Hyundai Australia is going hard on hybrid with the launch of its facelifted Tucson SUV, taking the fight straight to the top-selling Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
Company executives told media at the Australian launch of the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid that while it will be supply constrained for the 2024 calendar year, at launch the electrified Tucson orders shouldn’t take more than three months to reach customers.
Some 2700 units have already hit the ground and are on their way to dealers, with a further 1300 vehicles arriving throughout the course of July. Another 1000 units are reportedly sitting at the docks in South Korea, waiting to be shipped.
Hyundai Australia expects between 33 and 40 per cent of new Tucson sales to be hybrid, though this is subject to supply challenges in the first year of production.
Last year there were over 21,000 new Tucson vehicles registered in Australia, pointing to volume of nearly 8500 units in the first year based on last year’s sales figures.
Premium N Line shown
The 2025 Hyundai Tucson arrives in Australia with no less than 17 distinct variants on offer – eight of these being hybrid models.
Pricing starts from $45,100 for the entry-level Tucson Hybrid FWD, with the most expensive Premium N Line AWD cracking the $60,000 barrier at $61,100. All prices exclude on-road costs.
By comparison, the most affordable Toyota RAV4 GX 2WD Hybrid is priced from $42,260 plus on-road costs, and tops out at $58,360 for the flagship Edge AWD Hybrid.
The related Kia Sportage Hybrid, meanwhile, is available in two specifications starting from $45,950 for the SX and $55,420 for the GT-Line. Unlike the Hyundai, however, the Kia hybrid isn’t available with all-wheel drive in Australia.
Premium N Line shown
Power in the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid comes from a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain, incorporating the brand’s ubiquitous 132kW/264Nm 1.6 T-GDi petrol engine with a 47.7kW electric motor and 1.49kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack.
System outputs are rated at 172kW and 367Nm – up 3kW and 2Nm over the older system used in the Kia Sportage and Sorento Hybrids – with combined fuel consumption rated at 5.3 litres per 100km for both FWD and AWD versions.
By comparison, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid offers 158-160kW and offers claimed fuel consumption of 4.7-4.8L/100km, while the Kia Sportage Hybrid FWD has 169kW/350Nm outputs and fuel use of 4.9L/100km.
Stay tuned for CarExpert’s launch review of the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, coming 00:01 AEST July 19.
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