The Hyundai Tucson combines a bold exterior with a great ride quality and refined cabin. The Tucson is the South Korean automaker’s best-selling nameplate, and for good reason. Here’s why the 2022 Hyundai Tucson was named the best compact SUV of the year by U.S. News & World Report.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson is refreshed and ready to go

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson is a redesign. Its refresh updates the compact SUV’s exterior and adds new features to its cabin. The 2022 model foregoes the conventional shift lever and includes a push-button gear selector instead.

The redesign also updated the Tucson’s infotainment system. The 2022 model year has a standard 8-inch infotainment system. It can feature an optional 10.25-inch infotainment system. The largest infotainment system featured in the 2021 model year was only 8 inches.

The new Tucson features standard ambient lighting. Its ambient lighting has as many as 64 different color options. The compact SUV also comes standard with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.

The Tucson’s redesign added better tech as well as more ease of use to the compact SUV model. Its exterior is modern, and its cabin design is competitive for its price.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson comes with great powertrain options

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson has great powertrain options. Drivers can purchase the Tucson with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 187 horsepower or a 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid engine that makes 226 horsepower. A plug-in hybrid option is coming that will make a massive 261 horsepower.

The standard Tucson gets 26 miles per gallon in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway. It travels nearly 30 miles per gallon combined. The Tucson hybrid has a massive 38 mpg combined fuel economy.

The Hyundai Tucson provides great value for its price

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson starts at $24,950. It has great fuel economy and provides decent power using its four-cylinder engine. It gets 16 fewer horses than the more expensive Toyota RAV4. It only has seven fewer horses than the more expensive Honda CR-V.

The Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V both have slightly better gas mileage. While the Tucson’s exterior is appealing, its true charm is its cabin. Features like standard ambient lighting make the South Korean compact SUV model an incredible deal for its price.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson was named the best compact SUV for 2021 and 2022 by U.S. News & World Report because it is spacious, has a premium cabin, comes with tons of standard features, and provides a smooth ride with great handling.

The Hyundai Tucson comes in several different trim levels, including the SE, SEL, N Line, and Limited. Top-level trims include luxurious features like heated leather seats and a larger infotainment system. The Tucson Limited starts at $34,850 and comes with all the bells and whistles.