2019 Hyundai Tucson vs Mazda CX-5

What's the difference?

Updated July 31, 2019:

Since we first published this story on August 17, 2018, there have been a few notable changes in the segment, as well as to this particular model.

There’s an all-new Toyota RAV4, for example, and the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V line-ups have both been tweaked a little, too. So the competition is stronger than ever.

The Tucson range was revised in reaction to these developments in July 2019, with the launch of the model year 2020 Tucson seeing more equipment, safety gear, spec revisions and features across the line-up. Stay tuned for our Hyundai Tucson 2020 review, coming soon. 

As originally published August 17, 2018:

The Hyundai Tucson was never going to be left looking out of place amidst the Korean company's more aggressively-styled SUV line-up - and so what you see here is the mid-life update of the popular mid-size SUV. 

Admittedly, the Hyundai Tucson 2019 model doesn't look exactly like the smaller Kona or larger seven-seat Santa Fe, both of which are more... evil looking. 

But there are some minor cosmetic changes for this updated Tucson model - and the underlying story here is that the amendments go beyond the metal.

The Tucson's tech has been upgraded, and so have the drivetrains - plus the model range has been tweaked. How does it all stack up? Let's get down to the nitty gritty.

Never judge an engineering book by its marketing jargon cover. Take Mazda's 'Skyactiv' program, for example. Talk about head in the clouds, and seriously, where's the e?

But over the better part of this decade Mazda has focused its engine and aero efficiency developments, as well as weight reduction and chassis improvements under the Skyactiv umbrella, with spectacular results.

The Japanese brand has been wringing everything it can from the internal combustion engine, conspicuously avoiding turbocharging its mainstream petrol units until long after key competitors had gone down the forced-induction route.

And it's a tribute to Mazda's determination that when it finally dropped the 2.5-litre turbo-petrol 'Skyactiv-G' engine into the CX-9 and Mazda 6, you knew it was going to be a thoroughly developed response to ever-tightening emissions restrictions rather than a quick-fix.

Now that engine has found its way under the bonnet of the country's best-selling SUV, the CX-5, and we've driven the top-spec Akera to see how the new drivetrain matches the mid-size five-seater.