Hyundai Tucson

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.

Which Tucson does MatoCar recommend?

The best value comes from the SEL trim. It gets you some desirable extras, such as blind-spot monitoring, over the base SE trim and still keeps the cost low. You can also customize it with a couple of extra option packages if you want. For the Tucson Hybrid, the Blue Hybrid is the SEL's equivalent.

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.

Available engines:

2.5-liter four-cylinder (187 horsepower)
Hybrid with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine (227 total hp)
Plug-in hybrid with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine (261 total hp)

SE Starts you off with:

17-inch alloy wheels
LED headlights
8-inch infotainment touchscreen
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity (with wireless connectivity)
Six-speaker audio system

The SE also comes with advanced driver aids such as:

Driver attention warning (issues an alert if sensors determine you are becoming fatigued)
Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
Lane keeping assist (steers the Tucson back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)
Rear-seat reminder (alerts you to check the rear seat before exiting the vehicle)

SEL Adds luxury and tech features, such as:

Roof rails
Tinted rear windows
Proximity keyless entry with push-button start
Power-adjustable driver's seat
Heated front seats
Rear passenger vents
Heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals
Two USB outlets for rear passengers
Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse)
Blind-spot intervention (automatically steers the car back into its lane if you try to change lanes while a car is in the vehicle's blind spot)
Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Hyundai and the car in front)

Convenience package Available on with the SEL trim:

Hands-free liftgate
19-inch wheels
Sunroof
Digital instrument panel
Wireless device charging pad
Ambient interior lighting
Auto-dimming interior rearview mirror
Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
Dual-zone climate control

Premium package Adds to the Convenience package with:

Leather seating surfaces
Ventilated front seats
Bose premium audio system
Dark gray grille with unique LED lighting

N Line Similar to the SEL trim but adds sporty touches, such as:

Special 19-inch alloy wheels
Unique exterior and interior trim
Sport front seats
Bose premium audio system

Limited Builds off the SEL with Convenience and Premium packages, adding:

Panoramic sunroof
Dark chrome exterior trim
Upgraded LED headlights
Heated steering wheel
Paddle shifters
Power-adjustable front passenger seat
Driver's seat memory settings
Heated rear seats
10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation
Blind-spot camera (displays an image of the vehicle's blind spot in the instrument panel when you activate a turn signal)
Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Tucson and its surroundings for tight parking situations)

For the Tucson Hybrid, the Blue Hybrid trim level is essentially the same as the SEL trim. The SEL Convenience trim level largely matches the non-hybrid SEL fitted with the Convenience package. Finally, the Limited Hybrid trim is similarly equipped as the standard Limited trim.