2026 Hyundai Tucson v Kia Sportage v Subaru Forester: Hybrid SUV comparison

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 hybrid technology, the Nissan X-Trail e-Power.

The Hyundai took top honours, and went on to win our Drive Car of the Year Best Medium SUV Under $50K award.

Now we’re back to push our hybrid family SUV pick into battle with fresh challengers: the facelifted and higher-tech Kia Sportage Hybrid, and the new-generation, vastly improved Subaru Forester Hybrid.

A new RAV4 is due in the coming months to challenge for the crown, but in the meantime, the best of the best in this category sits among these three SUVs. Which one comes out on top?

Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage vs Subaru Forester: Hybrid SUV pricing comparison

The availability and price points of hybrid power for these SUVs don’t quite line up perfectly, but we’ve ended up with mid- to high-grade, all-wheel-drive variants priced around the $55,000 to $60,000 (plus on-road costs) mark.

The Hyundai Tucson arrives in mid-trim Elite form with the N Line styling and equipment package, priced from $53,350 plus on-road costs, or $59,252 drive-away in NSW with metallic paint.

Kia only offers hybrid tech on two of the four Sportage trim grades – SX and GT-Line, not the base S and one-from-top SX+. It means we’ve had to go for a GT-Line Hybrid AWD, priced from $60,370 plus on-road costs, or $66,351 drive-away in NSW with premium paint.

There is a front-wheel-drive GT-Line Hybrid available for $57,370 plus on-roads, but it’s not a fair fight against the all-wheel-drive offerings. The lesser-equipped SX Hybrid AWD is $49,450, but with cloth seats, it’s sparsely equipped compared to the others.

The Subaru Forester has been selected in its top-of-the-range Touring form, with standard all-wheel drive – and metallic paint – for $55,990 plus on-road costs, or $61,800 drive-away in NSW, according to the Subaru website.

Standard equipment in all three cars includes projector LED headlights, LED tail-lights, circa-12-inch touchscreens and digital instrument displays, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, wireless phone charging, power-adjustable driver’s seats, and heated front seats.

They also offer power tailgates with kick sensors, various types of leather upholstery, front and rear USB ports, front and rear parking sensors, and safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-centring and blind-spot monitoring.

As a mid-grade, not top-of-the-range variant, the Hyundai misses out on features fitted to the other two: a 360-degree camera, premium audio, ventilated front seats, memory for the driver’s seat, a power-adjustable front passenger seat, and a sunroof.

It and the Kia have a few features the Subaru lacks: wired back-up for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, connected services – with remote locking and vehicle tracking from your smartphone – and a nifty automatic lane-change function for use on motorways.

But, without a doubt, the Kia punches hardest on equipment. It’s the only car with blind-spot cameras that activate when the indicators are turned on, remote parking from the key fob, a proper panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, ambient interior lighting, and a head-up display.

It must be said the Hyundai can be had with many of its missing features in top-of-the-range Premium form, but it would raise the price – that variant is listed for $58,350 plus on-road costs without the N Line pack, against the Kia’s $60,370 – and we couldn’t source one for testing.

Forester-exclusive features include two additional airbags – one for the driver’s knee, and another in the front passenger’s lower seat cushion – and auto-dipping mirrors with memory. It and the Hyundai have 19-inch wheels, against the Kia’s 18s.

However, in a surprising miss for a Subaru, it is fitted with a tyre repair kit rather than the spare wheels on the others (a space-saver on the Tucson, a temporary spare on the Kia). A spare wheel carrier is available on the Forester, but it is an awkward solution, as it is connected to the towbar. Subaru says something more elegant is in the works.

Key details	2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Elite N Line AWD	2026 Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid AWD	2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid AWD Touring
Price (MSRP)	$53,350 plus on-road costs	$60,370 plus on-road costs	$55,990 plus on-road costs
Colour of test car	Titan Grey (discontinued)	Snow White Pearl	Magnetite Grey
Options	Premium paint – $750	Premium paint – $600	None
Price as tested	$54,100 plus on-road costs	$60,970 plus on-road costs	$55,990 plus on-road costs
Drive-away price	$59,252 (NSW) $56,740 (special offer)	$66,368 (NSW)	$61,692 (NSW)

Hybrid SUV best deals

Medium SUVs with fuel-efficient hybrid power are highly popular options for Australian buyers at the moment. And if you count yourself amongst that troupe, you can see what is currently listed for sale on Drive Marketplace. Hint: there is a lot.

To price up your own spec of medium SUV from this trio, or maybe you want to explore some other colours available, head to the respective websites of Subaru, Hyundai and Kia and navigate through to the model pages.

If you’re looking for more pricing, specifications, and latest offers on the respective ranges, click here.

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Subaru Forester vs Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage: Interior comparison

The Tucson has the best interior of these three overall, combining a nice look, impressive materials, good value for money and excellent practicality overall.

Moving the gear shifter to a meaty stalk hanging off the steering column might not be to everybody’s taste, and it can feel fiddly on a three-point turn. But the benefit is that it clears up a lot of space around the centre console for storage.

And for a family SUV, storage is never too abundant. The two-tiered floating shelf in the centre console can absorb a lot of your stuff, and houses USB-C power outlets.

You can fit a large handbag, and it also adds to a sense of general airiness.

Further back, you have a wireless phone charging pad, twin cupholders and a good-sized centre console.

Those who don’t like air-conditioning controls on annoying displays (most of us) will like the Tucson, whose big twin screens are supplemented by a proper array of climate controls. This includes physical buttons, twisty dials for temperature and volume, and some haptic buttons.

The two-spoke steering wheel of the Kia Sportage might grab your attention to start with, but you soon become reacquainted with an interior that still feels modern, sharp and effective.

However, we reckon the practicality of the Tucson gives it the edge overall. The Sportage is good in this regard, but not as good as the Hyundai.

There’s a trick two-function control panel that helps to clean up the look of the dash. It’s uncluttered, but you’ll need to learn to cycle between two different modes. One handles climate control, while the other takes care of your entertainment and navigation.

Storage is otherwise good, but not as good outright as what you get with the Tucson. There is a lidded area up front, a twisty dial gear selector in the centre console, two cupholders and a big storage bin.

The Subaru Forester retains many of the styling and design elements that give it a distinct flavour. There are a lot of soft-touch materials, including suede and distinctive contrast stitching. The big portrait-style infotainment display runs against what you see in the two Korean options, drawing a lot of attention inside.

There’s also a whole lot of buttons in the Forester, which is another part of its flavour. There’s loads on the steering wheel, and the screen has a mixture physical and virtual controls for your common needs. It all works well, but the Forester doesn’t have the same amount of storage space available as the Tucson in particular.

Out of these three, the Forester is the only model to have a regular old-fashioned gear shifter of the three. Is that a good or a bad thing? I’m not sure.

Second-row comparison

As an overall observation, the second row of all three medium SUVs in this comparison are excellent in terms of space, comfort and suitability as a family car. Leg room and head room are good for adults around that six-foot mark (183cm), or for space-sucking baby seats and capsules.

The Tucson has air vents mounted at the centre console area, and there are twin USB-C power outlets at this point as well. There’s a transmission tunnel here (but not a huge one) for when you want to fit three across the back. But the height of the roof, which doesn’t taper down dramatically to eat into your head room, helps with the sense of space and comfort.

The Kia Sportage – sharing a platform and associated hard points with the Tucson – is very similar to its corporate stablemate. We’ve got slight differences in the location of the USB power outlets (interestingly, Kia has mounted them on the edge of the seats) and hooks on the back of the seats as well. Otherwise, there are slight differences in the feel and presentation of materials in the second row of the Sportage, which will bring a variance of appeal to buyers depending on their own tastes.

Kia has also integrated a kind of tablet stand or hook into the back of the headrests, which would work for hanging a jacket or bag. It’s smart, but you’ll need to secure the tablet somehow for when you’re on the move.

The more dedicated all-wheel-drive layout of the Subaru Forester yields a larger transmission tunnel, which is an important consideration for those who want to go three-up in the second row often. But otherwise, the Forester yields good space and amenity in the second row.

The Forester has the sense of more vertical glass and airiness, which is beneficial for visibility and family suitability. There’s room for bottles in the doors, extra compartments in the map pockets, and a mixture of USB-A and USB-C to choose from. But otherwise, the back seats of these three vehicles are all quite close to each other in terms of space and amenity. And in a nutshell, they’re also good.

Subaru Forester vs Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage: Which has the best boot?

The Subaru Forester loses points here on a couple of fronts. Firstly, the Forester has the least amount of space available on paper. And secondly, there isn’t a spare wheel of any kind hiding, in case of a puncture. You’ve got a puncture repair kit, which is inferior.

The non-hybrid Subaru Forester gets a space-saving spare, as do the Tucson and Sportage hybrids. It’s a packaging compromise at the end of the day, and one that buyers need to keep in mind. On the plus side, some bag hooks are nice to have, along with levers to drop down the second row from the back of the car.

Between the two Koreans, it’s a more closely run thing overall. There are only a few litres that separate the Tucson and Sportage in terms of overall size, with the Kia officially having the most space. There are second-row levers here as well, and crucially a space-saving spare wheel hiding under the floor.

	2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Elite	2026 Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid	2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid AWD Touring
Seats	Five	Five	Five
Boot volume	582L seats up 1903L seats folded	586L seats up 1872L seats folded	484L seats up 1655L seats folded
Length	4640mm	4685mm	4655mm
Width	1865mm	1865mm	1830mm
Height	1665mm	1680mm	1730mm
Wheelbase	2755mm	2755mm	2670mm

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Subaru Forester vs Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage: Infotainment comparison

Once again, there are only minute differences in the hardware and features of the infotainment systems between the Kia and Hyundai. Both have curved 12.3-inch horizontal displays, which flow into a digital driver’s display of the same size and shape.

The main difference between these two is the application of controls outside of the screen. Whereas the Tucson has a fairly traditional combination of air-conditioning controls joined by a separate array of buttons for your infotainment, it’s a different story with the Kia, where a smaller and slimmer control panel can be switched between different modes and functions.

On one hand, it certainly cleans things up and leaves the dash looking a bit less busy. But on the other hand, you do need to cycle between the modes to do things like air-conditioning controls and adjusting the volume. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s also not as seamless and easy as the Hyundai.

The Forester changes things up with a portrait-style infotainment display that measures 11.6 inches. So it loses slightly on overall size, and the combination of the screen’s layout and functionality isn’t as good as what you get with the two Koreans.

I say this for two reasons. Firstly, we can only utilise a portion of the screen when we have smartphone mirroring (like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto) operating. Secondly, a big portion of this screen has a range of virtual buttons employed. Climate controls across the bottom and some driver information across the top means you don’t have as much space for actual screen usage as you might think.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in the Forester is great, though, and offers better adjustability and control over the two Koreans.

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Subaru Forester vs Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage: Which is the safest hybrid SUV?

All three mid-size hybrid family SUVs are covered by a five-star safety rating from ANCAP.

However, the Forester earned top marks under the latest and most stringent criteria – faced by vehicles tested between 2023 and 2025 – whereas the Korean siblings were assessed under still-tough, but not-as-stringent, 2020–2022 criteria.

The Forester’s scores in three of ANCAP’s four pillars of assessment – child occupant protection, vulnerable road user protection (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists), and safety assist (crash-avoidance technology) – were also higher than the others, despite tougher criteria.

In the adult occupant protection category, the Forester earned 83 per cent under newer criteria, against the Sportage’s 87 per cent and Tucson’s 86 per cent under older tests.

It’s fair to say all three aced the standardised crash tests, but how well do their advanced safety technologies work in the real world?

At a glance	2026 Hyundai Tucson	2026 Kia Sportage	2026 Subaru Forester
ANCAP rating & year tested	Five stars (tested 2021)	Five stars (tested 2022)	Five stars (tested 2024)
Safety report	ANCAP report	ANCAP report	ANCAP report

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Subaru Forester vs Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage: Safety tech comparison

This is one area where – thankfully – we are seeing constant improvement and refinement from car makers. Driver monitoring in the Subaru, for example, via cameras on the dashboard keeping an eye on driver habits, isn’t overly keen to impede and annoy in our experience. Only when you really start to display distracted behaviour does it start chiming off.

Lane-keep assistance, traffic sign recognition and other common features are all well-tuned.

Well-calibrated lane-keep assistance and adaptive cruise control for both the Hyundai and Kia are great for everyday driving, but traffic sign recognition can be a bit beepy at times, with false reads in various zones and situations. There are shortcuts to quieten these down, which help.

Both the Kia and Hyundai lack a direct driver monitoring camera, which could be seen as a good or bad thing depending on the buyer.

Safety Technology	Hyundai Tucson	Kia Sportage	Subaru Forester
Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)	Yes – includes junction, pedestrian and cyclist detection	Yes – includes junction, pedestrian and cyclist detection	Yes – includes junction, pedestrian and cyclist detection
Adaptive Cruise Control	Yes – includes stop-and-go	Yes – includes stop-and-go	Yes – includes stop-and-go
Blind Spot Alert	Yes – includes collision avoidance	Yes – includes collision avoidance and monitor	Yes – includes collision avoidance warning
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert	Yes – includes safe exit warning	Yes – includes safe exit warning	Yes
Lane Assistance	Yes – includes lane-departure warning, lane-keep assistance and lane-centring	Yes – includes lane-departure warning, lane-keep assistance and lane-centring	Yes – includes lane-departure warning, lane-keep assistance, lane-change assist and lane-centring
Road Sign Recognition	Yes – includes speed limit assist	Yes – includes speed limit assist	Yes – includes speed limit assist
Driver Attention Warning	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cameras & Sensors	Yes – Reversing camera	Yes – 360-degree camera	Yes – 360-degree camera

Which hybrid SUV is the cheapest to own and run?

The Kia is the only car on test with a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, compared to five years and unlimited kilometres for the Hyundai and Subaru.

Those coverage periods apply to ‘private use’ vehicles; those used for ride-sharing, food delivery, as driving school or rental cars, or other ‘commercial use’ purposes see their warranties limited to seven years/150,000km for the Sportage, five years/130,000km for the Tucson and five years/150,000km for the Forester, whichever comes first.

Hyundai does offer a seven-year and unlimited-kilometre warranty, but that is only if the vehicle has been serviced solely at Hyundai dealers.

Separate warranties apply to the high-voltage battery packs in each vehicle: seven years/150,000km for the Kia, and eight years/160,000km for the Hyundai and Subaru.

All three vehicles are sold with 12 months of roadside assistance. While it runs out after that time for the Forester, owners of the Korean cars can extend it by a year every time they visit the dealer for scheduled servicing, up to a maximum of eight years for the Kia, and the lifetime of the car for the Hyundai.

Service intervals are set every 12 months or 10,000km for the Hyundai and Kia – common for vehicles from these brands with turbocharged engines – and 12 months or 15,000km for the Subaru – all whichever comes first.

Over five services, buyers are quoted to pay $2072 to service the Tucson, $2299 to maintain the Forester, and $2666 to keep the Sportage in top shape, according to each brand’s website and capped-price servicing schedule. So, the Hyundai gets some brownie points here.

The length of the capped-price servicing program also differs by vehicle: five years for the Subaru, seven years for the Kia, and if Hyundai’s website is to be believed, a staggering 21 years (or 210,000km) for the Tucson.

At a glance	2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Elite	2026 Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid	2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid AWD Touring
Warranty	Five years, unlimited km Up to seven years, unlimited km (if serviced only through Hyundai)	Seven years, unlimited km	Five years, unlimited km
Battery warranty	Eight years, 160,000km	Seven years, 150,000km	Eight years, 160,000km
Service intervals	12 months or 10,000km	12 months or 10,000km	12 months or 15,000km
Servicing costs	$1274 (3 years) $2042 (5 years)	$1353 (3 years) $2666 (5 years)	$1261.50 (3 years) $2299 (5 years)
Battery size	1.49kWh	1.49kWh	1.1kWh

Fuel consumption is another point of difference. In lab testing – which is generally not reflective of real-world driving – Hyundai and Kia claim 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres for their vehicles in all-wheel-drive trim, while Subaru quotes 6.2L/100km.

In our testing – over a mix of suburban, motorway, and more intensive country-road conditions – we saw this trend hold up. Neither the Kia nor the Hyundai was able to match its claims, going up into the high fives instead.

But probably owing to the more permanent all-wheel-drive setup of the Forester, as well as the larger naturally aspirated engine, the Forester is generally a bit thirstier. The hybrid technology borrowed from Toyota certainly helps, but expect to see a number around the mid to high sixes in the real world.

All three will accept regular 91-octane petrol – though only the Hyundai brochure specifically states it can accept E10 fuel – but the Forester has the biggest tank, which hands it a similar circa-1000km theoretical driving range to the others.

Fuel efficiency	2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Elite	2025 Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid	2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid AWD Touring
Fuel cons. (claimed)	5.3L/100km	5.3L/100km	6.2L/100km
Fuel cons. (on test)	5.8L/100km	5.9L/100km	6.7l/100km
Fuel type	91-octane unleaded	91-octane unleaded	91-octane unleaded
Fuel tank size	52L	52L	63L

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Subaru Forester vs Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage: Which is the best to drive?

Once again, it’s the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson that are the closest to split out of this trio, owing to their near-identical layout of technology underneath the sheetmetal.

The Forester is most different, even though Subaru called in a few favours at Toyota to get this system working overall. It’s an intriguing combination: Subaru’s own 2.5-litre boxer four-cylinder engine and permanent all-wheel-drive system remain, both of which are so integral to the brand.

But, there’s a layer of Toyota-sourced hybrid smarts on top. The CVT automatic transmission is a dedicated hybrid that integrates an electric motor and provides power (like the engine) to all four wheels.

Like other continuously variable transmissions, we do get a bit of engine flaring and groaning in this case when you ask for additional performance. There’s a little bit less of a stepped nature here compared to other Subaru CVTs. You could argue that the larger engine capacity – 2.5 litres – makes itself more noticeable.

Ride quality is excellent, though, with an ability to soak up speed bumps, sharp potholes and other road imperfections through the raised suspension with great control and finesse.

There is a surefooted nature of the all-wheel-drive system here as well, which has all four wheels driven proactively rather than in an ‘on-demand’ setup like the Kia and Hyundai.

This probably sounds like the right thing for exploring dirt roads and fire trails, but it also pays clear dividends on many suburban roads. As you’d expect, the hybrid system is smooth, as the petrol engine chimes in and out of operation.

In comparison, the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage both feel quite similar to driving a regular petrol-powered car through the conventional six-speed automatic transmission. There is a familiar rise and fall of engine revs, as the well-mannered 1.6-litre turbocharged engine goes about its work.

We got the sense that the Kia and Hyundai provide a little more electric impetus on take-off compared to the Subaru, but there isn’t a lot in it. The 1.6-litre engine has the advantage of refinement, though, especially when working hard.

While both the Sportage and the Tucson don’t have the same ability of confidently smoothing out big hits through the suspension, both are still nicely supple and well dialled.

So, where are the differences between the two Korean SUVs? They are minor, but back-to-back testing showed some variations in the driving experience. The Kia Sportage, which gets a steering and suspension tune specific for the Australian market, feels slightly more supple and absorbent at times over rougher and more challenging surfaces. But crucially, it doesn’t feel floaty when running through corners or wallowing undulations.

The Tucson feels firmer at times, which is only really noticeable as you plough along a pockmarked road.

Both the Tucson and Sportage have paddle shifters, which can help to manage your levels of regenerative braking when on the move.

In summary, though, there is little separating these three hybrid SUVs in terms of the quality of the driving experience. All three seem to be at the top of their game here, without a laggard amongst them.

Key details	2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Elite	2025 Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid	2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid AWD Touring
Engine	1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol hybrid	1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol hybrid	2.5-litre boxer four-cylinder petrol
Power	Petrol: 132kW @ 5500rpm Electric: 37.4kW Combined: 172kW @ 5600rpm	Petrol: 132kW @ 5500rpm Electric: 47.7kW @ 1800–2100rpm Combined 173kW	Petrol: 121kW @ 5600rpm Electric: 90kW Combined: 145kW
Torque	Petrol: 264Nm @ 4500rpm Electric: 264Nm @ 1700rpm Combined: 367Nm @ 1000–4100rpm	Petrol: 265Nm @ 1500–4500rpm Electric: 264Nm @ 1700rpm Combined: 367Nm	Petrol: 212Nm @ 4000–4400rpm Electric: 276Nm Combined: unlisted
Drive type	All-wheel drive	All-wheel drive	All-wheel drive
Transmission	6-speed automatic	6-speed automatic	CVT automatic transmission
Weight (kerb)	1686kg	1793kg	1766kg
Spare tyre type	Space-saver	Full-size	Tyre repair kit
Tow rating	1900kg braked 750kg unbraked	1900kg braked 750kg unbraked	1200kg braked 750kg unbraked
Turning circle	11.8m	12.2m	10.8m

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Subaru Forester vs Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage: Which is best for towing?

The Kia and the Hyundai edge ahead of the Subaru on this point, both with a decent 1900kg braked towing capacity that outstrips the 1200kg available for the Forester hybrid.

This is often a shortcoming of hybrid powertrains, where towing capacities take a backward step compared to petrol and diesel counterparts.

But the hybrid Kia and Hyundai open up the opportunity to tow smaller camper trailers and other heavier units with brakes fitted.

For the Forester, there isn’t a whole lot of head room over that 750kg unbraked figure, so you’ll need to strict with your weights to stay legal.

Should I buy a Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage or a Subaru Forester?

There isn’t really a bad choice here for those who want a medium SUV with fuel-sipping hybrid power. The Forester is a marked improvement over recent offerings in this regard, doing significantly better for efficiency while offering the same all-wheel-drive grip and high-riding nature that the model is known for.

However, those who want to go off-road are let down by the lack of a spare wheel in the Forester Hybrid. One step forward, one step back. It’s also not as efficient as the two Korean options and develops more engine noise when working hard.

Splitting the Tucson and the Sportage is a much tougher proposition. Both have a very similar powertrain and driving experience, as well as packaging and comfort.

But in the splitting of the hairs, it’s the Tucson that edges forward for us. The interior is more user-friendly through the interface on the dash, and we’ve got more storage and practicality built into the overall cabin design at the same time.

And because this is such a close-run race, that is enough to seal the win.

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