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]
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