Yahoo Autos 2022 Hyundai Tucson Review | Spring for a hybrid
Pretty much the only thing that's consistent between the all-new 2022 Hyundai Tucson and its predecessor is the name, the badge in its grille and the fact it's still a crossover SUV. Otherwise, the new Tucson goes from being one of the smallest compact crossovers to one of the biggest, with commensurate gains in passenger and cargo space. The design goes from tasteful if forgettable, to a unique celebration of exaggerated lines and expressive accent lighting. If nothing else, it's definitely memorable. The interior similarly goes from attractive and functional with a few cheap bits, to borderline luxurious and a real head turner in the segment with exceptional technology. Finally, the powertrain lineup goes from a choice of two blah naturally aspirated four-cylinders to only a single still-pretty-blah one, but there's now a choice of hybrid powertrains as well (including a plug-in hybrid). Put it all together, and not only do you have a radically different Tucson, but a radically improved one.
Indeed, the 2022 Tucson can now be considered one of the top choices in its segment as it basically checks off all the boxes of the segment's heavyweights, the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Space, fuel economy, value and quality are all comparable, while boasting superior infotainment and safety technologies, a longer warranty and a more attractive interior. The verdict on its exterior might be a bit more polarizing, but we'd rather have overly expressive than anonymous. The driving experience is similarly as mundane as those other top contenders, but at least the Hybrid's traditional automatic transmission results in a more "normal" feel compared to Honda and Toyota's hybrid system. There will also be the new Tucson N Line later in the model year, which promises to offer a sharper, more responsive driving experience (albeit paired to the base engine). In short, check out the new Tucson.
What's new for 2022?
2022 marks the introduction of a new generation of Hyundai’s compact SUV, so virtually everything is new. Hyundai has revamped the Tucson along the same lines as its other products, introducing a new suite of powertrain options (standard, hybrid, and plug-in) and migrating it onto a larger, more comfortable and more electrification-friendly platform. There will also be a sportier Tucson N Line version.
What's the Tucson interior and in-car technology like?
In a segment where many competitors go with a more functional aesthetic, the Hyundai Tucson is more stylish, more tech-focused and more premium. We especially like the dash-width vents and cloth trim. Plastics and switchgear are of a high quality as well. There are some key differences based on trim level, however. Besides upholstery and color choices, the center stack controls actually differs. Most come with an 8-inch touchscreen, while an upgrade 10.25-inch widescreen unit is available as upgrade. Their basic user interface is similar, but the bigger screen increases functionality. Unusually, only the 8-inch screen is compatible with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay; the larger unit requires a wired connection. This is true of most recent Hyundai products, and the 10.25-inch system will get new hardware in future model years to address this.
With either, Hyundai ditched a traditional volume knob and other physical controls, which is a downgrade. Low-end models get scroll wheels for volume and tuning (below left) which is technically better than the tap-tap-tapping you have to do with the all-touch controls paired with the 10.25-inch unit (below right), but they're still strange. Touch-sensitive controls have also historically been difficult to find and successfully press while driving and these are no different. All that piano black trim also means lots and lots of finger prints.
Otherwise, the front seats are comfortable and supportive with excellent adjustment on higher trims (base models get just six-way manual adjustment). Rear-seat recline and remote fold-down features are standard, and heating for the rear bench is available on the range-topping Limited model.
How big is the Tucson?
With a little help from its new, larger platform, the Tucson grew considerably inside for the 2022 model year. It’s now almost exactly the same size as a Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V, falling right in the sweet spot for the compact segment. Besides offering plenty of room for adults, we could easily fit a rear-facing child seat while maintaining plenty of space up front for driver and passenger.
Behind the raised back seat, Hyundai now claims 38.7 cubic feet of rear cargo room, which puts it right between the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. At least on paper. As we discovered in our Tucson luggage test, the new Tucson can actually hold a bit more than them when it comes to actual stuff. There is an asterisk, though. Although the Tucson Hybrid has the same cargo capacity on paper as the gas-only version, it does not have a spare tire (like the CR-V Hybrid, but unlike the RAV4 Hybrid). So, you do lose something by adding batteries -- it's just not obvious on the spec sheet or when loading bags.
What are the Tucson fuel economy and performance specs?
The Tucson has spawned some new offshoots for 2022, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, meaning there’s likely a model for just about any taste.
The base model’s 2.5-liter 4-cylinder makes an adequate but uninspiring 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. It’s rated at 26 mpg city, 33 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined with front-wheel drive, which is competitive for the segment. AWD drops those figures to 24/29/26 mpg.
The hybrid model ups the performance to 226 horses and 195 lb-ft and ups the fuel-economy figures to 38 mpg city/highway/combined on the ultra-efficient Blue model and 37/36/37 mpg on the SEL Convenience and Limited trims. These don’t quite measure up to the CR-V and RAV4 hybrids, but are significant upgrades over the Hyundai’s standard engine, and the hybrid provides a better driving experience to boot.
The Tucson Plug-in Hybrid offers a potent combined output of 261 total horsepower and 224 lb-ft of torque. It offers 33 miles of all-electric driving range and its rated by the EPA at 80 miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe). This is less than the RAV4 Prime's 42 miles and 94 MPGe.
