2022 Hyundai Tucson Priced to Fit

Jason R. Sakurai
by Jason R. Sakurai

Pricing for the all-new 2022 Tucson SUV was announced by Hyundai Motor America today, with 15 variations available to suit a wide range of needs and budgets. Starting at $24,950 MSRP for a base SE model with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, 8-speed automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive, the range tops out at $37,350 for a Limited HEV, which is a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder hybrid with a 6-speed automatic transmission and HTRAC all-wheel drive.

Tucsons equipped with the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder got a six-horsepower bump from the 2021’s 181 hp, three more lb-ft of torque to 178 lb-ft, and three more mpg for a combined 28 mpg, a neat trick for a package that’s 6.1-inches longer, 0.6-inch wider, 0.6-inch taller, and stretched over a wheelbase 3.4-inches longer.

Hybrids get a 1.6-liter turbo gas engine, rated at 177 HP, and 195 lb-ft of torque, plus 258 lb-ft of torque from the hybrid powertrain, which uses a 44.2 kW electric motor, and a 1.49 kWh battery pack. Hyundai says Tucson’s hybrid powertrain is 30-percent more fuel-efficient than the gas engine, with 20-percent more torque.

I’ve not had the pleasure of corralling the Tucson yet, although I hope to get behind the wheel of an N Line version to see if there’s any discernible difference in its exterior appearance and the interior over that of more pedestrian iterations. Besides the addition of AWD, is it too much to ask that the N Line had better shocks, stiffer springs, and improved handling to go along with a $7,050 difference in MSRP over the base model? If they’re going to target enthusiasts, it’s going to take more than an appearance package to get anyone excited.

Leave it up to designers and marketers to come up with a way to make the ordinary sound, well, out of the realm. In this case, they’re calling Tucson’s interior ‘interspace’, and you’ll probably hear it being applied to other Hyundais if they become enamored with it internally. While their press release described the interior, sorry, interspace, in glowing terms, what was most interesting was hearing that there’s mood lighting adjustable in 64 colors, and ten levels of brightness. If this is a standard feature, look for it to be of great interest to kids, especially if the lighting feature is accessible from anywhere besides the driver’s seat. To fully enjoy this attribute, the control knob should be included with the infotainment system, or on the center console.

Gas-powered and hybrid Tucsons will be available this spring, with plug-in versions to come sometime this summer.

[Images: Hyundai Motor America]

Jason R. Sakurai
Jason R. Sakurai

With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.

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  • Carrera Carrera on Mar 09, 2021

    Like Icarus, Hyundai-Kia is flying a bit too close to the sun lately and I am afraid they will crash soon. Already issues are cropping up. Two year old Stingers with major wear showing inside, cracked leather seat bolsters, cracked steering wheel leather covers, etc. They aren't even attractive in prices anymore when compared to a Honda or Toyota. I've been test driving some some used Stingers and G80s and the interior wear alarms me on cars with 20,000 miles or less.

    • See 1 previous
    • Ajla Ajla on Mar 09, 2021

      I'm not sure what the proper baseline is but I will say my 2.5YO Stinger has less interior wear than my Charger did at 2.5 years. The Kia does have some creasing on the driver's seat cushion but the Dodge was absolutely melting.

  • Pig_Iron Pig_Iron on Mar 10, 2021

    At least it's it has a conventional automatic to allow towing.

  • CoastieLenn No idea why, but nothing about a 4Runner excites me post-2004. To me, they're peak "try-hard", even above the Wrangler and Gladiator.
  • AZFelix A well earned anniversary.Can they also attend to the Mach-E?
  • Jalop1991 The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged due to suspected improper assembly by the supplier. Over time, partial engagement can cause damage to the intermediate shaft splines. Damaged shaft splines may result in unintended vehicle movement while in Park if the parking brake is not engagedGee, my Chrysler van automatically engages the parking brake when we put it in Park. Do you mean to tell me that the idjits at Kia, and the idjit buyers, couldn't figure out wanting this in THEIR MOST EXPENSIVE VEHICLE????
  • Dukeisduke I've been waiting to see if they were going to do something special for the 60th Anniversary. I was four years old when the Mustang was introduced. I can remember that one of our neighbors bought a '65 coupe (they were all titled as '65 models, even the '64-1/2 cars), and it's the first one I can remember seeing. In the '90s I knew an older gentleman that owned a '64-1/2 model coupe with the 260 V8.
  • SCE to AUX "...the complete Mustang model lineup to peruse"Will the fake Mustang show up, too?
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