Toyota Prius vs Hyundai Tucson

What's the difference?

The Prius can rest its weary head. The Age of the Hybrid has begun. Even though this iconic eco car might have lost its ultimate purpose to more mainstream models in the last few years, it’s still the best execution of Toyota’s hybrid tech on the market and if you can look past its divisive-as-ever looks, it’s comfortable and practical, too.

The brand’s Australian division promises the Prius will stick around in one form or another, so we’re keen to see what its next iteration will look like. Plug-in? Fully electric? Time will tell.

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.

The Prius is the very visage of economic motoring. Derided by big-engine lovers, and adored by the eco-crowd, the fact that the Prius’s wedge-shaped frame is more about function than form tells you everything you need to know about this car.

It blends with Toyota’s latest design language, the face and bodywork containing some subtle nods to other models that would launch after it, like the Corolla, Camry, and C-HR.

What always surprises me about even this top-spec Prius is its dorky ride height. For a car with such a low drag coefficient, it sits so far off the ground! The 17-inch wheels look almost out of alignment with the body in those wheelarches.

Round the back, the Prius’s integrated spoiler and glasshouse bodywork are as divisive as ever, with more extreme pointed light fittings leaning into the effect created by its boxy, rear three-quarter view and mirroring the shape of the LED headlights at the front.

Of course, this car is less about being looked at as it is about its drag coefficient of 0.24 Cd, which is one of the lowest on any production car.

Inside, things again prove divisive, with a minimalist dash, a swoopy gloss highlight piece that frames the central vents and multimedia screen, and an odd, centrally mounted dash cluster, which is a usability faux pas.

In the case of the I-Tech at least there’s a holographic display which can put up useful information to help prevent your eyes from drifting too far from the road. Still, I can’t help but feel like this whole interior ethos is futuristic for the sake of being futuristic, with a little less thought given to how practical it is, compared to the brand’s other models.

The leather-appointed trim across the wheel and soft plastics in the door and dash-topper are appreciated, and there’s attention to detail in the little ‘Prius’ logos on the vents. However, I found the dull multimedia screen to be susceptible to glare during the day, and the big integrated panel in which it sits is made from a tinny gloss plastic, which will easily to get covered in fingerprints and scratches.

The Hyundai Tucson has seen a minor facelift on the exterior but most of the changes are in the cabin.

The N Line pack means that you get 19-inch alloy wheels over the standard 18-inch version as well as extended body panelling instead of black plastic trims. There is N Line badging across the car too, but N Line option pack does limit you to just four exterior colour choices.

The front features new stacked LED DRLs which tie in with the fang-like design of the rear LEDs. The origami-styled panelling looks more severe than the previous model which helps it stand out in a class that’s heavy on rivals. 

The cabin features a completely reconfigured dashboard and now sports a large curved display panel that houses those upgraded tech screens and a new 6.6-inch climate control panel.

The centre console has been redesigned to look like it’s floating and now adds an extra-large storage cubby underneath it.

The upgraded interior makes the Tucson a leader for the mid-sized SUV segment and is very pleasant to spend time in.

If nothing else, all of the Prius’s edgy design gives it plentiful interior space. Toyota granted this generation of Prius a low seating position and tall roof, which combine with the distant dash elements to make for a spacious cockpit for the front two occupants.

The seat design in the top-spec I-Tech is also cushy, reminiscent of the seats in high-spec Camrys, and I had absolutely no trouble finding a comfortable driving position. If there’s one thing to be said for the annoying, centrally mounted instruments, it’s that you don’t need to consider the position of the wheel interfering with their visibility.

The Prius’s total glasshouse grants superb visibility out the front and sides, with large wing-mirrors, too. The only downside is that integrated spoiler at the back, which makes for a distracting view out the rear mirror that I’m sure any owner will quickly become accustomed to.

Soft trims across the doors and centre console, even in the back seat, make the Prius cabin a comfortable place to be, too.

Ergonomics have not been forgotten, with the multimedia screen and climate unit having useful and easy-to-reach physical dials and toggles for all the key functions. Even changing gear is a breeze in the Prius, with its odd little rosebud-shaped shifter simply a flick of the wrist from where your arm sits.

I do wish Toyota had made better use of the large area under the climate unit, however. The front part of the centre console is exclusively for the wireless-charging bay alone, and the rest of the space is constructed from a smoothly contoured gloss-finish plastic panel. It has looks to match the Prius aesthetic, but it’s no good for storing anything other than a single phone. It would have been better to make a large bay here with a rubberised finish.

Thanks to the lack of a physical handbrake in the centre or any other buttons or functions, there are two large bottle holders with variable edges.

A huge centre-console box and large door bins round out the Prius’s front-seat storage options.

Room in the rear seat is excellent, my 182cm tall frame had stellar amounts of space for my legs and head, as the roofline continues through to that raised rear spoiler. The comfy seat trim continues, although the padding in the base is notably not as good as it is in the front.

There are some useful pockets on the backs of the front seats and a drop-down armrest with cupholders for rear passengers, too.

Finally, the awkward rear of the Prius makes for a fantastic boot capacity, one advantage this car still holds over its hybrid Toyota stablemates. Capacity for the I-Tech is a mid-size-SUV rivalling 502-litres (VDA), which easily consumed our CarsGuide test luggage set and is even bigger than the base Prius, at the cost of the space-saver spare wheel. The I-Tech only has a repair kit to go with its larger alloys.

The cabin up front is spacious with plenty of head- and legroom on offer. You also won’t jostle for elbow room either when you have a passenger.

The seats are comfortable with their heat function but you might still get fatigue on longer trips as you only get adjustable lumbar on the drivers side and it's simple at best.

The back seat has really good space for the class and no matter the passenger, they were comfortable back there. The seats in the rear are well-padded and access to this row is good for sliding in a child seat as the door aperture is wide.

Other amenities are average with directional air-vents, a single reading light, and a fold-down armrest. My seven-year-old son found the window sills to be quite high, so he didn’t get the view he wanted.

The individual storage is excellent for the class with the redesign as you get a dedicated storage shelf in front of the front passenger and a massive cubby that easily fits a handbag underneath the mid-sized centre console.

There are two cupholders and two drink bottle holders per row but the rear storage bins are skinny. The rear row also gets map pockets but again, these are shallow.

The upgraded technology is a must have and the new multimedia system is easy to use once you spend time with it and looks great with its graphics. The system has built-in satellite navigation, over-the-air updates and wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Connecting the CarPlay is simple and maintains a strong connection.

Charging options are great with two USB-C ports per row and the front also gets a wireless charging pad and a 12-volt socket to choose from. The centrally located position of the charging pad is handy and the liner grippy - so no phone movement.

Rounding out the practicality is the boot, which has a wide aperture and a loading space level with 582L of capacity available with all seats in use, which is good for the class.

The back row has a 60/40 split but don’t fold flat – they sort of spring up a bit, which might annoy when you do a big Bunnings run. 

There is a 12-volt socket, a space-saver spare tyre underneath the floor and you get a powered tailgate in this model – which I always like.

There are now six variants for the Hyundai Tucson with the release of the hybrid powertrain and all six have the choice of being either a front-wheel-drive or all-wheel drive with either the petrol engine or hybrid powertrain. And every grade gets the option of adding the N Line style pack. So, there is no excuse for not getting the combo you actually want now.

The model on test is the mid-spec Elite Hybrid with the N Line option pack and its priced from $55,100 before on-road costs. That positions it towards the top end of the market but you get an SUV that's more feature-heavy than most of its rivals.

The standard equipment for the upgraded Elite Hybrid N Line now includes dual 12.3-inch technology screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a 6.6-inch climate control touchpad.

Other equipment includes a powered driver’s seat, heated front seats, suede/leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, wireless charging pad, digital radio, four USB-C ports, keyless entry, push-button start, space-saver spare wheel and a powered tailgate.

The Kia Sportage SX hybrid is more affordable at $45,950 MSRP but unlike the Elite Hybrid it misses out on wireless connectivity for phone charging and phone integration apps.

The Toyota RAV4 XSE AWD is priced from $52,585 MSRP but misses out on the newer and bigger technology screens that the upgraded Elite Hybrid has.

The Nissan X-Trail Ti 4WD e-Power is the closest rival in terms of price ($55,090 MSRP) and available features.

It wouldn’t be a Prius without Toyota’s signature hybrid synergy drive technology. In this most original case it consists of a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which uses the more thermally efficient but less powerful Atkinson combustion cycle, producing 72kW/142Nm, paired to a set of electric motors on the front axle, which can produce up to 53kW/163Nm.

Combined system output is rated by Toyota at 90kW, driving the front wheels only via a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). This system is the same one now also employed in the C-HR and Corolla hybrid grades.

The Prius’s electric motors source their power from an older design nickel-metal hydride battery (instead of the more modern lithium-ion setup) located under the boot floor.

The Elite Hybrid N Line model features a hybrid powertrain that combines an electric motor with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. They combine to produce 172kW of power and 367Nm of torque. Which is more than enough to make the mid-sized Tucson feel spirited.

This particular variant is AWD and uses a six-speed automatic transmission, which can over rev at times but is mostly smooth with its gear changes.

The Prius’ sandpapered hybrid drive, low drag number, weight reductions, and low-rolling-resistance tyres add up for a stellar official/combined fuel-consumption figure of just 3.4L/100km. While its signature hybrid tech might be available on other Toyota’s, it’s here where the Prius still shines, undercutting the others by almost a whole litre every 100km.

But can it live up to that promise in the real world? Over my week of what I would consider to be reasonable ‘combined’ driving conditions; with plenty of traffic, freeways, and suburban driving, the Prius returned a stellar figure of just 4.0L/100km. This is not just one of the lowest figures I have ever achieved on a test car, it is even lower than the Corolla Hybrid that I tested over a three-month period. I couldn’t get that car below 4.9L/100km, despite by best attempts.

For a true rival comparison, my week-long test of the Ioniq hybrid in 2019 had the Korean managing a fuel number of 4.6L/100km.

You need not worry about kWh energy consumption for the Prius, as its hybrid system’s software manages the state of battery charge on the fly. It will simply run the engine to charge the battery if levels drop too low, although it always feels good to make the most of the motor’s regenerative braking to keep the battery topped up.

It’s clear that the Prius is still the king of hybrid, then. At least for the time being. All Prius models have 43-litre fuel capacities and are able to consume base-grade 91RON unleaded.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is a low 5.3L/100km, and my real-world usage came out at 6.0L after doing a lot of open-road driving where hybrids tend to be at their least efficient, so that is an excellent result.

The Tucson hybrid is the second best for fuel usage after the Toyota RAV4 hybrid, which sits at 4.8L/100km for combined usage. Overall, the new hybrid powertrain has proven itself to be pretty frugal. 

Based on the official combined fuel cycle and 53L fuel tank, expect a theoretical driving range of up to 981km, which is great for a family road tripper.

The Prius was responsible for popularising Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, and fittingly, it still feels like the best execution of the technology on the market. That instantly available torque from the electric motor is sleek, quiet, and easy. It feels as though the Prius can make more extended use of purely electric drive than not only its rivals, but all other Toyota and Lexus hybrid products.

Despite its awkward exterior looks, the ride and handling of the Prius are excellent, thanks to its robust TNGA-C underpinnings (in fact, the Prius was the car to debut this platform for Toyota). It tilts into corners nicely, despite a frumpy ride height, and deals with bumps in its stride. This is a comfortable car, and the Lexus influence here is undeniable. The steering characteristics are also smooth and responsive. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the Prius is fun to drive, but it is certainly comfortable and compliant.

What the Prius lacks is the lower, firmer, and more aggressive ride and handling characteristics of its Hyundai Ioniq rival, perhaps a telling insight into the trajectory of each brand.

These characteristics add up to an around-town driving experience that really is a breeze. It’s quiet in the cabin and at times genuinely hard to tell whether the car is using its electric motors or the engine. When it comes to bursts of acceleration, the Prius might surprise you. Using both the motor and engine in tandem, I found that the Prius can sprint from the line with an alarming urgency, more so than its Corolla sibling. With the same tech behind the accelerator pedal, it’s hard to imagine why.

Once the electric motor has reached its strictly defined limit, though, the engine breaks in with a vengeance, and this car does have an anaemic follow-through when the electric components fall to the wayside. As in other applications of this drivetrain, the 1.8-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine can be thrashy and noisy when a lot is asked of it.

Of course, driving in such a sporty manner is hardly the point of the Prius, and where it really excels is in that day-to-day traffic grind, where the hybrid system works largely in the background to maximise the time spent with the engine off. The best part? While you can really fall into the hybrid system’s addictive fuel-saving displays, which really encourage hypermiling, this is a set-and-forget system. You can drive the Prius like any other car, and it will be trim on fuel consumption anyway. It’s not like I was trying awfully hard to attain my weekly figure of 4.0L/100km, so I’m sure it can do better over the long term.

The new hybrid powertrain offers respectable power delivery that makes the Tucson feel zippy in the city and a relaxed cruiser on the open road.

There can be some over-revving when you’re trying to get up to speed and the accelerator and brake feel touchy at first until you get used to them.

On the hybrid side of things the Elite Hybrid has regenerative braking and there are moments of pure EV mode but it kicks in seemingly when it feels like it. When it is on, there’s practically no engine noise but when it's off, the cabin still remains fairly quiet.

My family went off the paved stuff this week and hit muddy and gravel roads on our quest to find a cool picnic spot, and the Elite Hybrid impressed with how it handled the different terrains. It’s not an off-roader but you can still do mini adventures.

The Tucson is mid-sized and has a very clear reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors, so it’s not too hard to manoeuvre or park.

The real negative feedback is that on three separate occasions, our test car randomly shifted into neutral while driving and to clarify, this did not occur while trying to shift into or out of 'drive' but while on the road, already in drive.

The first time it happened, I thought I had somehow bumped the column shifter but on the other two occasions, I happened to be watching my husband drive and he didn’t touch the shifter.

This is probably just a fault on out test car and not indicative of the model in general but it wasn't fun.

FINALLY! Hyundai has listened to the people.

They have found a workaround for the annoyingly intrusive beeping alerts associated with the traffic sign recognition and speed alert tech. Yes, they still alert unless you turn them off and yes, you still have to turn the damn thing off every time you get in the car, but you not longer have to access five to six menu pages to do so. Hurrah.

The Hyundai Tucson Elite Hybrid N Line has a robust safety features list and includes equipment like blind spot monitoring, driver attention monitoring, safe exit warning, rear occupant alert, forward collision warning, LED daytime running lights, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, intelligent seatbelt warning, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera, and front/rear parking sensors.

Our test model misses out on lane departure alert and the lane keeping aid is too intrusive for every day driving. It gets to the point where you wonder who is driving, you or the car.

The Hyundai Tucson has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2021 and the hybrid variants are covered by this as well. It has seven airbags, including, the newer front centre airbag.

The Tucson has two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top-tethers.

Auto emergency braking (AEB) is standard and features car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction assist detection which is operational from 5.0 – 80km/h (85km/h for car) but it's usual to see a higher top speed for the car detection (usually 180km/h).

Toyota’s range-wide warranty currently stands at five years or unlimited kilometres, which is really the accepted industry standard and matches its key Ioniq rival.

Annoyingly, however, the Prius needs to adhere to six-monthly or 10,000km service intervals. Said intervals are capped to $165 per visit for the first six visits under Toyota’s “service advantage” program, after which time you fall back to Toyota genuine servicing with significant price hikes to $221.97, and $425.47 for the next two services covering four years or 80,000km.

A year of roadside assist is included, after which time you will need to subscribe to Toyota’s program, from $89 a year.

While Toyota’s offering is on par with many, it’s hardly the cheapest or most comprehensive we’ve seen.

Hyundai offers the Tucson with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and the battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty which is pretty standard for the class now. 

You can pre-purchase servicing for up to five years and the breakdowns are as follows.

Three years or up to 30,000km for $1240 (average $413 per service).

Four years or up to 40,000km for $1700 (average $425 per service).

Five years or up to 50,000km for $2040 (average $408 per service).

The five-year pricing is comparable to its rivals and not outrageous for the class.

Servicing intervals could get annoying if you put a lot of kilometres on your car as they sit at every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first.