Driving Impressions: 2022 Hyundai Tucson XRT AWD

By: Mark Moskowitz MD

The redesigned 22 Hyundai Tucson distinguishes itself with new size and styling.

While its brow and nose display gentle curves, all else is complex but pleasing geometry. Its hips are bold and evolve from rear to front and from front to rear into triangles which form a trapezoid along its sides. More angles and straightened lines surround formerly curved wheel arches. New angles have been added to its taillight display. And paired rectangular headlights shine from within trapezoidal recesses in its front. It works and to this observer looks boldest and best in darker colors like Amazon Gray.

The Tucson is bigger in 2022. Hyundai has added 3.4 inches to the wheelbase and more than 6 inches in overall length.

More length translates into more comfort and with the front seat set for my 5'10' frame, I found plenty of knee room next to the console and excellent foot room in back.

The spiffiest exterior belongs to our test car, the XRT. Roof rack, 19-inch wheels, side mirrors and side steps are all black and suggest ruggedness and off-road capability.

Interior trim is upscale with mostly soft surfaces from arm rest upward. Attractive paired polished metal strips surround the center display and follow the contour of the recessed upper dash (enhancing one's impression of a 'roomy cockpit') before extending rearward.

The XRT (cost before destination $33,350 including $1500 for the AWD) occupies the middle of the Tucson line with the base model SE priced at $24,950 and the Limited PHEV – plugin hybrid – AWD costing the most at $42,700.

The XRT features include a 10.25-inch instrument cluster, an 8-inch touch screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a leather wrapped steering wheel, proximity key, hands free liftgate, a 1 ¼ inch trailer hitch receiver, Bose audio, adaptive cruise control, and heated front seats with powered position adjustment for the driver.

The SUV performed well in town and on the highway. Controls were light and steering adjusted appropriately when sport mode was engaged (and related red highlights appeared on the instrument cluster). No matter the mode, the 8-speed automatic shifted smoothly and as expected. The Tucson remained quiet and composed over bumps and rough surfaces, and exhibited less than expected body lean on curves.

The model is equipped with hill start assist control, downhill brake control and the HTRAC system for AWD. With the center clutch locking the rear end, it stumbled a bit ascending a steep (greater than 14 degrees) gravel driveway at low speed; a running start solved the problem.

Most cars of similar quality might better its 0-60 time of 8.6 seconds, but on the fly, I experienced little fuss passing other cars or entering interstates.

I pause to praise the Hyundai lane keep assist. Few other than completely autonomous cars are as capable. Though time (without the call to re-engage with the steering) varied, I often went hands free and rode dead center on the highway for up to 90 seconds. Other notable niceties include Hyundai's alert system informing the driver when the car in front pulls away from a stop, a visual for wiper settings, and the presence of toggles and knurled knobs for climate and radio controls. (Form overrides function and these lattermost aids disappear in upper-level trims.)

Picking nits: Surround view and the Hyundai blind spot visual monitoring system are available only in the upper-level trims. They seem necessities and should be individually 'optionable' on the less expensive models.

Mileage and specs are published below. Low running boards and the present HTRAC system exclude this from being Driving Impressions' choice for a serious off-road vehicle, but in most other categories the Tucson XRT shines and is highly recommended.

Photo credit: Mark Moskowitz MD

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