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.
Mazda has updated one of its most popular, but rather old models.
Yes, the Mazda CX-3 is still around after more than a decade since its reveal, and it remains almost at the tippy-top of Mazda’s local sales charts.
With the brand having shifted 8221 CX-3s in the first half of 2025, it seems the light updates and modest price rise haven’t scared away any potential customers.
We’ve grabbed a CX-3 Evolve, the second-up of four available variants, to see if the popular light SUV still stacks up, or if you’re better off taking your money elsewhere.
The updated Hyundai Tucson Elite Hybrid N Line offers families space, features and easy-enough handling for everyday stuff and the occasional weekend adventure pursuits.
The price point is higher than the previous non-hybrid model but you get a lot of bang for your buck and my family was comfortable this week.
‘You get what you pay for’ comes to mind with the CX-3, which is interesting given it’s neither the newest nor most feature-packed SUV in its class.
The ageing light SUV does however offer one of the best-put-together experiences in a car of this size and its engine is powerful for the class. Build quality feels well above par and there aren’t any annoying inclusions that are becoming more common in new cars.
There aren’t many downsides unless you were hoping for a big screen and the ability to play around with software functions, but at this end of the new car spectrum, a car that drives this well and remains stylish a decade on should be applauded.
Put aside its relative (but forgivable) lack of efficiency and somewhat smaller boot than rivals, and the CX-3 nails everything it needs to.