Tata Harrier vs Hyundai Tucson

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Tata Harrier in South Africa

Tata Harrier

Fearless+ DT AT Diesel 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 699,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 125 kW 🔧 350 Nm ⛽ 15.15 km/l
VS
Hyundai Tucson in South Africa

Hyundai Tucson

2.0D AT Executive AWD Diesel 8-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 764,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 137 kW 🔧 416 Nm ⛽ 13.9 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Tata Harrier vs Hyundai Tucson: the short answer

Harrier and Tucson are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Harrier starts ZAR 19,000 cheaper Harrier from ZAR 549,900 · Tucson from ZAR 568,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Harrier Tucson
Maximum Power Harrier125 kW @ 3750 rpm Tucson137 kW @ 3800 rpm
Maximum Torque Harrier350 Nm @ 1750-2500 rpm Tucson416 Nm @ 2000 rpm
Engine Size Harrier1956 cc Tucson1995 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Harrier15.15 km/l Tucson13.9 km/l
Ground Clearance Harrier205 mm Tucson181 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

Harrier

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Efficiency

Tucson

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

Harrier

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Tucson

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Harrier Tucson
Model Introduced Year 2025 2004
Generation Current-generation South African-market Tata Harrier five-seat SUV Fourth generation Tucson on Hyundai's i-GMP platform; distinctive parametric design language makes it one of the more striking mid-size SUVs in SA
Facelift History Introduced with Tata Passenger Vehicles' South African return in 2025; no South African facelift has been announced Fourth generation launched in SA in 2021; major step change in styling, interior quality, and technology over the third-gen car
Facelift Launched Since 2025 2021
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style SUV SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status Active active
Segment Mid-size SUV SUV
Vehicle Type Passenger Car SUV
Color Note - White, Black, Silver, Blue, Grey, Green
Dealer Stock Note - Executive grade in the South Africa lineup
Drivetrain Note - Drive layout derived from the official derivative naming: 2.0D AT Executive AWD
Tare Mass Kg - 1720 kg
Spec Harrier Tucson
Length 4605 mm 4630 mm
Width 1922 mm 1865 mm
Height 1718 mm 1665 mm
Wheelbase 2741 mm 2755 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 205 mm 181 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 150 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Tank Capacity 50 l 54 l
Boot/Cargo Space 445 l 540 l
Kerb Weight 1823 kg 1720 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2298 kg 2110 kg
Payload Capacity 475 kg 390 kg
Towing Capacity 0 kg Not Officially Disclosed
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.8 m 5.4 m
Front Headroom 1020 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Headroom 950 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Front Legroom 840 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Rear Legroom 980 mm Not Officially Disclosed

In depth: how these cars differ

This Harrier and Tucson comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Harrier 60 vs Tucson 69.

Efficiency index: Harrier 59 vs Tucson 56.

Safety-equipment index: Harrier 99 vs Tucson 92.

Practicality index: Harrier 67 vs Tucson 68.

Ownership-cover index: Harrier not separately scored vs Tucson 65.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Harrier leads by 1 points

Harrier and Tucson are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 72 /100
Lead 1 points
Data 75% source coverage
72
#1 Evidence leader

Harrier

75% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 99 Check Efficiency 59
Performance 60
Efficiency 59
Safety 99
Practicality 67
Leads by 1 points
71
#2

Tucson

93% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 92 Check Efficiency 56
Performance 69
Efficiency 56
Safety 92
Practicality 68
Ownership 65
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Tucson +9 Efficiency Harrier +3 Safety Harrier +7 Practicality Tucson +1

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Harrier

Performance 60/100
Efficiency 59/100
Safety 99/100
Practicality 67/100

Tucson

Performance 69/100
Efficiency 56/100
Safety 92/100
Practicality 68/100
Ownership 65/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Tata Harrier leads the specification evidence index with 72 pts vs 71 pts for Tucson

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Harrier leads. However, Tucson may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Harrier vs Tucson questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.