Used 2022 Hyundai Tucson

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson is all-new and takes this SUV’s styling, technology, and connectivity far beyond where it once was. Its sheet metal is angular and dramatic, and the interior is simple and elegant, with considerably better rear legroom.

For the first time, the Tucson is available with a choice of gas, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid powertrains. The 2022 Tucson Hybrid and upcoming Tucson PHEV are covered elsewhere on KBB.com.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the standard 2.5-liter 2022 Hyundai Tucson returns EPA fuel economy of 26 mpg in the city/33 mpg on the highway/29 mpg combined. With all-wheel drive, the new Tucson drops a bit, to 24 mpg city/29 mpg highway/26 mpg combined.

With outstanding connectivity and an impressive list of new safety and convenience features, the new Hyundai Tucson has become a serious rival for proven players such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Nissan Rogue.

KBB drove a 2022 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD, a Shimmering Silver model with a gray interior and a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $37,454.

First impression? Very positive. This new 3rd-generation Tucson is a big improvement over the previous model. Its stout chassis is complemented by a suspension that is tuned to be sporty without being too firm or floaty. Moreover, there’s enough room for a tall driver to sit comfortably inside the handsome new Tucson, and its back seat profits from an extra three inches of legroom.

It’s also quiet inside the new Alabama-built Tucson. This is attributable to a triple-layer windshield and sound-deadening materials so effective that they significantly mute the sound of the new Tucson’s horn when it’s honked.

The 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, with 187 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque, feels relaxed and at home in this subcompact 5-seat SUV. The all-wheel-drive (AWD) system can send as much as 50 percent of the power to the rear wheels when needed. This automatic apportionment of torque goes basically unnoticed by the driver, but its presence can be felt in the impressive composure it gives the 2022 Hyundai Tucson on slippery roads made of asphalt or dirt.

Although you can lock the AWD system at 50/50, the new Tucson is more of a soft-roader than a true off-roader. It feels at home in the city, where the 8-speed automatic always seems to find the right ratio for the situation at hand. While the paddle shifters add a bit to the driving fun, they are most effective when calling for downhill downshifts to make life a little easier for the brakes, which have good feel.

All told, the new 2022 Hyundai Tucson impresses. It’s solid, comfortable, roomy, refined, and practical, and its emphasis on standard safety technology (like a forward collision-avoidance system and lane-keep assist) is much appreciated.

Elegant and stylish while also being roomy, the 5-passenger Tucson interior has tech features that are standout design elements. The top trim level comes with a dual-stacked 10.25-inch touchscreen, which serves as the hub for audio, navigation, communication, climate control, and more. It can be reconfigured for multi-tasking. A fully digital gauge cluster is also available.

If you get the 8-inch screen instead of the double-size 10.25-inch screen, it comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. In addition, you’ll be able to connect two phones at the same time, and can alternate between each phone’s playlists via Bluetooth without having to disconnect either phone. Some markets will allow 2022 Hyundai Tucson owners to control smart in-home appliances before you get home, or to start the seat and steering-wheel warmers before you go out to the SUV.

Interior colors will be black or gray. There’s a choice of cloth or leather, with soft materials on high-touch areas. If you want to brighten the cabin and revel in some customization, a 64-color ambient lighting package is optional. No matter if your driving needs are centered on hauling people or cargo, the 2nd-row seats feature a handy “fold and dive” design, making it easier to reconfigure the cabin.

Thanks to its longer wheelbase, the Tucson sees rear legroom increase by about three inches compared to the outgoing version. Now, with its 41.3 inches of rear legroom, the 2022 Tucson matches or exceeds the space afforded by rivals like the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue.

Similar improvements have been made to aid cargo-toting driving needs. The Tucson now has a cargo volume of 38.7 cubic feet. That’s an increase of almost seven cubic feet compared to the 2021 model. This can be expanded further by using the dual-level cargo floor, which helps boost total capacity to more than 41 cubic feet.

In addition, there is Hyundai’s multi-air ventilation system, which uses a combination of standard air vents and small hidden ports, similar to what you would find in a jumbo jet. This system achieves a few key things: it monitors the cabin’s air quality and purifies the air. It has a display window that shows real-time air pollution through the Tucson’s dust-detection sensor. The ventilation system uses a combination of direct and indirect ventilation, so you can choose either wind in your face or a subtle, indirect breeze throughout the interior.

And finally, the air conditioning system is designed to reduce moisture on the evaporator to reduce the potential for a stale and mildewy smell.

The new Tucson, styled in South Korea, employs angular lines and a muscular stance, together with short overhangs and a long wheelbase. That combination totally changes this Hyundai’s attitude, giving it a sporty, planted stance.

The front is dominated by a textured grille with jeweled, faceted elements and matching LED headlights – design elements that are unique in the compact SUV segment, but look perfectly at home on the Tucson. In the rear of the Tucson, you can see angled, narrow taillights that echo that design concept. As with the new Sonata and Elantra, Hyundai is once again betting on mainstream shoppers who want some design excitement baked into the shape of a family-friendly subcompact SUV.

While there is a short- and long-wheelbase version of the Tucson sold around the world, North America is getting the long-wheelbase model. Compared to the outgoing Tucson, the 2022 model is 5.8 inches longer and rides on a 3.4-inch-longer wheelbase.

The Tucson’s all-new look is part of Hyundai’s “Sensuous Sportiness” design language. This new approach first appeared on the all-new 2021 Elantra. The lines and angles of the new Tucson are similar to those on Hyundai’s Vision T Concept, a compact plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV. While the physical resemblance to the Vision T is undeniable and both vehicles were shown with PHEV technology, the more realistic lines of the Tucson have better proportions, as well as larger rear and side windows for better visibility. The base 2022 Tucson rides on 17-inch alloy wheels, though 19-inch alloys will be available on the mid-range SEL and higher trims.

For the 2022 model year, Hyundai has introduced a new Tucson XRT. Designed to look more rugged than a standard Tucson (and based on an SEL with the Convenience package), the new XRT trim features revised front and rear fascias and prominent side cladding along with back 19-inch wheels, black mirror caps, a roof rack with crossbars, a tow hitch, and a black cloth interior with a black headliner. XRT trim is available on all non-hybrid Tucsons with or without AWD.

10.25-INCH TOUCHSCREEN
Hyundai has redesigned the center stack to revolve around an optional dual-stacked 10.25-inch touchscreen, which doesn’t use any hard buttons. While not everyone likes the idea of giving up physical buttons, there is a lot of connectivity and multi-tasking potential with this setup.

MULTI-AIR VENTILATION
Hyundai’s climate control monitors the cabin’s air quality and purifies the air while showing real-time air pollution. You can choose to have air right on you or distributed indirectly throughout the interior. The air conditioning limits moisture on the evaporator, which helps to reduce or eliminate any stale, mildewy A/C smell.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson comes standard with a 187-horsepower, 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, an 8-speed automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive. The base interior will use cloth seats and Hyundai’s 8-inch touchscreen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity will come standard. In fact, the base Hyundai Tucson features wireless smartphone charging as standard equipment, too. That’s a tech feature usually reserved for mid- to high-level trims in many sedans and SUVs.

If safety is a prime buying consideration, it’s worth noting that Hyundai’s SmartSense suite of active safety features comes standard. This includes forward-collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, automatic high beams, driver attention monitoring, and rear occupant alert.

Optional safety items include blind-spot monitors and blind-spot collision warning. The 2022 Tucson is also available with highway driving assist, a surround-view monitor, reverse parking collision avoidance assist – which is especially helpful in busy parking lots – remote smart parking assist, safe exit warning, rear cross-traffic avoidance assist, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-start capability.

As you’d expect in a mainstream SUV, there is a choice of front- or all-wheel drive in the standard 187-horsepower Tucson. Eco, Comfort, Smart, and Sport driving modes are standard.

Hyundai has announced a number of options for the Tucson, including an 8-speaker Bose Premier audio system, leather seats, panoramic sunroof, customizable interior ambient lighting, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and an automatic-open hands-free tailgate. Hyundai’s new double-screen 10.25-inch setup with no physical buttons and capacitive-touch controls will be an option.

Above and beyond the SmartSense suite of safety features, you’ll be able to add features like blind-spot collision avoidance assist with rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, adaptive cruise control, and safe exit warning.

A new Hyundai Tucson N Line model includes the equipment of the SEL and Convenience packages while adding a sporty appearance package, N Line interior badging, leather and fabric seating surfaces, red interior accents, a black headliner, metal pedals and sill plates, and a Bose premium audio system.

For 2022, the standard Hyundai Tucson has a 2.5-liter gasoline engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission. With both direct and port fuel injection, the 4-cylinder engine produces 187 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque.

FWD models are rated by the EPA at 26 mpg city/33 mpg highway/29 mpg combined. With AWD, the 2022 Tucson is rated at 24 mpg city/29 mpg highway/26 mpg combined.

For comparison, the 2022 Subaru Forester, an AWD model also powered by a 2.5-liter engine, is rated at 26 mpg city/33 mpg highway/29 mpg combined.

Max tow capacity with the 2.5 is 2,000 pounds.

2.5-liter inline-4
187 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm
182 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 26/33 mpg (FWD), 24/29 mpg (AWD)