CAR ADVICE

Three hybrid family SUVs battle it out in a fight for fuel-sipping supremacy. Which one is worth your hard-earned money? There’s a huge range of hybrid SUV competition in Australia coming from a wide variety of car brands and countries. The Toyota RAV4 kickstarted the ‘plug-less’ hybrid family SUV revolution when the current model arrived in Australian showrooms in 2019. It almost immediately attracted a wait list – before waiting times on new cars became commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic – and clocked up sales no SUV had ever seen before, rising to become Australia’s second-best-selling new vehicle in 2025. While it remains the biggest fish in the pond, it is no longer the smartest – and the competition has arrived with more space, technology, and driving refinement. About 12 months ago, we put the facelifted Hyundai Tucson – available as a hybrid for the first time – head-to-head with its Korean sibling, the Kia Sportage Hybrid, and threw in a left-field take on h...