GWM Jolion vs Hyundai Tucson

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

GWM Jolion in South Africa

GWM Jolion

1.5T Hybrid LT Hybrid Current
ZAR 519,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 115 kW 🔧 250 Nm ⛽ 17.9 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

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Tucson
Fuel Economy Jolion
🛡 Safety Jolion
📦 Practicality Tucson
🔑 Ownership Tie
Jolion starts ZAR 159,000 cheaper Jolion from ZAR 409,900 · Tucson from ZAR 568,900

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Jolion Tucson
Maximum Power 115 kW @ 5500 rpm 137 kW @ 3800 rpm
Maximum Torque 250 Nm 416 Nm @ 2000 rpm
Engine Size 1497 cc 1995 cc
Claimed Mileage 17.9 km/l 13.9 km/l
Ground Clearance 190 mm 181 mm
Boot / Load Bay 340 l 540 l
Airbags 6 6
Kerb Weight 1500 kg 1720 kg
Seating Capacity - -
Warranty 5 Years / 100,000 km 5

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Both Jolion and Tucson are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Tucson +18 pts
Efficiency Jolion +17 pts
Safety Jolion +2 pts
Practicality Tucson +13 pts
Ownership Equal

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Jolion

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger safety package
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: Fuel Efficiency
🏆 Overall Winner

Tucson

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Less comprehensive safety features
Best suited to: Highway Driving Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

Jolion

  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
  • Families prioritising stronger safety equipment

Tucson

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Jolion Tucson
Hybrid System Parallel Hybrid Not Applicable
Combined Power Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Combined Torque Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Motor Type Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Number of Motors Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Motor Location Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Quarter Mile Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Rev Limiter Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Power-to-Weight Ratio Not Officially Disclosed 79.7 kW/tonne
Torque-to-Weight Ratio Not Officially Disclosed 241.9 Nm/tonne
Usable Battery Capacity Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Electric Range Not Applicable Not Applicable
AC Charging Time Not Applicable Not Applicable
DC Charging Time Not Applicable Not Applicable
AC Charging Power Not Applicable Not Applicable
Aspiration Turbocharged Turbocharged
Battery Voltage 48 V Not Applicable
Bore 72.5 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Compression Ratio 10.5:1 Not Officially Disclosed
Cylinder Layout Inline Inline
Cylinders 4 4
DC Charging Power Not Applicable Not Applicable
Drive Type FWD AWD
Engine Code GW4B15A Not Officially Disclosed
Engine Displacement 1497 cc 1995 cc
Fuel System Direct Injection Common Rail Direct Injection
Fuel Type Hybrid Diesel
Launch Control No Not Officially Disclosed
Regenerative Braking Yes Not Applicable
Stroke 90.8 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Top Speed 188 km/h 195 km/h
Valves 16 16
Valves per Cylinder 4 4
Maximum Torque 250 Nm 416 Nm @ 2000 rpm
0-100 km/h 9.5 sec 9.5 sec
Battery Capacity 1.8 kWh Not Applicable
Battery Type Lithium-ion Not Applicable
Drive Modes Not Officially Disclosed Eco, Normal
Engine 1.5-litre Turbocharged Petrol Hybrid 2-litre Turbocharged Diesel
Maximum Power 115 kW @ 5500 rpm 137 kW @ 3800 rpm
Transmission Not Officially Disclosed 8-Speed Automatic
Spec Jolion Tucson
360 Degree Camera Yes Yes
Active Engine Braking No -
Adaptive Cruise Control Yes Yes
Adaptive Cruise Control Yes Yes
Around View Monitor Yes Yes
Attention Assist Yes -
Autonomous Emergency Braking Yes Yes
Automatic High Beam Yes -
Auto Highbeam Yes Not Available
Auto Lights Yes Yes
Auto Park Assist No -
Auto Wipers Yes No
Blind Spot Monitoring Yes Yes
Blind Spot Warning Yes Yes
Cruise Control Yes Yes
Driver Fatigue Alert Yes Not Available
Eco Mode Yes Yes
Emergency Braking Yes Yes
Forward Collision Warning Yes Not Available
Front Camera Yes -
Lane Departure Warning Yes Yes
Lane Keep Assist Yes Yes
Park Assist Yes Not Available
Parking Distance Sensors Front and Rear Front & Rear
Parking Sensor Front and Rear Front & Rear
Parking Sensors Front and Rear Front & Rear
Pre-Collision System Yes Yes
Rain Sensor Wipers Yes No
Rear View Camera Yes Yes
Rear Cross Traffic Alert Yes Yes
Rear Parking Sensors Yes Front & Rear
Rear View Camera Yes Yes
Reverse Camera Yes Yes
Reverse Camera Type Yes Yes
Reversing Camera Yes Yes
Sport Mode Yes No
Surround View Camera Yes Yes
Traffic Sign Recognition Yes No
EV Mode Yes No

Overall Verdict Score

Decision-grade view of the winner, score gap and category strengths.

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

Tucson leads by 4 points

Both Jolion and Tucson are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Winner 72 /100
Lead 4 points
Data 91% confidence
72
#1 Winner

Tucson

91% data confidence 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 92 Check Efficiency 56
Performance 69
Efficiency 56
Safety 92
Practicality 73
Ownership 65
Leads by 4 points
68
#2

Jolion

97% data confidence 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Performance 51
Performance 51
Efficiency 73
Safety 94
Practicality 60
Ownership 65
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Tucson +18 Efficiency Jolion +17 Safety Jolion +2 Practicality Tucson +13 Ownership Level

Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

Tucson

Performance 69/100
Efficiency 56/100
Safety 92/100
Practicality 73/100
Ownership 65/100

Jolion

Performance 51/100
Efficiency 73/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 60/100
Ownership 65/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Hyundai Tucson wins with 72 pts vs 68 pts for Jolion

In structured scoring, Tucson emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Jolion may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Tucson edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Jolion 73 vs Tucson 56. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Jolion 94, Tucson 92. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Jolion 65, Tucson 65. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Jolion 60, Tucson 73. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Jolion 51, Tucson 69. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Tucson edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Tucson scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Jolion and Tucson in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Jolion scores 51 vs 69.

Efficiency: Jolion scores 73 vs 56.

Safety: Jolion scores 94 vs 92.

Practicality: Jolion scores 60 vs 73.

Ownership: Jolion scores 65 vs 65.

Final structured scoring gives Tucson the advantage in this comparison.