FRESH SHOWSTOPPER
AWD model is an excellent modern machine in several ways, despite a few weaknesses
I recently drove 1,400 kilometres in the new 2022 Hyundai Tucson Ultimate Hybrid while writing and shooting several projects for TV and web. My testing included a pair of 425-kilometre highway trips, extended use on trail and back-road surfaces in northern Ontario, and checking its storage and passenger space by transporting a family with two young kids.
If you're considering a Tucson Hybrid like my tester, a $41,600 Ultimate Hybrid AWD, you're headed in the right direction. It's an excellent machine in several important ways, but there are also two weaknesses of which you'll want to be aware.
The Tucson has been upsized and is some 15 centimetres longer and 7.5 cm wider than its predecessor, so interior and cargo space have grown significantly. This model is a standard hybrid, with no plug. Just put fuel in the tank, and you're good to go.
Behind the dramatic new grille, a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid engine produces 226 combined horsepower, while generating about 20 per cent more torque than the non-hybrid option. The result is improved performance that requires 30 per cent less fuel.
The engine's ability to restart smoothly, often without making any sound, is consistently impressive. As hybrid powertrains go, this one is impressively smooth and quiet, with a notable boost in throttle response at lower speeds. However, the response is less impressive at higher speeds for highway passing and merging, though still adequate.
Inside, the overall atmosphere is inviting, modern, and high-tech, and things generally feel well built, precisely assembled, and logically placed. Strong horizontal styling elements give the cabin a wide, open look, with clean, modern displays and touch-activated consoles. I wished for a larger instrument cluster display screen, but the graphics are clean, and easy to read in any light. Elsewhere, space, storage, entry, and exit are surprisingly good, even for larger passengers.
One of my best friends, Chris, is also one of my tallest, at six foot four. He and his wife Natalie are considering a Tucson Hybrid for their growing family, so I asked him and his family to live with my tester for a few days, to get their impressions.
There were no issues with loading in a pair of child seats; the wide rear-door openings were appreciated. Ditto the rear-seat legroom; there was plenty of space between front and rear seats.
Natalie appreciated the upright driving position, and good outward sightlines. But the conversation kept going back to storage and space. The general consensus? The Tucson Hybrid feels surprisingly large inside, and delighted this family with its storage-to-footprint ratio.
The Tucson Hybrid is generally quiet, with no need to raise your voice for a conversation at highway speeds. It's a little too soft and numb to interest enthusiast drivers, but it's a well-mannered highway-touring machine.
Ride comfort is generally good, though rough road surfaces may pose an issue for some. If you do a lot of driving on rough road and trail surfaces, there are better options for ride comfort. If you drive primarily in a smooth, on-road setting, you're good to go.
Other notables include the LED headlight system, which is delightfully good. As modern safety ratings require vehicles to achieve a high score for headlight performance, automakers are installing higher-performing lighting systems, and the Tucson Hybrid gets one of them. If you're upgrading from a crossover with halogen lighting, you'll be delighted with the performance of the Tucson Hybrid's powerful lighting system, thanks to the clean, white light far up the road, and increased engagement of reflective surfaces at a great distance. Additionally, a wide beam pattern casts useful light into tree lines and culverts near the roadside.
Blind-spot cameras, which display in the cluster when the corresponding signal is activated, also help make it easier for drivers to stay apprised of their surroundings. This system is an exclusive and rare high-tech showpiece you'll enjoy on every drive.
A remote-controlled parking system allows drivers to move the Tucson Hybrid forward and backward using the remote key fob. This means drivers can pull their vehicle out of a parking space to load a large item, or reverse into a tight parking space after all occupants have left the vehicle.
I'd recommend shoppers include a rough road surface on their pre-purchase test drive to check ride quality, and see if the passing and merging power meet their needs. Beyond that, the Tucson Hybrid is a machine with few weaknesses, many strengths, and one of the smoothest hybrid drivelines I've ever tried.