Used 2022 Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid

The Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid is like a standard Tucson Hybrid, but with a larger battery that you can charge with a plug at home or a charging station. This compact all-wheel-drive (AWD) SUV has the same turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline engine and 6-speed automatic transmission that Hyundai gives to the new Tucson Hybrid, but it has a 13.8-kWh lithium-ion battery in place of the 1.49-kWh unit. It also has a much more powerful electric motor, one with 90 horsepower instead of 59.

As a result, the 2022 Hyundai Tucson PHEV has a total system output of 261 horsepower, which means it will be much quicker than the standard Tucson Hybrid with 226. It has an EPA range of 420 miles. More significantly, the larger battery pack allows the Tucson PHEV to be driven for 33 miles on electricity alone.

Using 240-volt electricity and the onboard 7.2-kW charger, the thermally managed battery pack of the Tucson Hybrid PHEV can be fully charged in less than two hours.

The Hyundai Tucson PHEV competes most directly with the Toyota RAV4 Prime, a compact SUV PHEV that has 302 total horsepower and 42 miles of electric range, plus a higher starting price of $38,100.

You might also consider the 2022 Ford Escape PHEV. At $33,540, this Ford undercuts the Tucson PHEV slightly in price while having an all-electric range of 37 miles and a total range of 520 miles.

One of the best-selling PHEVs in the U.S. right now is the Jeep Wrangler PHEV, which offers an all-electric range of 21 miles and some highly entertaining pure-electric off-roading.

The beauty of driving a Hyundai Tucson PHEV is that it’s just like driving a standard Hyundai Tucson, but with a lot of extra power and fewer visits to the gasoline station.

There are three driving modes: Automatic, Electric, and Hybrid. In Automatic, the Tucson sources its power however it determines is best–electric, gasoline, or a combination thereof. In Electric, it uses the electric motor as much as possible. And in Hybrid, the Tucson PHEV’s gasoline engine kicks on more often to charge the battery as needed.

With a full battery charge, the Tucson PHEV can motor along as an EV for up to 33 miles. The driving experience is remarkably conventional, but you can feel the shifts of the 6-speed automatic transmission, which is a bit uncommon in an EV. Whenever you brake, coast, or go downhill, the battery gets recharged.

When the lithium-ion battery pack drops down to around, say, a 25-percent charge, the Tucson Plug-in Hybrid still will accelerate away from a stoplight in EV mode if you’re gentle with the accelerator. But if you press the pedal with a little more force, the gasoline engine automatically kicks in and begins propelling the vehicle. For best efficiency, the Tucson PHEV operates as an EV whenever the battery has a sufficient charge.

The automatic stops and starts of the Tucson PHEV’s turbocharged 1.6-liter gas engine go almost unnoticed. In fact, without a tachometer, it’s really hard to tell if the Tucson PHEV’s gasoline engine is running, so we resorted to using the active energy flow diagram that can be displayed on the center touchscreen. With the interplay of the gasoline and electric power sources being so hard to detect, we enjoyed seeing a graphic representation of what exactly was going with the two power sources beneath the Tucson PHEV’s chiseled skin.

In other ways, the PHEV is just like a standard Tucson. It’s roomy inside, especially in the back. It’s also easy to see out of, and the digital instrument panel continues to be an unhooded affair that looks a bit like an iPad laid on its side. What’s more, the suspension is tuned for comfort and control, while the leather-covered power front seats offer all-day comfort.

With its EV abilities, added power, and excellent efficiency, the 2022 Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid impressed the KBB editors. While you can push a button to lock the AWD system at 50/50, this Tucson is not really an off-roader. Rather, it’s more of a handy all-weather friend, a compact crossover SUV that seemingly has it all: power, luxury, and good handling manners, plus a generous safety suite, lots of modern technology, and a genuinely usable EV range of 33 miles.

The Tucson Plug-in Hybrid interior is much like that of the other Tucsons, meaning it’s a modern and handsome environment with what Hyundai calls “sensuous multi-layer forms.” Moreover, there’s enough room inside this Tucson to seat five adults fairly comfortably.

Owing to its larger battery, though, the Tucson PHEV does have slightly less rear cargo room. It has 31.9 cubic feet of cargo behind its folding rear seat, versus 38.7 and 38.8, respectively, for the Tucson and Tucson Hybrid. And when the rear seat is folded, the Tucson PHEV has 66.3 cubic feet of cargo space, versus 74.8 and 75.5, respectively, for the Tucson and Tucson Hybrid.

Back-seat room in the Tucson PHEV s acceptable for tall passengers, but the high door sills, which are good for chassis rigidity, can make it tough for some folks to get their large feet inside this newest Hyundai SUV.

Apart from the prominent “plug-in” badging on the liftgate, this new Hyundai PHEV looks much like a standard Tucson. Which is to say it’s an attractive compact SUV with a long wheelbase and short overhangs. It also has lots of jewel-like surface detailing, most prominently in the geometric shapes that adorn the body sides.

We particularly like how the daytime running lamps (DRLs) integrated into this Tucson’s grille appear only when illuminated. Also attractive: how the rear Hyundai logo has been moved up to a more prominent spot on the back glass.

33-MILE ELECTRIC RANGE
With its all-electric range of 33 miles, the Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid will allow many people to commute to and from work without ever needing to burn a drop of gasoline. But if you need to extend your trip for whatever reason, the gasoline engine will kick in automatically as needed. No range anxiety here.

REMOTE SMART PARK ASSIST
This available technology allows Tucson PHEV drivers to remotely retrieve their vehicle using a smart key that moves this compact SUV out of tight parking spaces or garages. This is a handy technology that makes it easier for people to get into the new Tucson. We can also see it greatly reducing door dings.

As a Tucson PHEV in SEL trim, this fuel-efficient Hyundai SUV comes equipped with 19-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch touchscreen, LED daytime running lights, all-wheel drive, the BlueLink Connected Car system, a 120-volt plug-in charger (bag in trunk), a blind-spot collision-avoidance system, and PHEV badging on the liftgate. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard with the 8.0-inch touchscreen

In the top Limited trim, the new Tucson PHEV also gets 19-inch alloy wheels, but it also comes with a dark chrome grille, black roof pillars, leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats, an 8-way power front-passenger seat, and a much better 10.25-inch digital instrument panel accompanied by a 10.25-inch touchscreen. While Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the large 10.25-inch screen aren’t wireless, the Tucson PHEV Limited does come with other niceties such as a hands-free smart liftgate, surround-view monitor, Bose audio system, soft-touch door panels, rain-sensing wipers, and a digital voice-controlled climate-control system. Remote Park Assist and Hyundai Digital Key also come standard on the Limited.

In SEL trim, the Tucson PHEV can be ordered with the 10.25-inch digital instrument panel, leather-trimmed seats, panoramic sunroof, soft-touch door panels, wireless charging, and a 12-speaker Bose sound system.

As an opulent Limited model, the Tucson PHEV basically has no options, apart from a couple of paint upgrades.

Like the Tucson Hybrid, the Tucson PHEV has a turbocharged and direct-injected 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that mates to a 6-speed automatic transmission. This gasoline engine puts out 180 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 195 lb-ft of torque from 1,500 rpm to 4,500 rpm.

But the plug-in Tucson has a much bigger lithium-ion battery pack and a larger electric motor. While the standard Tucson Hybrid has a 1.49-kWh battery, a 59-hp electric motor, and a combined gas/electric output of 226 hp, the Tucson PHEV gets a 13.8-kWh battery, a 90-horsepower electric motor, and a combined output estimated at 261 horsepower.

That means the PHEV is the most powerful Tucson available. It’s also very efficient, with an EPA combined fuel economy rating of 35 mpg in hybrid mode and 80 MPGe in pure electric. Also worth noting: The fuel tank of the new plug-in Tucson, at 11.1 gallons, is 2.6 gallons smaller than that of the standard Tucson Hybrid, thanks presumably to space taken up by the larger battery.

Max tow rating of the Tucson PHEV is 2,000 pounds. If the trailer does not have brakes, the max tow capacity is 1,600 pounds.

The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, rated by the EPA at 94 MPGe, has a max tow rating of 2,500 pounds. The Ford Escape PHEV, rated by the EPA at 105 MPGe, has a max tow rating of 1,500 pounds.

Turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine
66.9-kW electric motor, 13.8-kWh battery
261 total horsepower (estimated)
EPA combined fuel economy: 35 mpg (gasoline & electric), 80 MPGe (electric)