Taking Chances: 2022 Hyundai Tucson Unveiled

Car Twitter is a weird “place” (as much as an ephemeral part of social media can be a “place”). There are all kinds of arguments about all sorts of things on that part of the Twitterverse, including new and upcoming products, and the next Hyundai Tucson was as divisive as anything I’ve seen in recent weeks.

Some journalists loved it. Some hated it. Others were in between. And that’s just in reference to the exterior styling.

Love it, like it, hate it, or indifferent, you can’t deny that Hyundai took some chances.

There are angles and edges and sharp creases. Narrow headlamps and large fog-lamp housings. A light bar across the rear with four distinct taillamps. And a sloping roofline.

The interior appears like it will be less polarizing, thanks to clean lines, although one aspect is a bit disappointing – there are no knobs. Did Hyundai learn nothing from Honda?

The redesign is about more than just the skin. The fourth-generation Tucson will be sold globally and in short- and long-wheelbase versions.

Powertrains will include a 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder and a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that will be part of a hybrid or plug-in hybrid setup. The former is estimated to produce 187 horsepower and 182 lb-ft of torque, and it pairs to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The latter is estimated to have 177 horsepower from the gas engine and 226 combined system horsepower along with 195 lb-ft of torque from the gas engine and 258 lb-ft combined.

All-wheel drive is available. An E-Handling system will be offered on hybrid and PHEV models to assist drivers with cornering and handling, especially in poor weather conditions.

Available features include highway driving assist, forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, blind-spot monitor, blind-spot collision warning, surround-view monitor, reverse parking collision-avoidance assist, remote smart parking assist, high beam assist, driver attention warning, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist with rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, advanced smart cruise control with stop and go, and safe-exit warning.

Other available features include a digital key, ambient mood lighting, 8- or 10.25-inch infotainment screen, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, heated seats, heated steering wheel, and Bose audio. Customers will be able to pair two phones at once and even switch between playlists.

Buyers will also be able to integrate their phones into the car – using them to turn home appliances on or off from the car or to set a calendar appointment as a destination in the GPS. They’ll also be able to warm up the car via voice command.

Dual-zone climate control and Hyundai’s Blue Link app suite will be available.

So, too, will an N Line variant. Hyundai promises more details on that at a later date.

Car Twitter will surely be abuzz about that model, too.

[Images: Hyundai]