CUPRA Formentor vs Hyundai Tucson

The Tucson Active is $38,900 against the CUPRA Formentor's $49,990, an $11,090 saving for the Hyundai. They're pitched at different buyers, the Tucson as practical mainstream value, the Formentor as a sportier, more premium European alternative.

Running costs favour the CUPRA despite its premium positioning: its efficient 1.5-litre turbo uses 5.5L/100km (about $1,565 a year over 15,000km) versus the Tucson's 8.1L/100km (around $2,310), nearly $750 a year cheaper to fuel. Both carry 5-year warranties. The Formentor will cost a little more to service as a European brand, but its fuel saving and resale strength offset some of the higher entry price.

Both are 5-star ANCAP with the full active-safety suite, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise, standard. The Formentor benefits from Volkswagen Group safety engineering; the Tucson from Hyundai's well-regarded SmartSense suite. There's nothing to separate them on everyday safety; both are sensible family choices.

The Formentor is the style and feel pick. It's a sleek, low-slung sports crossover with a premium, driver-focused cabin, copper accents, sports seats and the kind of design flair that sets it apart in a sea of conventional SUVs. It feels special in a way mainstream rivals don't.

The Tucson is the practical one. At 4,640mm it's the larger car, with a notably roomier rear seat and a bigger boot, and Hyundai loads it with tech for the money. If you regularly carry passengers and gear, the Tucson's extra space is genuinely useful where the more rakish Formentor trades some practicality for style. So the choice is sporty-and-premium (Formentor) versus spacious-and-value (Tucson).

The Formentor's 1.5-litre turbo makes 110kW and 250Nm but, thanks to a slick dual-clutch transmission and lower weight, it's much the quicker car, 7.0 seconds to 100km/h against the Tucson's 9.2. It's also far more efficient at 5.5L/100km versus the Tucson's 8.1. The Hyundai's naturally aspirated 2.0-litre with 115kW and 192Nm is adequate but unremarkable, tuned for easy commuting rather than urge.

Both are front-wheel drive. The Formentor is the more engaging and economical drive; the Tucson the more relaxed and roomy. Both ranges climb to more powerful variants, the Formentor to genuinely hot VZ models, the Tucson to turbo and hybrid grades, so if performance or efficiency is the priority, it's worth comparing the higher grades directly rather than just this entry pair.