2022 Hyundai Tucson Preview
This month Hyundai revealed a completely redesigned and updated Tucson, its best-selling vehicle globally. For 2022 the Tucson becomes larger both on the inside and outside while offering both new hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, something that customers have been asking for. With the complete overhaul and the new characteristics, the Tucson should become even more compelling in the hyper-competitive compact SUV segment.
The 2022 Tucson showcases Hyundai’s new design language with the daytime running lamps consolidated into the design along with the Hyundai logo in the rear being integrated into the glass. Inside Hyundai has made the Tucson even more pleasant, with ambient mood lighting adjustable to 64 colors as well as a temperature-adjusting system providing diffused airflow on the front passengers. In addition, the interior offers a 10.25-inch full-touch screen and a hoodless digital gauge cluster while the second-row seats have fold-and-dive functionality to make loading more cargo even easier.
In the powertrain department, the base engine is a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder that makes 187 horsepower and which has a targeted combined fuel economy of 28 miles per gallon. Customers have the choice of standard front-wheel-drive and optional all-wheel-drive. The Hybrid powertrain pairs a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine to an electric motor to produce a combined 226 horsepower while becoming 30 percent more efficient compared to the base engine. Meanwhile, the plug-in hybrid version has a larger battery capacity, which can potentially provide up to 28 miles of electric-only range.
Notable options that the 2022 Tucson has are the Remote Smart Park Assist system, which enables owners to park and summon their Tucson from the tightest of parking spaces, as well as a Remote Start system that allows drivers to warm up or cool down the interior utilizing the Blue Link app on their smartphone, while also controlling heating and ventilation of the front seats. Furthermore, the Tucson has a Digital Key option that gives owners the ability to lock and unlock the vehicle, activate the panic alert and start the engine from the convenience of their smartphone. This feature also allows owners to leave traditional keys at home and allows secure sharing of keys with family and friends. Other options include an 8-speaker Bose sound system and a voice recognition system for controlling the radio, climate control, heated and cooled seats, and rear hatch.
Many safety features are standard on the new Tucson. These include forward collision avoidance with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keeping assist, high beam assist, driver attention warning, and a rear occupant alert system which sounds when it believes the driver has left something, such as a child or a bag, in the back seat. Safety equipment on higher trim levels include smart cruise control with stop and go, blind spot collision monitoring, and safe exit warning when stepping out onto busy streets.
We’re looking forward to sampling the Tucson when it debuts later in 2021. With numerous entries in the compact SUV segment, buyers have many options to pick from and with an updated Tucson, Hyundai can be a solid brand choice for a large subset of shoppers. The upcoming hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains will help greatly in that endeavor along with the segment-exclusive features like Remote Smart Park Assist as well as the Digital Key. In the end, the updated Tucson will likely continue to be Hyundai’s best-selling vehicle globally and be a great choice in the segment.
