Hyundai has been revamping its lineup of SUVs as of late. Just about everything is a recent addition, including the extra-small Venue and three-row Palisade, or has been redesigned. Now, for 2022, it's the Tucson's turn. This is Hyundai's small SUV that competes against the likes of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. It's historically played things safe and stuck to conservative styling conventions, but not the 2022 Tucson. Can an affordable SUV be avant-garde?
Now in its fourth generation, the all-new version is quite different with its distinctive cascading headlight design, squared wheel arches and bold creases on the bodywork. The interior is also more dynamic, with a center stack devoid of hard buttons and a shroudless digital instrument panel. Also new for 2022 is the availability of three powertrain options. There's a conventional gasoline engine as well as two hybrid options: a standard hybrid and a plug-in hybrid with up to 28 miles of electric-only range. But some things, like Hyundai's generous warranty and general good value for money, remain unchanged.
Overall, we think Hyundai's done a nice job with the new Tucson. The hybrid, in particular, stands out as a compelling pick for a small SUV. Read our Expert Rating below to get our in-depth take on the Tucson's hits and misses.
Our verdict | |
The Hyundai Tucson delivers a lot of value for the money, providing a comfortable ride and helpful technology features. We also like its upscale-feeling cabin and roomy cargo space. Unfortunately it's dogged by a sluggish engine that has trouble keeping pace when the traffic speeds up. Still, the Tucson is a thoughtful small SUV. | |
How does the Tucson drive? | |
Unfortunately the Tucson's engine struggles to get the SUV moving with authority. Around town and on the highway, it's OK to drive, but if you're in a hurry the sluggishness is apparent. The Tucson accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 10.2 seconds during our testing, making it one of the slowest crossovers we've measured in some time. The rest of the driving experience is unremarkable. We like the easy, direct steering and the way the Tucson remains composed around corners. The transmission upshifts smoothly, but downshifts can feel abrupt and crude when you quickly mash the gas. | |
How comfortable is the Tucson? | |
The Tucson approaches luxury-level quality when it comes to comfort. It has a supple suspension that provides an excellent ride, and bumps and cracks in the road are absorbed very well. It's among the best rides in the class. We found the front seats on our Limited trim test vehicle to be excellent. They featured plush and supportive cushions covered in nice material and provided good lateral support and power lumbar adjustments. We also appreciate the level of quiet and insulation provided while the Tucson's in motion. It keeps noise outside of the cabin out better than most rivals, and even when the wind kicks up you won't strain to hold a conversation or enjoy the radio. | |
How’s the interior? | |
Excellent ergonomics and an abundance of interior space make the Tucson's cabin a very pleasant place to be. The front seats offer plenty of room, and rear passengers will be able to stretch their legs or recline their seat. For drivers, it's easy to find a comfortable and commanding position, plus a large windscreen and thin pillars allow for great visibility. We're less enthusiastic about the control arrangement. Nearly every feature is controlled through the touchscreen or flat, featureless buttons alongside it that offer no feedback to the touch. It would be nice to have a dial or controller of some kind for people who don't want to reach all the time. The screen is also prone to greasy smudge marks. There should be a better way. | |
How’s the tech? | |
The Tucson offers a sharp set of technology features that work quickly and feel ultra-modern at this price. Firstly, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity is standard and displays nicely on the available 10.25-inch touchscreen. If you prefer Hyundai's native system, the navigation is easy to follow thanks to clear directions and a vivid map that work well in tandem. Another strong point is the voice activation feature, which recognizes commands well and doesn't force you to follow specific prompts as strictly as some competitors. We also like the Tucson's set of driver aids. The blind-spot warnings are helpful and the adaptive cruise control works great in bottleneck traffic. The front and rear parking sensors will help keep you out of trouble when parking, but their incessant beeping can become tiring. | |
How’s the storage? | |
You can toss plenty of stuff into the back of a Tucson. Its storage capacity of 38.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats is among the best for small SUVs. Fold down the rear seats and you've got 74.8 cubic feet at your disposal. The low liftover and nice flat floor should make it easy to stack up boxes on moving day or presents during the holidays. The cabin offers decent-sized spaces throughout to hold your small items. The cupholders can hold larger water bottles. Got small children? Installing a child's seat is as easy as reaching between the rear cushions to locate the latches. The spacious back seat should provide plenty of room for even the most bulky rear-facing seats. | |
How’s the fuel economy? | |
In all-wheel-drive guise, which is what we tested, the 2022 Tucson gets an EPA-estimated 26 mpg combined (24 city/29 highway). This isn't bad, and our time behind the wheel returned similar numbers in mixed city and highway driving, indicating the rating holds up in real-world use. But the number falls short of the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue when the Tucson's equipped with AWD. We would also hope for higher figures given the Tucson lacks much in the way of acceleration. | |
Is the Tucson a good value? | |
The Tucson's pricing is competitive for the class and generally lines up with what you'd pay for a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. But Hyundai does one-up the competition by giving you plenty of desirable features and excellent interior quality. The cabin design and materials are comfortable and interesting for the price and certainly a step above other compact crossover interiors. Hyundai's basic warranty of five years/60,000 miles and powertrain coverage of 10 years/100,000 miles also can't be beat. Overall, Tucson delivers excellent value at its price. | |
Wildcard | |
It's clear that Hyundai had fun building the Tucson — the expressive exterior design and lots of innovative tech features such as hidden headlights, interesting touchscreen menus and its remote-controlled parking system make that clear. Ultimately, though, these aspects come off as fancy icing on what is a pretty standard cake. The Tucson is hamstrung by a sluggish engine that makes it feel like a chore to drive, and the transmission can be clunky unless driven for maximum efficiency. The Tucson stands out in a crowd, and there is a lot to like about its wealth of standard features. But it falls short of reaching fun-to-drive status in our book. | |
The 2022 Hyundai Tucson is available in seven trim levels with three engines offered. Four trim levels — SE, SEL, N Line and Limited — feature the conventional gasoline engine. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) are offered in three trims: Blue Hybrid, SEL Convenience Hybrid and Limited Hybrid. While the standard gasoline engine can be had with front- or all-wheel drive and uses an eight-speed automatic, the hybrids come standard with all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission.
2021 Hyundai Tucson
2021 Ford Escape
Like the Tucson, the Ford Escape is available with a conventional gasoline engine as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. We like the Escape's roomy interior and smooth ride, and the hybrid version is more fuel-efficient than the Tucson's hybrid version. The Escape's handling does leave a lot to be desired and the Tucson is a slightly better value for the money.
Available in both hybrid and non-hybrid versions, the CR-V is our small SUV class leader. With clever interior storage options, a roomy interior and athletic handling, it is very well rounded. But the hybrid version of the CR-V is a bit disappointing since it's not particularly fuel-efficient. And we think the Tucson's infotainment system is much better than the Honda's.
Another small SUV with a conventional gasoline and two hybrid variants, the RAV4 brings a lot of practicality, as well as strong fuel economy, to the class. And while it might not be the main reason to buy a plug-in hybrid, the RAV4 Prime is downright fast! But all RAV4s suffer from a noisy, unrefined engine and don't handle particularly well.
You won't often find truly daring design in the small SUV class. Vehicles in this segment typically prioritize utility and comfort over handsome looks or thrilling performance. The redesigned 2022 Hyundai Tucson asks: "What if you could have everything above and more?"
Hyundai is going all-in on the new Tucson's powertrains. Most models will be driven by the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder that powers the recently redesigned Sonata sedan. It produces 187 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque in the Tucson, and it's matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration for normal driving is adequate, but you might find it a little lacking when you need a burst of speed, such as when making a highway pass. The transmission could use a bit more refinement as well; we noticed a couple of weird lurches while we were driving through parking lots. Also, the shift programming for the Sport mode could be more aggressive.
The new Tucson is more comfortable than the last generation. The driver's and front passenger seats are supple and supportive, and occupants have a good amount of room to stretch out. The second row has good cushion padding and a wide bench that should remain appealing for four people over long distances. The 3 inches of extra rear legroom in the new Tucson and the reclining rear seatbacks should give most people enough adjustability to find a comfy spot.
The 2022 Tucson starts with the upscale design concepts that debuted on the Sonata and takes them even further. The two share a similarly styled transmission selector cluster, but the rest of the Tucson's interior looks decidedly more tech-heavy. This vibe is highlighted by a frameless digital instrument panel, a buttonless center stack and 64-color ambient lighting.
The new Tucson aims to be the most high-tech small SUV on the market. A standard 8-inch touchscreen packs wireless capabilities for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. A snappy and responsive 10.25-inch screen is available on upper trim levels. And to free up purse or pocket space, the Tucson allows you to use your phone as a key. This feature, however, only works with Android phones equipped with near-field communication technology.
The 2022 Hyundai Tucson's standard gas engine returns an EPA-estimated 29 mpg combined (26 city/33 highway) for front-wheel-drive versions and 26 mpg combined (24 city/29 highway) for the all-wheel-drive. The Hybrid Blue, which is the base hybrid and comes standard with AWD, is EPA-estimated to return 38 mpg combined, while the upper trim hybrids that come loaded with more standard features get 37 mpg combined. Information for the plug-in hybrid was not available at the time of this writing.
Edmunds saysThe Tucson has always been a solid pick in the small SUV segment, even though its styling was a little anonymous. The redesigned 2022 Hyundai Tucson ventures in a bold new direction, complete with an expressive exterior, a comfortable and upscale cabin, a range of powertrain choices, and high-tech safety features. Just be aware that the standard 2.5-liter engine feels adequate at best.
According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2022 Hyundai Tucson:
The least-expensive 2022 Hyundai Tucson is the 2022 Hyundai Tucson SE 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl 8A). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $24,950.
Other versions include:
