The 2024 Hyundai Tucson hybrid improves an already excellent compact SUV

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The stylish 2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is a roomy and fuel-efficient compact SUV with a nice interior full of modern technology. Pricing starts at $32,325.

The Hyundai
005380,
+1.93%
Tucson Hybrid improves on an already excellent compact SUV. The hybrid powertrain makes the Tucson more fuel-efficient than its non-hybrid counterpart, but it also adds more power, torque, and standard all-wheel drive (AWD), making it more fun and versatile. This SUV has a spacious, well-equipped interior with a standard 10.25-inch touchscreen, plus the excellent ride quality that we love about the Tucson.

The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid competes primarily with the hybrid variants of the Honda
HMC,
+1.00%
CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Ford Escape.

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2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid pricing

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid starts at $32,325. The SEL Convenience trim starts at $34,905, the sporty N Line model begins at $36,405, and the loaded Limited trim starts at $39,465.

The pricing of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is similar to the cost of the hybrid variants of the Toyota
TM,
+1.46%
RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Ford
F,
+1.88%
Escape. The Kia
000270,
+1.03%
Sportage Hybrid starts at a lower price point.

2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid

MSRP

Tucson Hybrid Blue

$32,325

Tucson Hybrid SEL Convenience

$34,905

Tucson Hybrid N Line

$36,405

Tucson Hybrid Limited

$39,465

These are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices and don’t include the $1,335 factory-to-dealer delivery fee (destination charge).

Before buying a Tucson Hybrid, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Hyundai Tucson Hybrid resale value is about average for the segment.

Check out: The 2024 Kia Seltos review: A great SUV gets even better

What’s new?

The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid gets a few welcome updates for 2024. The previously optional 10.25-inch touchscreen now comes standard on every trim. Also, the sporty N Line trim now comes exclusively as a hybrid. New standard safety features include seatbelt reminders for every seat, rear side airbags, rear outboard seatbelt pre-tensioners, and steering wheel haptic feedback.

Power, ride and handling

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is powered by a 226-horsepower gas-electric hybrid powertrain matched with a 6-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. This model’s dual advantage over the non-hybrid Tucson is extra power (226 horsepower against 187) with better fuel economy. Electric motors also achieve their maximum thrust immediately, enabling fast launches from a standstill or adding extra muscle on uphill stretches. The performance of the Tucson Hybrid is comparable to the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and it’s a bit quicker than the hybrid versions of the Ford Escape and Honda CR-V. As for the interplay of the gas engine, electric motor, and regenerative braking system, the Tucson isn’t quite as seamless or refined as the RAV4 or CR-V hybrids.

See: The 2023 Ford Escape: What’s new, pricing, and more for this restyled compact SUV

The standard all-wheel-drive system can adjust how much power goes to each wheel, bringing an extra degree of stability and effectiveness to the Tucson Hybrid’s cornering abilities. It’s not something we noticed from the driver’s seat, but it’s still good to have. The serene ride quality is tuned for quiet comfort with just the right amount of control.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of compact SUVs, including this Hyundai Tucson Hybrid.

Fuel economy

The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid gets a combined fuel economy rating of 38 mpg in the base Blue trim and 37 mpg in the other three trims. The non-hybrid Tucson with AWD only gets 25 mpg. According to EPA estimates, the hybrid burns about 17.5 fewer gallons of gas per month than the non-hybrid with AWD. Assuming a gas price of $3.50/gallon, that’s a significant monthly fuel cost difference of about $61.

When equipped with AWD, the Honda CR-V Hybrid gets 37 mpg, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid gets 40 mpg, and the Ford Escape Hybrid gets 39 mpg. That puts the Tucson Hybrid’s efficiency in the middle of the pack.

High-tech interior

The interior of the Hyundai Tucson is one of the roomiest and most comfortable in its class. Like the exterior, the interior design is stylish without sacrificing practicality. It took us a few drives to get used to the gearshift buttons, but this sleek layout contributes to a clean interior design. We love that the 10.25-inch touchscreen now comes standard.

We’re grateful that the interior space of the Tucson Hybrid is almost identical to the non-hybrid Tucson. We found plenty of legroom in the rear seats: 41.3 inches of legroom, to be precise. There’s 38.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, which becomes 74.5 cubic feet if you fold down those seats. That’s more rear legroom than the hybrid version of the Honda CR-V, and more maximum cargo space and rear legroom than hybrid variants of the Ford Escape and Toyota RAV4.

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Bold exterior

We like the bold body lines and unique light signature of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. It’s also good to see the N Line trim join the lineup, which adds a sporty appearance package to this efficient SUV.

Our favorite features and tech

Excellent fuel economy
The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid returns up to 38 combined mpg, making it much more fuel-efficient than the non-hybrid version of the Tucson. The hybrid powertrain can save you a lot of money at the pump in the long run.

Standard AWD
All-wheel drive comes standard on every Tucson Hybrid, making it a great hybrid SUV for snowy climates.

10.25-inch touchscreen navigation
A user-friendly 10.25-inch screen now comes standard in every Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. This infotainment system is loaded with features like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, navigation, SiriusXM, and more.

Highway Driving Assist
Keep a hand on the wheel and let this driving system keep a safe distance from the car in front of you and help keep you safely in your lane.

Hyundai SmartSense
A generous list of standard safety tech features in the Tucson Hybrid includes automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and more.

Remote Smart Parking Assist
This class-exclusive feature lets you get in and out of tight parking spots by pushing a button on your key fob, even if you aren’t in the car.

See: The most and least reliable car brands, according to Consumer Reports

Engine and transmission

Power for the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid comes from a potent hybrid powertrain featuring a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Combined with the electric motor, the system generates an impressive total of 226 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Output is sent to all four wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Performance-wise, the Tucson Hybrid is slotted between the comparatively pokey non-hybrid Tucson and the more powerful plug-in hybrid Tucson, which are reviewed separately.

5-year/60,000-mile warranty

The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is tied with the Kia Sportage Hybrid for the best warranty in its segment. It’s backed by a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Scheduled service is covered with a 3-year/36,000-mile complimentary maintenance plan.

Be sure to read: The 10 best hybrid SUVs for 2023

Safety

The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid has been the recipient of the prestigious IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation. It earned this award because of its good crash test ratings and many standard safety features like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and more.

Also see: 7 must-have safety features for your next car

KBB’s car review  methodology.

This story originally ran on KBB.com. 

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