New Generation Hyundai Tucson
The Hyundai Tucson is all-new for the 2022 production year and is now available in hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants for the first time. There are many things to love about the 2022 Hyundai Tucson and a select few items that feel like a letdown. Nevertheless, as a whole, the new Tucson is a well-designed, comfortable, spacious crossover SUV that will undoubtedly become a common sight in parking lots next year.
Sculpted Exterior Design
This fourth-generation Hyundai Tucson offers a new exterior design. The styling on this CUV is sharp. Light bounces off its sculpted body lines, which made me think of a style of art called cubism. Every panel reflects sunlight differently, giving it the appearance that it’s slicing through the air while parked.
You can walk around Tucson several times and spot a new design detail in each lap. Everywhere you look, lines seem to rush towards a point like the tip of an arrow. As a result, the 2022 Hyundai Tucson is a visually appealing crossover.
Hyundai Tucson Trims Levels
There is a luxury in choice, and Hyundai does a great job offering that to its customers. The Hyundai Tucson is available in four trim levels, not counting its Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid variants. Among the four trim levels, the sporty N-Line, and the top-of-the-range Limited. (The model featured in this article is the Tucson Limited). In addition, the Tucson Hybrid models each offer their own trim levels allowing buyers to choose the best model to fit their specific needs.
Comfortable Interior Space
Hyundai has dramatically stepped up its game in interiors and has, what I believe, to be one of the best-looking steering wheels in modern times. The molding on the doors carries over into the dashboard and surrounds the driver and passenger before coming down the center console for a sense of personal space when seated upfront. The Hyundai Tucson can fit up to five passengers with plenty of room in the back for luggage, family pets, baby strollers, IT equipment, guitar cases, and whatever else life requires you to carry.
The Limited trim spec features two 10.25-inch digital screens. One is used as the gauge cluster and the other as the infotainment screen. Lower trim levels get a smaller 8-inch infotainment screen. The center console does not offer traditional buttons and dials in favor of touch-sensitive controls. Some may not like this as it can require more time to memorize commonly used functions without looking down or risk selecting another item by mistake. It’s a bit of a learning curve but not a deal-breaker.
2022 Hyundai Tucson Drivetrains
Only one engine option is available on the gasoline 2022 Hyundai Tucson. This engine is a DOHC 16-valve 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 187-hp and 178 lb.-ft of torque with an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel-drive is available on all trim levels for the Hyundai Tucson and comes as standard for Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid. These models use a 1.6-liter T-GDi engine with a 44-kW electric motor to produce a combined output of 266-hp and 258 lb.-ft of torque.
The Plug-In Hybrid variant uses a 13.8-kWh battery to provide up to 32 miles of zero-emission range. Compared, the gasoline Tucson (with AWD) gets a combined 26 mpg, with 35mpg combined for the Plug-In Hybrid and 38 mpg combined in the 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid.
Standard Safety Features on 2022 Hyundai Tucson Limited
In addition to 19-inch alloy wheels, heated leather-trimmed seats, Bose premium audio, and panoramic sunroof, the Tucson Limited comes loaded with essentially every driver assistance option Hyundai has to offer. Below is a list of electronic safety features that come standard on the 2022 Hyundai Tucson Limited:
– Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Traction Control System (TCS) and Brake Assist
(BA)
– Vehicle Stability Management (VSM)
– Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) with Pedestrian Detection
– Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Cyclist and Junction Turning Detection
– Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA)
– Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA)
– Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist – Reverse (PCA-R)
– Parking Distance Warning – Forward and Reverse
– Surround View Monitor (SVM)
– Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM)
– Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
– Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
– Lane Following Assist (LFA)
– Highway Driving Assist (HDA)
– Navigation based Smart Cruise Control with Curve Control
– Safe Exit Warning (SEW)
– Rear Occupant Alert (ROA)
– Ultrasonic Rear Occupant Alert (Ultrasonic ROA)
Nit Picks with the New Hyundai Tucson
I have two nit-picks with the new Hyundai Tucson. The first one involves color options. Hyundai offers the Hyundai in seven colors, including Calypso Red featured in this article. My grievance is that three of the seven colors are different shades of grey (not including black). This is a real shame considering the effort that went into crafting a stylish exterior only to be dressed in dark, bland colors that often blend into the pavement of parking lots and highways.
My second grievance with the Hyundai Tucson is the N-Line performance trim level. We’ve seen Hyundai do wonders with the 276-hp N-Line Elantra and 290-hp N-Line Sonata providing satisfying bangs for your buck as performance variants. Yet, the N-Line Tucson is merely a performance appearance package that dresses the interior with sporty accents and gives the SUV a rear spoiler.
One can only assume this was because most would not buy a hot rod Hyundai Tucson. In addition, the hybrid variants already offer over 266-hp, so there is no need for a trim level that offers more. Nevertheless, performance appearance packages always carry a sense of unfilled value.
Beyond these two details, I found the new Hyundai Tucson to be a well-capable and comfortable crossover SUV that offers buyers plenty of choice and safety features to handle the demands of daily life. Starting price for the 2022 Hyundai Tucson is $24,950. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid starts at $29,200 and $34,750, respectively. Lastly, the Hyundai Tucson limited begins at $34,850.
Jesus Behind the Wheel 