2024 Hyundai Tucson vs 2025 Porsche Cayenne

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson, a continuation of its fourth generation, maintained its striking design with sharp angles and a unique headlight integration that blended seamlessly into the grille. This contemporary styling gave the Tucson an athletic presence, even in a colour as challenging as white. Unlike some luxury brands that replicate designs across their lineup, Hyundai ensured each model had its own distinct style. The Tucson's interior mirrored its exterior's modernity, offering a refined cabin with a tech-forward approach. While the absence of a volume dial was a minor inconvenience, the overall layout was intuitive, with controls strategically placed for ease of use. The Tucson's trim levels, from Preferred to Ultimate, offered a range of features, with the Ultimate trim boasting advanced driver assistance technologies and luxurious touches like ventilated front seats and genuine leather upholstery.

In contrast, the 2025 Porsche Cayenne, available in both standard SUV and sporty Coupe forms, exuded luxury and performance. The GTS trim, with its high gloss black trim and specific front fascia, showcased larger air intakes and tinted headlights, hinting at the power beneath the hood. The interior was a testament to Porsche's commitment to customization, allowing buyers to tailor everything from seat colours to trim materials. While the base model offered standard features like eight-way power-adjustable seats and two-zone climate control, the options list was extensive, enabling a truly personalized experience. Despite its luxurious appointments, the Cayenne's interior was designed with practicality in mind, offering ample space for five passengers and a generous towing capacity, though its cargo space was slightly less than some competitors.

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson in Canada came equipped with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, delivering 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission to standard all-wheel drive. While this powertrain was adequate for city driving, it struggled with highway acceleration and produced noticeable engine noise. For those seeking more power, the Tucson Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid offered 226 hp and 261 hp, respectively, though they featured a unique button-style shifter that required some acclimatization. The Tucson excelled in handling and ride quality, providing a comfortable and composed driving experience, though it wasn't as sporty as some competitors.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne offered a range of powerful engines, starting with a 3.0-litre V6 producing 348 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque. The GTS trim, however, featured a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 with 493 hp and 486 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed transmission and all-wheel drive. This setup allowed the Cayenne GTS to accelerate to 100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds, with a top speed of 275 km/h. The GTS trim struck a balance between sporty performance and comfort, with precise steering and an agile suspension system. Optional carbon ceramic brakes provided impressive stopping power, while the adaptive suspension and dynamic chassis control enhanced the driving experience. The Cayenne's versatility was evident in its ability to switch from sporty to comfortable driving modes, making it suitable for both spirited drives and daily commutes.

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson offered impressive cargo space, with up to 2,119 litres available with the rear seats folded and 1,097 litres with them in use. The hands-free power liftgate, available on trims above the Preferred, added convenience for loading and unloading. The Tucson comfortably seated five passengers, with ample headroom and legroom in both rows, making it suitable for longer trips. The cabin featured numerous storage solutions, including deep cup holders and a centre tray with a wireless charging pad.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne, while luxurious, required buyers to pay extra for many features. The base model included eight-way power-adjustable seats and two-zone climate control, but options like heated rear seats and a panoramic roof were additional. The Cayenne accommodated five passengers, with the second row offering generous headroom. Despite its luxury focus, the Cayenne could tow up to 3,500 kilograms and handle a payload of over 635 kilograms. Cargo space was slightly limited compared to competitors, with the standard Cayenne offering 772 litres behind the second row and 1,708 litres with seats folded. The Coupe version had less space, and the PHEV models further reduced cargo capacity.

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a fully digital instrument panel. While the system was intuitive, it lacked wireless connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The haptic volume toggle was less user-friendly than traditional dials, but the interface was glove-friendly, which was beneficial in cold weather. Hyundai's evolved remote start system allowed drivers to start the vehicle remotely and drive off without pressing the start button again.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne boasted a suite of screens, including a standard 12.6-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen running the Porsche Communication Management system. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were included, along with Spotify, Apple Music, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. An optional 10.9-inch passenger screen allowed for media control and video streaming. The system was responsive and could be controlled by voice commands. A head-up display provided essential information, though it was dim with polarized sunglasses. The Cayenne also featured four high-speed USB-C charging ports and a cooled wireless charging area.

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson came equipped with a comprehensive suite of driver assistance features, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control. The Ultimate trim added advanced features like a 360-degree parking camera system and Hyundai's Smart Park remote-parking feature. The Tucson received high safety ratings from the IIHS, earning a Top Safety Pick+ designation, though its standard headlights were rated "Acceptable."

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne offered standard safety features like parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring, but adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist were optional. Porsche's InnoDrive adaptive cruise control system was advanced but not tested during our drive. Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS had rated the 2025 Cayenne for safety.