Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Carnival

What's the difference?

For the first time in Australia, the mid-sized Hyundai Tucson is being offered with a hybrid powertrain – which combines its spritely turbo-powered engine with a fuel efficiency-improving electric motor. And it might be enough to swing you to becoming a hybrid fan.

The new powertrain makes the Tucson a proper competitor against Australia’s darling, the Toyota RAV4 but the Nissan X-Trail e-Power and Kia Sportage remain strong rivals.

This week I’m family-testing the mid-spec Elite Hybrid with the N Line option pack to see how the newly updated Tucson handles family life.

This is actually the Carnival that Kia always wanted.

See, the last Carnival, the one this replaces, was Covid compromised, missing out on key technologies, as well as skipping an in-depth ride and handling localisation program, due to part supply issues and a freeze on international travel.

This one, though, addresses all of that, which is why you get a new cabin experience, new tech, and a complete overhaul of the steering and handling.

It is, however, significantly more expensive, right across the range.

So, is the Carnival still worth it? Let’s find out.