Hyundai Tucson VS Citroen C3 Aircross
Hyundai Tucson
Likes
- Lots of drivetrain options, no matter grade level
- Well-specified for grade
- Hybrid powertrain proves frugal
Dislikes
- Drive experience is mixed
- Higher price point than before
- Safety tech improved but still intrusive
Citroen C3 Aircross
Likes
- Funky looks
- Excellent ride/handling balance
- Good engine/transmission
Dislikes
- Far too expensive
- Gloomy interior
- Lack of storage
Summary
Hyundai Tucson
For the first time in Australia, the mid-sized Hyundai Tucson is being offered with a hybrid powertrain – which combines its spritely turbo-powered engine with a fuel efficiency-improving electric motor. And it might be enough to swing you to becoming a hybrid fan.
The new powertrain makes the Tucson a proper competitor against Australia’s darling, the Toyota RAV4 but the Nissan X-Trail e-Power and Kia Sportage remain strong rivals.
This week I’m family-testing the mid-spec Elite Hybrid with the N Line option pack to see how the newly updated Tucson handles family life.
Read more about
- Hyundai stalking Toyota RAV4 with new Tucson Hybrid: "We're really bullish on the hybrid specification and bullish in terms of where Hyundai's heading in its hybrid roll-out"
- "We're running our own race": Hyundai Australia confident in product and strategy path in the face of increasing competition from Chinese newcomers like Geely, Smart, Skywell, Xpeng and Zeekr
- 'The industry's all about hybrid': Hyundai Australia boss confirms importance of new Tucson Hybrid in taking the fight to the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, joining Kona, Santa Fe and i30 sedan hybrid models to challenge market leaders
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.6L turbo |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 5.3L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Citroen C3 Aircross
Citroen's C4 Cactus made quite an impression. A polarising machine, it was the Frenchest French car for ages which translated into almost no local sales but admiration for the bravery of those who signed it off.
It did quite well in its home market though and its designers took note. When the company turned its attention to a smaller SUV based on the C3 hatchback - complete with the baffling Aircross name - the Cactus was an obvious inspiration.
With the Hyundai Venue on the scene - as well as a wealth of larger machines at lower prices - the Citroen C3 Aircross needs to be good to justify a big sticker price.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.2L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Regular Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 6.6L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Hyundai Tucson8.1/10
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.
Citroen C3 Aircross7.3/10
It's a good car, no question. Individuality is key to Citroen's brand appeal and you get that, too. A comfortable cabin, plush ride and hot damn, it's way too expensive, which is a crying shame. You could argue - as Citroen's product planners probably have - that it doesn't help to offer one in the mid-$20K mark because it won't make much money because so few people will buy it. Drop it at a premium, only lose a few opportunistic buyers but make more money per unit with committed fans? Why not, I guess?
Like most French cars, I'm glad it exists for weird French car fans like me to consider.
Design
Hyundai Tucson
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.Â
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.
Citroen C3 Aircross
As you might imagine, it's an individual design. Lots of Cactus cues, like the roof rails, bluff front end and stacked headlights Hyundai, uh, appropriated for the Kona. Curiously, no 'airbumps' along the side despite the C3 hatch having them...
The 17-inch wheels somehow look tiddly given the airspace over the wheels and I can report that black is not really this car's colour, even with the contrasting white roof and weird Mazda 121 Shades special edition venetian blind treatment on the quarter window. Bit of an '80s throwback there for you.
Lots more Cactus inside though, starting with the brilliant front seats, squared-off steering wheel and funky air vents. The little tray on top of the glove box is good, but it isn't rubber-lined, so that's annoying.
The Top Gun handbrake is hilarious but apart from the texturing of the fabric on the seats, it's a tad dark below the windowline.Â
Practicality
Hyundai Tucson
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.Â
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.
Citroen C3 Aircross
Even for a little car, the Aircross could do better. The lack of a proper cupholder provision for the car - a solitary spot at the rear of the centre console - is mildly baffling until you remember that this car is from France. The French hate a cupholder but, obviously, you can fit wine bottles in the doors.
It's worth repeating just how comfortable and supportive the front seats are on any given journey. Broad but supportive and somehow perfectly sprung, I would cheerfully rip out most other front seats and replace them with these.
The rear seats are less of these things and anyone who forces anyone to use the middle seat should be ashamed of themselves. The headroom is good back there, though.
The boot is a big one for the size of the car, swallowing 410 litres and expanding to 1289 litres with both rear seat sections folded.
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Price and features
Hyundai Tucson
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.
Citroen C3 Aircross
A perennial Citroen problem is the price - at $32,990, the tiny SUV is doing battle with cars that are really a size up, coming in closer in size to the Venue than, say, the ASX.
That Yaris Hybrid price (we're all still reeling from that number) scores you a 17-inch alloys, a six-speaker stereo, climate control, front camera, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, sat nav, halogen headlights (yep, you read that right), head-up display, leather wheel and shifter, auto parking, auto wipers and headlights, wireless charging pad and a space-saver spare.
The central touchscreen is annoying in that there are almost no hardware switches for functions like climate control. The software is a bit on the slow side, too, but you do get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The stereo is fine.
Read More:Â Citroen C3 Aircross 2019 review
Under the bonnet
Hyundai Tucson
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.
Citroen C3 Aircross
One of the great engines in mass-produced road cars today has found its way under the bonnet of the Aircross. Peugeot-Citroen's 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo is a cracking engine, serving up 81kW/205Nm through a six-speed Aisin-sourced auto to the front wheels.
While the 11.8-second dash to 100km/h is, uh, leisurely, the torque figure means that on the move it's not as sluggish as that number or its 1200kg kerb weight would suggest.
Efficiency
Hyundai Tucson
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.Â
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.
Citroen C3 Aircross
Citroen claims a handy 6.6L/100km on the combined cycle and my week with the fizzy Frenchie included a trip over the hills and far away as well as a lot of suburban running.Â
The digital display on the dashboard read 7.3L/100km, which isn't bad going without stop-start. It does require 95 RON premium fuel, though.
Driving
Hyundai Tucson
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.
Citroen C3 Aircross
French cars have a very specific audience in this country, which includes weirdos like me. I've owned Peugeots and Renaults and loved every second of it.
Top of my list after my darling baby boy wrote off our family car (which was bought for him to drive), the Cactus was close to the top of the list. This fandom isn't blind, though - I know what I'm getting myself into having to dispassionately assess their faults and foibles as well as their triumphs and tangible benefits.
If I'm being honest - and it's just you and I here - I didn't think I'd like the C3 Aircross, there was just something about its SUV pretensions. I can't say the looks grabbed me and the inexplicable exclusion of the airbumps made me irrationally cross.
But once you slip behind that square-ish wheel into the comfortable embrace of those excellent seats, you forget the aesthetics (which did grow on me, even in black).Â
The 1.2 turbo is, as ever, eager to please and well-matched to the six-speed auto. The two work well together to get you moving, although the engine is the noisiest installation I can remember. In the Peugeot 308, it's virtually silent.
On the move, the lovely ride also impresses, soaking up the bumps (except those aggressive rubber speed humps in shopping centre car parks) while keeping body roll to an acceptable minimum.
It's perfectly fine in the suburbs, even with its limited power. Breaking into traffic can be a bit of a moment, but there are slower cars about.
Where the Aircross is really good is out on the freeway. It's quiet for such a small car and that torque figure makes joining the M4 freeway (west out of Sydney) fine, and it cheerfully kept up on the climb up the Blue Mountains and the brakes and transmission were great down the other side.
Citroen is unashamedly about comfort over handling, but the trade-off for the comfort is pretty good in that it still handles despite a plush ride and being up on stilts.
Safety
Hyundai Tucson
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).
Citroen C3 Aircross
Along with six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, the Aircross has low-speed AEB (up to 30km/h), blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, driver attention monitoring and speed sign recognition.
Three top tether anchors and two ISOFIXÂ points complete the picture with a five-star Euro NCAP rating dating back to 2017. There is no corresponding ANCAP score, despite the agreement between the two agencies.
Ownership
Hyundai Tucson
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.Â
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.
Citroen C3 Aircross
Citroen offers a class-competitive five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with a five year service plan if you want to pre-pay.
That plan costs a stiff $2727 for your five visits (or every 12 months/15,000km). That's nearly three times what you'll pay for a C-HR or about $400 more than a Mazda CX-3.