Wrestling Cousins

These 2-litre SUVs from sister companies are evenly matched on paper, but which one out-grapples the other and makes a stronger impression?

- Jeremy Chua

IT is common for first cousins to bear some resemblance to one another, whether it’s the shape of their face, eyes or nose.

But while this is true for people, it is a different matter altogether for automobiles.

Hyundai and Kia, for example, are sister companies whose models share platforms, but each brand’s cars look distinct.

Side by side, the Tucson and Sportage are as different as night and day. I find the Tucson, with its sleeker headlights and sharper lines, to be more attractive than the Sportage, which is more squarish and has a front end that you’ll either love or hate.

Only when you look closely at both cars’ rear ends will you notice that the shapes of their tailgates are similar.

Apart from their virtually identical instrument clusters, both the Tucson and Sportage have very different interiors.

Between the two, it’s the Tucson’s cabin which feels more upmarket, thanks to features such as Blind Spot Detection and an electric parking brake.

The Hyundai also has dedicated buttons for Bluetooth telephony, making it more convenient for the driver to make/receive calls while driving.