2005 Hyundai Tucson / Kia Sportage (Video Clip)

***Click HERE to see a comparison test between the Kia Sportage and the Hyundai Tucson.***


Beware the competition

SUVs certainly have developed a bad rap over the past decade or so but not all of them deserve the negative press. The competition in the compact segment has become quite fierce since 2000. In 1997, the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 landed on our shores. I am purposely excluding the Suzuki Sidekick due to its weaker sales and its body on frame construction. In 1998, the Subaru Forester made its first appearance. All three pretty much ran the show until 2001, when Mazda and Ford introduced their sale-stealing Tributes and Escapes. Then came the Saturn Vue, the Chevrolet Equinox and the Nissan X-Trail. Kia already had the Sportage and Hyundai had the Santa Fe however they were not huge sellers. Enter 2005 and the all-new Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage. These twins are aimed squarely at all these small SUVs. The following text is a comparison between the Tucson and the Sportage.

Hyundai, and its parent company Kia, are presently ranked 7th largest car manufacturer in the world. Their plan is to become number 5 by 2010. In those five short years, both manufacturers combined, will introduce or refresh close to a dozen of their products. Their plan is to attract buyers with arguments based on bang for the buck, a fun driving experience, reliability in the long run and an excellent warranty. This is what they will do to remain competitive and entice consumers into their dealership network. With these elements, Hyundai and Kia are looking for their share of the 48% of SUV sales belonging to the compact segment.

Even if they share platforms and powerplants, these two vehicles are assembled at different plants. Both companies expect that buyers will be of more or less the same average age group, which is to say in their mid-forties. Where they might differ is the purchasers of the Kia may be after a more rugged looking truck, although it probably will not attract the same crowd that bought the previous generation Sportage. Those that will look at the Tucson will most likely be urbanites. According to Kia representatives, cross-shopping between the two brands may occur, however, they do no mind, as long as one of the two ends up being purchased.

Both base models are priced from $19,995 for base 5-speed FWD version. The top-of-the-line AWD GLS V6 Tucson retails for $28,725 and the all-dressed Sportage has an asking price of $29,500. The last two models are the ones we test-drove. We also tested a base Tucson GL FWD 5-speed.

Exterior styling

Both of these micro SUVs are considered as "cute-UTES" and they should be. Their dimensions are petite. Of their major competitors, only the RAV4 is shorter overall. The Tucson and the Sportage however are the widest and the ones that offer the longest wheelbase.