2027 Hyundai Tucson vs. 2026 Toyota RAV4: 233 HP, a 42-MPG Target, and No Price Yet
Hyundai's U.S. numbers are in: a 233-hp hybrid that out-tows the base RAV4 and targets 42 mpg. Price, trims, and EPA ratings are still missing.
Toyota's sixth-generation RAV4 has been on sale since December, hybrid-only, and it currently runs from $33,350 to $49,950 with the $1,450 destination charge included. Hyundai's answer arrived in stages: the first design images on August 19, the first hybrid numbers at its 2026 CEO Investor Day a week later, a full debut at a media event in Paju, South Korea, on September 18, and an American premiere in New York on October 1, where Hyundai finally gave U.S. powertrain figures.
So this comparison now has real American numbers on the Hyundai side: output, a tow rating, and fuel-economy targets. It is still missing the things buyers actually shop on — trims, EPA ratings, a price, and an on-sale date. Everything else Hyundai has confirmed is in our 2027 Hyundai Tucson guide.
Here is what can be compared today, and what can't.
The spec sheet so far
| 2027 Hyundai Tucson | 2026 Toyota RAV4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Debuted in Korea September 18 and in the U.S. October 1; Korean pricing and sales start in October 2026, North America follows in 2027 | On sale now (hybrid since December, plug-in since spring) |
| Length | 185.0 in (4,700 mm) | 181.0 in (182 in for Woodland) |
| Width | 75.0 in (1,905 mm) | 73.0 in |
| Height | 66.3 in (1,685 mm) | Varies by grade; not directly comparable |
| Wheelbase | 109.6 in (2,785 mm) | 105.9 in |
| Powertrains | U.S.: 1.6-liter turbo gas (184 hp, eight-speed automatic) and 1.6-liter turbo hybrid (233 hp). Plug-in hybrid (292 PS) offered in select markets; not confirmed for the U.S. | 2.5-liter hybrid (FWD or AWD) and 2.5-liter plug-in hybrid (AWD). No gas-only model |
| System output | 233 hp and 280 lb-ft (U.S. hybrid); the Korean-market hybrid is rated at 245 PS (242 hp) | 226 hp (hybrid FWD), 236 hp (hybrid AWD), 324 hp (PHEV) |
| Acceleration | 0–60 mph in 8.5 seconds (hybrid), Hyundai claim | Not published by Toyota; PHEV measured at 5.3 seconds to 60 mph by CarBuzz |
| Efficiency | Hyundai targets, not EPA ratings: hybrid up to 42 mpg (FWD, 17-inch wheels), 40 mpg (FWD), 40 mpg (AWD, 17-inch wheels), 38 mpg (AWD); gas 28 mpg (FWD), 26 mpg (AWD) | EPA up to 47/40/43 mpg (hybrid FWD), down to 41/35/38 mpg (Woodland). PHEV: 52 miles of EV range, up to 102 MPGe |
| Towing | Up to 3,000 lb (hybrid), 1,000 lb more than before; gas model TBA | 1,750 lb (LE and FWD versions); 3,500 lb (most AWD grades, including Woodland and the plug-in) |
| Cargo | 41.7 cu ft, Hyundai figure; measurement method not specified | 37.8 cu ft behind the rear seat (36.6 cu ft in Limited) |
| Ground clearance | 7.1 in (180 mm); 8.3 in (210 mm) for XRT PRO | 8.1 in (LE, XLE Premium, SE, XSE), 8.5 in (Woodland), 7.5 in (GR SPORT) |
| Infotainment | Pleos Connect with a 17- or 12.9-inch 16:9 display depending on spec and the Gleo AI generative voice assistant; physical controls retained | Toyota Audio Multimedia with 10.5- or 12.9-inch touchscreen, standard 12.3-inch cluster, onboard 5G |
| U.S. price | TBA | $33,350 to $49,950, destination included |
| U.S. on-sale | TBA; Hyundai says North America in 2027 | Now |
Size is the headline, and it isn't close
The new Tucson is four inches longer than a RAV4, two inches wider, and rides a wheelbase 3.7 inches longer. In a segment where rivals usually trade tenths of an inch, that is a deliberate move upward.
Hyundai spent the growth where families notice it. Rear headroom is up by 1.1 inches, to 40.6 inches, and the rear doors now swing to 83 degrees instead of 73 — the difference between wrestling a car seat through a gap and simply loading it.
Toyota went the other way. The sixth-generation RAV4 kept its 105.9-inch wheelbase and spent its engineering budget on stiffening the body, retuning the suspension, and quieting the cabin.
Hyundai has now published one cargo number: 41.7 cubic feet, against 37.8 for most RAV4s. Treat that gap with caution. The same Hyundai spec sheet lists 1,067 liters for the Korean car, which works out to about 37.7 cubic feet, and it doesn't say how the 41.7 figure was measured. Until both cars are measured the same way, the honest reading is that the Tucson is at least as roomy in back, not four cubic feet roomier.
Powertrains: 233 hp against a 324-hp plug-in
The U.S. Tucson Hybrid pairs a 1.6-liter turbo with a new dual-motor transmission for 233 hp and 280 lb-ft, according to Hyundai's global launch release, and Hyundai quotes 8.5 seconds from 0 to 60 mph. That is less than the 245 PS (242 hp) Hyundai lists for the Korean car in its Korean launch release. The gas model, also a 1.6-liter turbo, makes 184 hp in U.S. form and uses an eight-speed automatic.
That puts the Tucson Hybrid between the two RAV4 hybrids: ahead of the 226-hp front-wheel-drive version, behind the 236-hp all-wheel-drive one. Torque isn't directly comparable, since Toyota quotes 163 lb-ft for the engine alone rather than a system number.
The picture flips at the top of the range. The RAV4 plug-in hybrid produces 324 hp, covers 52 miles on electricity, and in GR SPORT form has been timed at 5.3 seconds to 60 mph. Hyundai does have a new plug-in Tucson — 292 PS (288 hp), a 17.1-kWh battery, and about 50 miles (81 km) of electric range on a cycle Hyundai doesn't name — but it lists that car only for select markets and has not confirmed it for the United States.
Efficiency is now closer to a real comparison, but not quite there. Hyundai targets up to 42 mpg for the front-drive hybrid on 17-inch wheels and 38 to 40 mpg for all-wheel-drive versions. Those are targets, not EPA ratings. The RAV4 hybrid is EPA-rated at 43 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 41 to 42 mpg with all-wheel drive, or 38 for the Woodland. Today's U.S. Tucson Hybrid is rated at 38 mpg combined, so even hitting the target would be a big step — and it would still leave the RAV4 slightly ahead on paper.
Towing is where Hyundai gains ground. The Tucson Hybrid is rated at up to 3,000 pounds, 1,000 more than before, while the RAV4 LE and front-drive versions are limited to 1,750. Most all-wheel-drive RAV4 grades, including the Woodland and the plug-in, still pull 3,500.
What we still don't know about the American Tucson
- Price. Nothing has been announced anywhere yet — Korean prices come in October — and Hyundai's current U.S. Tucson starts near $30,800 with destination, a figure that says nothing about a bigger car on a newer hybrid system.
- Timing. Hyundai Motor America calls it the 2027 Tucson and says it reaches North America in 2027, but it hasn't named a month or an on-sale date.
- The U.S. lineup. Hyundai confirmed a North America-only XRT PRO with all-wheel drive, all-terrain tires, 8.3 inches of ground clearance, and Smart Terrain Assist. There is still no trim walk, and no word on which trims get the 17-inch screen and Gleo AI, though Hyundai has detailed what Pleos Connect brings to the U.S. Tucson.
- EPA ratings, gas-model towing, and a U.S. plug-in. Hyundai's mpg figures are targets until EPA testing, the gas Tucson has no published tow rating, and the plug-in hybrid isn't confirmed for the U.S.
Which one should you buy — or wait for?
If you need a compact SUV in the next six months, this isn't a real choice. The RAV4 is a known quantity with published EPA ratings, a settled price, and cars on lots, even if RAV4 wait times and supply are worth checking before you shop. The Tucson is a U.S. spec sheet with targets instead of ratings and no price. Waiting for it means waiting an unknown length of time for an unknown amount of money. If a RAV4 is hard to find, the CR-V Hybrid vs. RAV4 Hybrid matchup is the comparison you can act on today.
Three groups should hold on anyway. Buyers who care most about back-seat space have a genuine reason to see the Tucson in person, because Hyundai's added length and wheelbase went somewhere, and the outgoing Tucson already had a reputation for room. Hybrid buyers who tow a small trailer should look at the Tucson's 3,000-pound rating against the 1,750 pounds of the cheapest RAV4s. Buyers who want a plug-in have the opposite answer: Toyota sells one now, with 52 miles of range, and Hyundai's new plug-in isn't confirmed for the U.S.
Everyone else should watch the price. Toyota moved the RAV4 to a hybrid-only lineup and raised the floor to $33,350 with destination. Hyundai keeps a gas Tucson in its U.S. lineup, which gives it room to start lower. If a bigger Tucson that tows more arrives with a number below Toyota's, this becomes the segment's most interesting decision in years. Until Hyundai USA publishes one, it isn't a comparison — it's a preview.
