This factor seems to be so freakin’ good.
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The 2022 Hyundai Tucson units a brand new benchmark for compact crossovers, and it is superior. This fetching SUV packs tons of options, all the newest tech and stable on-road manners in a rad-looking package deal. How might Hyundai make it higher? Meet the 2022 Tucson Hybrid.

LikeStandout styling37 mpg with out even tryingLuxurious interiorExcellent infotainment tech

Don’t LikeTouchy contact controlsNo wi-fi CarPlay with bigger multimedia display

Obviously, the massive promoting level for any hybrid is gasoline economic system, and the Tucson does not disappoint. The best Blue mannequin will return 38 mpg mixed in keeping with the Environmental Protection Agency, whereas my loaded Limited does barely worse (a still-very-good 37 mpg). After 300 miles of testing, I had no hassle assembly the EPA’s mixed score, and that is with out altering my hardly tepid driving model. In truth, the Tucson Hybrid really encourages spirited driving, which is one other massive motive this CUV is critically good.Standard Tucsons are powered by a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I4 with 187 horsepower which, whereas satisfactory, is hardly thrilling. Instead of simply electrifying that powertrain, the Tucson Hybrid makes use of a 1.6-liter turbo I4 that by itself provides 180 hp, complemented by 195 pound-feet of torque that comes on sturdy at simply 1,500 rpm. A 1.5-kilowatt-hour battery sends energy to an electrical motor, providing an extra 59 hp and 195 lb-ft. You cannot simply add all these numbers collectively to get whole system output, after all, however Hyundai quotes a ultimate determine of 226 hp, which is a reasonably stable improve over the bottom Tucson, particularly contemplating that plentiful low-end torque.

The best Tucson Hybrid ought to return 38 mpg, in keeping with the EPA.
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All Tucson Hybrids come commonplace with a six-speed automated transmission and all-wheel drive, and from the second I pulled out of my driveway, I might actually really feel a distinction. The Hybrid accelerates with much more authority than the conventional Tucson, with a little bit electrical shove off the road earlier than a rush of turbocharged torque helps this SUV rise up to hurry. Gear-changes are easy and imperceptible, and there are even steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, although I’m not likely certain when or why you’d use them in a automotive like this.Tucson Hybrids get Hyundai’s e-handling tech, which makes use of energy from the electrical motor to primarily introduce torque vectoring, braking the entrance wheels when getting into a nook and sending further torque to the rear axle if you exit. It’s one thing you’ll be able to actually really feel on a winding highway, not that it all of the sudden turns the Tucson right into a sports activities automotive. Gas-only and electrified Tucsons have the identical steering and suspension tunes, each of that are completely applicable for a compact crossover. The steering is gentle however direct, and the MacPherson entrance strut and multilink rear suspension do a pleasant job of retaining the Tucson easy and steady always. Even with the Limited’s swanky 19-inch wheels, this Hyundai is not in the least crashy — even over nasty blemishes.

2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is as environment friendly as it’s fashionable
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It’s uncommon {that a} CUV’s hybrid possibility is each extra environment friendly and extra highly effective than the usual fuel mannequin, however it solely makes this Tucson extra compelling. In truth, it makes me tremendous stoked to drive the upcoming Tucson plug-in hybrid, which provides a wholesome 261 hp, to not point out an estimated 32 miles of all-electric driving vary.

Hyundai provides the Tucson Hybrid in three trim ranges. The base Blue is available in at $30,235, together with $1,185 for vacation spot, and has the identical degree of apparatus as a non-hybrid Tucson SEL AWD. That means goodies like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, full-speed adaptive cruise management, tinted home windows, a proximity key and heated seats are all commonplace, along with applied sciences that include essentially the most primary Tucson — LED headlights, ahead collision warning, lane-keeping help, automated high-beams, an 8-inch touchscreen with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and, after all, these freaking rad working lights.The SEL Hybrid provides 19-inch wheels, ambient inside lighting, Hyundai’s Digital Key, wi-fi charging and a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster. At $32,835 delivered, this actually looks as if the way in which to go when you do not care about having each final creature consolation.The Tucson’s inside is quiet, snug and filled with tech.
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The upper-crust $38,535 Limited Hybrid has all the things you may ever need in a compact SUV. Things like a panoramic sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, distant parking help (smaht pahk), heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, blind-spot cameras are all commonplace, and also you get a bigger 10.3-inch multimedia show, too (which weirdly does not embody wi-fi CarPlay). The Limited even has Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist, which mixes lane-centering tech and adaptive cruise management to make these tedious drives down the freeway rather a lot simpler.This is not an exaggeration: The Tucson Limited’s inside is nicer than what you may discover in a number of luxurious vehicles. The leather-based seats are cozy, the supplies on the dashboard and door panels feel and look nice (I really like these material inserts) and the touch-sensitive array of buttons beneath the infotainment display is each modern-looking and useful. Those buttons provide on the spot response, not like the haptic controls utilized in some automobiles (Cadillac), although that gloss black panel is a magnet for fingerprint smudges, so possibly maintain some wipes within the glovebox or middle console.Aside from a couple of badges, the Hybrid seems to be the identical as different Tucsons. Which is to say, it is rad.
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Front and rear passengers have loads of room to stretch out, and the Tucson Hybrid isn’t any much less capacious than its gas-only counterpart. There’s a beneficiant 38.8 cubic ft of area behind the rear seats, which expands to 74.5 cubic ft when you fold the bench flat. That’s ever so barely lower than what a Honda CR-V provides, however greater than what you may get within the Ford Escape or Toyota RAV4 hybrids. Considering how a lot nicer the Hyundai’s inside is — and the way superior this SUV seems to be from the skin — it is a fairly minor tradeoff.It’s actually price noting that the aforementioned rivals are a pair miles per gallon extra environment friendly than the Tucson, they usually’re all fairly evenly priced. The Hyundai is way and away the very best wanting and finest driving compact hybrid crossover, plus it is received the fanciest inside and by far the nicest infotainment tech. I’d completely be prepared to sacrifice a mile per gallon or two contemplating all this crossover has to supply. The commonplace Tucson already raised the bar for compact SUVs; the brand new Hybrid solely pushes it greater.