid AWD, $50,850).

Running costs are a genuine strength. Hyundai offers capped-price servicing with 12-month/15,000km intervals. Annual service costs average around $400-500, which is cheaper than the RAV4 and CX-5. Insurance sits around $1,400-1,800 depending on your age and location. The 5-year unlimited-kilometre warranty is standard, matching most of the segment. Fuel costs depend heavily on whether you go petrol or hybrid. The petrol at 8.1L/100km will cost roughly $1,880 a year (at $1.55/L petrol, 15,000km), while the front-drive hybrid at 4.9L/100km drops that to $1,140. That's about a $740 saving annually on the claims.

Safety

The Tucson holds a 5-star ANCAP safety rating, and the standard equipment list is strong across the board. Every Tucson sold in Australia gets the following as standard:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Lane-keep assist and lane departure warning
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
• Driver attention warning
• Rear parking sensors and reversing camera
• Six airbags

The Elite adds front parking sensors, a surround-view camera, safe exit warning (alerts you if a car is approaching when you open the door), a heads-up display, and a blind-spot camera that shows your blind spot on the instrument cluster when you indicate. That last feature shows you more than a warning light can.

The ANCAP scores break down as: adult occupant (86%), child occupant (87%), vulnerable road user (63%), and safety assist (73%). Those are solid numbers. The vulnerable road user score is slightly lower than some rivals, but overall the Tucson is a very safe car.

Interior, Screen, and Materials

Hyundai has made serious strides in interior quality, and the Tucson is a showcase of that progress. The Hybrid 2WD comes with the 10.25-inch touchscreen, digital cluster, and a clean dashboard layout.

All variants get a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The digital instrument cluster is also 10.25 inches across the range, which is generous. Physical climate controls sit below the screen as a touch-sensitive panel with haptic feedback. Touch panels are a matter of taste, so try it on a test drive before you buy.

The Elite extends the soft-touch surfaces across the dash and doors and adds leather seats, a heads-up display, a panoramic sunroof, and a Bose premium sound system.

Storage is well thought out. The centre console bin is a good size, there's a wireless charging pad (Elite and above), generous door pockets, a decent glovebox, and USB-C ports front and rear.

Practicality: Boot, Rear Seats, and Towing

Boot Space

The boot measures 539 litres with the rear seats up. That's a solid number. Fold the rear seats down (they split 60/40) and you get approximately 1,860 litres of flat load space. The boot floor is low and the opening is wide, so loading bulky items like flat-pack furniture is straightforward.

For context, the Kia Sportage offers 543L (marginally more) and the Mazda CX-5 has 466L (notably less). The Tucson sits in the middle of the pack, which is fine for most families. Check our SUV boot space comparison for the full picture.

Rear Seats

Two ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchors are standard.

Towing

Here's where the Tucson shows its limits. Braked towing capacity is 1,650kg for the petrol grades and 1,900kg for the hybrids. That's enough for a small camper trailer, a jetski, or a medium-sized boat. It is not enough for a full-size caravan. If you're planning to tow anything over about 1,500kg regularly, you need to look at something with more capability. The RAV4 Hybrid tows 1,500kg in AWD form and 800kg in 2WD, the CX-5 tows 1,800kg, and the Sportage matches the Tucson at 1,650kg.

For serious towing, you're really looking at a ute or a larger SUV. But for the typical towing tasks. a box trailer full of mulch, a small boat, or a modest camper. The Tucson's 1,650kg (petrol) or 1,900kg (hybrid) rating covers it.

The Hyundai Tucson Petrol has 77 kW for every tonne of kerb weight, 192Nm of torque. It weighs 1,495kg and turns in 11.8m. These are the figures that shape how quickly a car gets moving and how easily it parks.

Should You Buy It?

Yes, if: you want a sharp-looking, well-equipped mid-size SUV that doesn't cost the earth. The Tucson is one of the most complete packages in the segment. It looks great, has enough space for a young family, and the hybrid is one of the best value propositions in the entire Australian new car market. The Elite Hybrid at $48,350 is the sweet spot. It gets you 172kW, a 4.9L/100km claim, and a well-appointed cabin.

Maybe not, if: you need serious towing capacity (1,650kg for the petrol and 1,900kg for the hybrid won't cut it for a large caravan), you want the absolute maximum boot space (a large three-row SUV will hold more). The base 2.0L engine is also modest at 115kW. If you're buying the petrol, at least step up to Elite for the better interior.

Browse all Hyundai Tucson variants on CarSorted