New Kia Sportage vs Hyundai Tucson – Sibling showdown

The new Kia Sportage has launched in South Africa and it shares a big portion of its DNA with its half-sibling, the Hyundai Tucson.

Kia is generally known as Hyundai’s slightly more luxurious counterpart, and therefore its vehicles are usually a bit pricier and more kitted out.

For the new generation this trend continues, though the Tucson’s standard amenities do make it harder than before to justify the additional spend for the Sportage, unless you really like its look.

Features

Both Hyundai and Kia’s mid-size SUVs have gained a considerable amount of features in their latest generations, and both are on offer from around R540,000.

In these entry-level specifications, buyers of either the Sportage or the Tucson will be treated to cruise control, cloth seats, a reverse camera, LED daytime running lights, rear parking sensors, hill-start assist, and downhill brake control.

Apart from this the siblings do not have that much in common, making the purchasing decision that much tougher.

On the Hyundai, standard fitment continues with three-zone manual airconditioning, heated front seats, a wireless charger, and front parking sensors – in addition to an 8-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

The Kia then comes back with blind-spot monitoring, keyless entry and start, automatic LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone climate control, electric lumbar support for the driver seat, and a 12.3-inch central display which also supports smartphone mirroring.

Both SUVs sit on 17-inch alloy wheels, too, while despite its smaller dimensions, the Sportage also boasts a bigger boot of 591 liters, compared to the Tucson’s 539 litres.

Performance

One area in which the Sportage and Tucson are differentiated the most is with their powertrains.

Where the Kia is equipped with a 1.6-litre, turbo-petrol engine paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission, this Hyundai sees a 2.0-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol motor connected to a six-speed auto-box.

As a result, the Sportage generates 132kW and 265Nm while scoring a combined fuel usage of 6.5l/100km, noticeably better than the Tucson’s 115kW and 192Nm output and 8.9l/100km consumption.

It also sprints to 100km/h in 8.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 201km/h, matched against the Hyundai’s 11.4 seconds and 181km/h.

However, both SUVs are back on equal footing when it comes to towing capacity as both can manage a maximum of 1,650kg.

Price

The new Kia Sportage has a South African starting price of R539,995.

This includes a 5-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, a 6-year/90,000km service plan, and 5-year/unlimited-kilometre roadside assistance.

The Hyundai Tucson has a South African starting price of R539,900.

This includes a 5-year/150,000km warranty with an additional 2-year/50,000km powertrain warranty, a 6-year/90,000km service plan, and 7-year/150,000km roadside assistance.