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Hyundai Tucson 2022 review: Highlander

Hyundai Hyundai Tucson Hyundai Tucson 2022 SUV Best SUV Cars Hyundai SUV Range Family Family Cars
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The Highlander is the top-of-the-range Tucson. (image credit: Richard Berry)
The Highlander is the top-of-the-range Tucson. (image credit: Richard Berry)
EXPERT RATING
8.0

Likes

  • Modern looks
  • Big boot
  • Sporty to drive

Dislikes

  • Transmission could be smoother
  • Button operated gear shifter
  • This grade is pricey
Laura Berry
Senior Journalist
9 Feb 2022
7 min read

SUVs are the go-to family car nowadays. But now that there are so many,  which one do you choose for you and your brood? Well, the Tucson is a mid-sized SUV made by Hyundai and the Highlander is the top-of-the-range variant. The one I tested, with the help of my family, had the sporty 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and all-wheel drive.

My little family has one child and we lived with the Tucson Highlander for a week to find out if it could handle everything we could throw at it.

Hyundai Tucson 2022: Highlander (AWD)

Engine Type Turbo 4, 1.6L
Fuel Type Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency 7.2L/100km (combined)
Seating 5
Price From $36,520 - $43,450
Safety Rating

What does it look like?

The Tucson Highlander is a mid-sized SUV, so it’s about the same size as a Toyota RAV4, but it looks quite different. The RAV4 is more angular whereas the Tucson is rounded, although the crisp origami-like creases in the door panels make this Hyundai look modern and unique. 

An enormous grille that almost covers the entire face of the car features built in LED running lights, which set this SUV apart from many of its rivals, as do the taillights, with their jagged, shark-tooth design.

The Tucson looks modern and unique. (image credit: Richard Berry)
The Tucson looks modern and unique. (image credit: Richard Berry)

This new-generation Tucson came to Australia in 2021, so the cabin tech is also modern and the styling of the interior still feels fresh. I especially liked the media screen and the way it’s integrated into the floating centre console in the same fashion that premium brands like Land Rover are choosing.

Adding an even more prestigious feel to the interior was the optional Grey leather upholstery in our test car.

For a completely different look, but pretty much the same car underneath, you should check out the Kia Sportage, which shares pretty much the same engineering as the Tucson, thanks to the fact that both of them share a parent company.

How does it drive?

You know how top tennis players can sometimes have a bad day and, while they still perform well, they’re not their usual superhuman selves? Well, I feel that way about this Tucson.  

See, Hyundai has a track record of producing cars that are so good to drive that when I drove this new Tucson I was disappointed that it wasn’t an enormous leap ahead from the old old. And, even more surprisingly, in some ways it’s not as good as the previous Tucson.

I’m making the new one sound terrible to drive, but it’s not. The handling is good, the visibility is excellent, it’s comfortable, the engine has lots of grunt and acceleration is quick for this class of SUV

The Tucson is 4.63m long. (image credit: Richard Berry)
The Tucson is 4.63m long. (image credit: Richard Berry)

The one part that’s letting the driving experience down is the transmission. The way this dual-clutch automatic operates is far from smooth at lower speeds. Combine this feeling of indecisive gear changes with hills and the result is a car that creates an uneasy sensation. 

It’s disappointing because everything else is there to make this car great to drive. To get back to the tennis thing, it’s just that its serve is off, and this transmission doesn’t cope easily with anything other than highway driving.

I’ve spoken to Hyundai about the dual-clutch and I was told that if customers are unhappy with the transmission performance they can contact Hyundai who will be able to ‘re-tune’ it. I’d be taking them up on that offer, personally.

It may also take you time to get used to the actual gear shifter in the Tucson – it’s button operated (see the photos) and that meant I had to look down each time to find Drive and Reverse. 

Controls are all in logical and easy to reach places, aside from that strange gear shifter. (image credit: Richard Berry)
Controls are all in logical and easy to reach places, aside from that strange gear shifter. (image credit: Richard Berry)

On the plus side, as a family car, the Tucson has a composed and comfortable ride, while retaining a sporty feel. 

How spacious is it?

The Tucson is 4.63m long, which is on the shorter side for a mid-sized SUV, but the interior layout offers adequate legroom in the second row, even for me at 191cm tall, and it has one of the largest boots among its rivals, at 539 litres.

Families need cabin storage, and lots of it. The Tucson is better at this than many of its rivals with big door pockets, cup holders up front and in the second row, a large centre console storage box, a deep well in front of the shifter for wireless phone charging and pockets on the side of the centre console.

The Tucson offers decent interior space. (image credit: Richard Berry)
The Tucson offers decent interior space. (image credit: Richard Berry)

New parents will also be happy to know that a rearward-facing baby capsule can be installed in the second row, while still leaving enough space for somebody my height to sit comfortably in the front passenger seat.

While the Tucson may not beoverly large, its sense of interior space and the storage it provides are both excellent.

How easy is it to use every day?

The Tucson Highlander isn’t the easiest car to drive, thanks to that indecisive transmission, but it does come loaded with features that make life easier. The Highlander grade comes with a proximity key, which will lock and unlock the door without you having to take it out of your pocket or bag. You also score push button start, sat nav, dark-tinted rear side windows, a gesture-control tailgate, heated and ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control with rear directional air vents, plus power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats.

Rear passengers get directional air vents. (image credit: Richard Berry)
Rear passengers get directional air vents. (image credit: Richard Berry)

For charging devices there’s a wireless charger, a 12V outlet and two USB ports up front, plus another two USB ports in the second row.

Controls are all in logical and easy to reach places, aside from that strange gear shifter, with its button design, which isn’t the easiest way to shift from Drive to Reverse or Park.

How safe is it?

The Tucson was given the maximum five-star rating by ANCAP when it was tested in 2021.

The advanced safety tech that comes standard on the Tucson Highlander is excellent. It starts with AEB with junction assistance, which can detect vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. Then there’s also rear AEB, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot warning and rear cross traffic alert.

A full-sized spare wheel is also standard, and a welcome inclusion. 

For child seats there are two ISOFIX points and three top-tether mounts across the back seats. 

What’s the tech like?

This new-gen Tucson came to Australia just last year, so the tech is still fresh and modern. 

I liked the 10.25-inch media screen, and while the digital instrument cluster was the same size, the fitment of it to the dash seemed a bit dinky to me in a car that is otherwise pretty sophisticated in its styling.

Inside is a 10.25-inch media screen and a digital instrument cluster of the same size. (image credit: Richard Berry)
Inside is a 10.25-inch media screen and a digital instrument cluster of the same size. (image credit: Richard Berry)

I did a roll call of the charging outlets in the section How is easy it is to Use, but it does have wireless phone charging, plus USB ports for those in both the front and back seats.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with Bluetooth connectivity, are onboard, as are sat nav and an eight-speaker Bose stereo. 

How much does it cost to own?

The Tucson Highlander with the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and all-wheel drive lists for $50,400. A front-wheel-drive version with a 2.0-litre petrol is more affordable at $46,400 and I’d recommend that variant, unless you plan to regularly head onto dirt and gravel roads, where all-wheel drive is handy.

The Tucson is covered by Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is the norm for most car makers.

Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder engine. (image credit: Richard Berry)
Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder engine. (image credit: Richard Berry)

Servicing is needed annually, or every 10,000km, and you can expect to pay $319 on average each year, for five years. 

Hyundai says the Tucson Highlander’s 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and dual clutch auto will use 7.2L/100km, but on my test I found that the Tucson was using 12.2L/100km, which is thirsty. If it’s any consolation, the engine can run happily on 91 RON, which is the cheapest grade of petrol.

Verdict

There are so many good SUVs to choose from, but not all of them are ideal for families. The Tucson Highlander offers good looks, luxury features and a sporty driving experience, but it's also  practical and has plenty of the advanced safety tech that a small family needs. 

The 1.6-litre engine  only comes paired with all-wheel drive, which is good for those families who like to go on dirt-road adventures.

Be sure to take a look at my comparison, which tests the Tucson against the Subaru Forester, the Mitsubishi Outlander and the Kia Sportage. 

Pricing Guides

$39,122
Based on 340 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months.
LOWEST PRICE
$24,999
HIGHEST PRICE
$51,990
Laura Berry
Senior Journalist
Laura Berry is a best-selling Australian author and journalist who has been reviewing cars for almost 20 years.  Much more of a Hot Wheels girl than a Matchbox one, she grew up in a family that would spend every Friday night sitting on a hill at the Speedway watching Sprintcars slide in the mud. The best part of this was being given money to buy stickers. She loved stickers… which then turned into a love of tattoos. Out of boredom, she learnt to drive at 14 on her parents’ bush property in what can only be described as a heavily modified Toyota LandCruiser.   At the age of 17 she was told she couldn’t have a V8 Holden ute by her mother, which led to Laura and her father laying in the driveway for three months building a six-cylinder ute with more horsepower than a V8.   Since then she’s only ever owned V8s, with a Ford Falcon XW and a Holden Monaro CV8 part of her collection over the years.  Laura has authored two books and worked as a journalist writing about science, cars, music, TV, cars, art, food, cars, finance, architecture, theatre, cars, film and cars. But, mainly cars.   A wife and parent, her current daily driver is a chopped 1951 Ford Tudor with a V8.
About Author
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Pricing Guide
$24,999
Lowest price, based on third party pricing data.
For more information on
2022 Hyundai Tucson
See Pricing & Specs

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