Hyundai Tucson vs Mahindra XUV500

What's the difference?

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Hyundai Tucson
Hyundai Tucson

$27,490 - $66,500

2024 price

Mahindra XUV500
Mahindra XUV500

2018 price

Summary

2024 Hyundai Tucson
2018 Mahindra XUV500
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 1.6L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.2L
Fuel Type
Unleaded Petrol/Electric

Diesel
Fuel Efficiency
5.3L/100km (combined)

6.7L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

7
Dislikes
  • Drive experience is mixed
  • Higher price point than before
  • Safety tech improved but still intrusive

  • Underwhelming safety
  • Steering that requires plenty of guesswork
  • Cheap-feeling interior
2024 Hyundai Tucson Summary

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.

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2018 Mahindra XUV500 Summary

Just in case attacking Australia's crowded SUV market with a virtually unheard of Indian brand wasn't a high enough hurdle to leap over, Mahindra had made its task even harder - think a Bollywood version of Mission Impossible - by launching its XUV500 SUV here with a diesel engine (which nobody wanted) and a manual gearbox (which few could even remember how to use). 

Fortunately, it fixed one of those issues late in 2016, finally adding an automatic transmission to the line-up. And now, at long last, it's fixed the other.

This, then, is the petrol-powered XUV500 SUV. And, on paper at least, it's the most sense-making Mahindra to date. 

For one, it's a ferociously cheap way into a new seven-seat SUV. For another, it's pretty well equipped, even from the base level. There's a long warranty, an equally long roadside assistance offering, and there's capped-price servicing, too. 

So, should the mainstream SUV players be looking over their shoulders?

Spoiler alert: no.

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Deep dive comparison

2024 Hyundai Tucson 2018 Mahindra XUV500

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