Hyundai Tucson 2022 Review: It Is Hard To Fault!

The Hyundai Tucson has had a long-standing history in India as the first-generation of the car was launched here way back in 2004. Unfortunately, over several generations, the premium SUV has never really stirred up buyer interest and its sales numbers have always been negligible. 

However, the situation in 2022 is a little different. The first reason for that is the highly popular compact SUV segment which sees sales of almost 30,000 units every month. But, buyers of compact SUVs do not have as many options while looking to upgrade. 

Not only that, the sheer spending power of people eyeing the segment has increased too. Just look at the demand for almost Rs 30 lakh cars like the Mahindra XUV700 for example. But the biggest reason why the new Tucson would catch the attention of buyers is itself. It looks like nothing else on the road and you won’t mistake it for anything else for sure. 

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

The question is, apart from the absolutely crazy exterior, does it have enough substance for it to feel like a proper upgrade for, say, a Creta buyer? or is it just more expensive because it is imported and assembled here?   

It Is A Head-turner!

Up front, the 2022 Hyundai Tucson looks aggressive, muscular and in your face, thanks to the large dark chrome grille which looks unique. The wing-shaped DRLs too are neatly hidden behind the smoked lenses and when you start the car they make their presence felt and look very cool too. The LED headlamps are placed low in the bumper which means the new Tucson doesn’t need front fog lamps. 

At the rear, the new Tucson looks more normal, but what brings in the wow factor is the connected LED tail lamp setup and the details in the lights really catches your attention. Other details like the sculpted bumper and the wiper that is neatly hidden under the spoiler gives the rear a clean and modern look. 

In profile you actually realise this car is quite large and when compared to something like the Hyundai Creta, it is more than 300mm longer. It also sits on large 18-inch alloy wheels which give it a balanced look. In terms of design, because of the abstract lines and all the cuts and creases, the Tucson might not please every eye. Is Tucson’s silhouette beautiful? We are not too sure. Is it striking and will it grab your attention? Oh, definitely yes!

Classy Interior!

Compared with the outlandish exterior, on the inside, the new Tucson looks sober and classy. The good thing is, in terms of ambience, it's really good, as the cabin feels airy and even the quality of materials inside the new Tucson impresses. 

You get soft touch materials on the dash, door pads and on all the touch points. Then there are elements like the fabric finish on the dash and the beautiful knurled finish on the control stalks because of which the cabin on the Tucson feels properly premium. In fact the overall interior quality and ambience is the best you can get on any hyundai car.

The dash is well-laid-out too with all the controls falling to hand easily. What we are not a big fan of are the touch sensitive controls for the infotainment and aircon. They don’t have any haptic feedback and you have to take your eyes off the road to operate them. The two 10.25-inch screens for the infotainment system and driver instrumentation look fantastic. The screens are high res and especially the digital driver display is fantastic with loads of features on display and the transitions for different screens gives it an edge over some competitor cars.

What About Features?

The 2022 Tucson is expensive, but, thankfully, you do get a lot of ‘wow’ features to justify the price tag. You get a panoramic sunroof, cooled and heated front seats, powered front seats with memory function for the driver, two 10.25-inch displays as mentioned above and you also get a premium Bose sound system. Apart from that the Tucson comes with dual zone climate control, wireless phone charger, 360-degree camera and powered tailgate. 

We couldn't think of any misses except one. The infotainment should have come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity at this price point. You also get USB Type A and no USB C ports in the Tucson and considering most new phones come with the latter, you will have to have a cable to connect your phone.

As far as safety is concerned the Tucson comes loaded right from the base variant. You get six airbags, blindspot camera, ESP, hill-start assist and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). If you get the top Signature variant, it comes equipped with Level-2 advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) as well. 

Is It Practical?

The Hyundai Tucson proves to be a great family car as well. Upfront, you get large door pockets, storage under the centre armrest and two thoughtfully designed cup holders. Rear seat passengers too are well taken care of with two bottle holders, seatback pockets and two cup holders in the centre armrest. We just wished the door storage had more space than just for a one-litre bottle.

The boot, at more than 500 litres, is large and you also get 60:40 split folding rear seats for added practicality. The good thing is the seats fold flat, so sliding large items ahead won't be an issue and you also get thoughtfully placed levers to fold the rear seats in the boot itself.

Back Seat Experience 

If you are buying a car as expensive as the Tucson, there are high chances that you will be chauffeur-driven. In which case, rear seat experience becomes all the more important and this time around, Hyundai has taken care of that aspect as it has launched the long-wheelbase version of the Tucson in India, because of which there's loads of kneeroom. 

Even headroom, despite the panoramic sunroof, is good and the bench itself is comfortable with good under thigh and back support. If we have to complain, we wish Hyundai gave the Tucson rear sunblinds which are available in the much cheaper Creta and Alcazar, and because the rear seat is placed a little low, the window line seems a bit high. 

However, thanks to the massive sunroof, even at the rear, the cabin feels airy and you don’t feel hemmed in. The biggest party trick in the left rear passenger seat is the boss mode. You get buttons to push the front passenger seat forward and to complete the experience, the rear seats recline quite a bit, so you can sit back and enjoy even long journeys here. 

Ride Comfort

Even in terms of ride there are mostly good things to say about the 2022 Hyundai Tucson. At low speeds, small- to medium-sized bumps are taken really well and it's only over hard-edged potholes where the suspension tends to bottom out sometimes. Even out on the highway, the Tucson feels settled and rock solid in a straight line. If we wanted to improve one thing about the Tucson’s ride, it is that at higher speeds, over undulating surfaces, the rear tends to bounce a little bit and takes a bit longer to settle back. But other than that, there's not much to complain about.

Performance To Match The Show?

The new Tucson comes with both petrol and diesel engine options with only automatic transmissions. If you want a fun to drive Tucson, then surprisingly our choice will be the diesel, because with 186PS it is a lot more powerful than the petrol and it packs a punch, which makes the overall driving experience effortless. 

At low speeds the car feels smooth and special mention needs to be given to the 8-speed gearbox which always manages to find the right gear for most situations. Thanks to the tall eighth gear the SUV cruises calmly out on the highway and the punchy motor means overtaking at high speeds too is easy. The one advantage the petrol version of the car has over the diesel is refinement. Even at idle you know there is a diesel engine under the hood and the engine does get vocal past 3000rpm. But, on its own, for a diesel engine, it is actually quite refined. 

If you want to buy the Tucson mostly for city commutes, then the petrol will prove to be more than enough. In fact, the petrol version feels noticeably easier to drive at low speeds, the reason being the steering is lighter (petrol engine is lighter) and because it doesn’t come with AWD hardware, it just feels more light-footed and easier to manoeuvre. 

The 6-speed auto, though not as quick as the 8-speed on the diesel, is smooth and the only place where you will wish the petrol Tucson had more power is while overtaking. The petrol’s 6-speed auto transmission is not the quickest when it comes to downshifting and the engine too lacks the outright punch of the diesel. 

The top variant of the 2022 Tucson is offered with Level 2 ADAS system and in our experience, it works wonderfully. It is not too sensitive unlike in some other cars and it will definitely reduce driving stress and keep you safer, be it while driving in the city, cruising on the highway or even while parking.

Is It Fun To Drive?

In terms of handling, we wish Hyundai could have come up with a Tucson that is sportier to drive. Don't get us wrong, it feels tight and it feels safe and predictable around corners, but it doesn't really feel fun. The steering rack is a little slow off-centre and it doesn’t really have the dynamic ability or the fun to drive nature of something like a Jeep Compass. You also don’t get paddle shifters on either versions and to shift manually you have to use the gear selector. 

Between the petrol and the diesel, the petrol being lighter feels more willing to change direction, but the diesel with the AWD system has more grip and traction of the two. 

Verdict

Prices for the new Tucson start at Rs 27.7 lakh for the base petrol and go all the way up to Rs 34.4 lakh for the top diesel AWD. At that price, it falls in-between cars like the Jeep Compass and the Skoda Kodiaq.  

Overall, as a product, the 2022 Tucson is so well rounded that it is hard to fault it in any particular area. In fact, it is more like us cribbing about some things than it being actual deal-breakers. For example, we would have liked a bit more sporty drive and maybe the ride at the rear could have been more settled.

It is a head-turner on the outside, interiors feel premium, it is very practical, both powertrain options are potent enough and it drives well too. Finally, this time around the Hyundai Tucson is making a very strong case for itself.