2021 Ford Bronco Sport vs 2022 Hyundai Tucson

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport had been eagerly anticipated, and it finally made its debut as a smaller sibling to the forthcoming rugged Bronco. While the larger Bronco was designed to compete with the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner, the Bronco Sport offered a more suburban-friendly, unibody crossover that still retained some of the rugged styling cues of its bigger brother. It featured a modern retro look reminiscent of the Land Rover lineup, with short front and rear overhangs, tall fender wells, and a tucked-in body designed for trail driving. The bold "BRONCO" lettering on the grille and tailgate, along with the modest Ford blue oval badge, tied the Sport to its heritage.

The Bronco Sport's wheels varied by trim level, with options ranging from 17-inch Sparkle Silver wheels on the Base model to 18-inch machined-face aluminum Ebony Black-painted wheels on the Outer Banks. The interior was tastefully rugged, with an uncluttered design and convenient storage cubbies. The center stack featured an 8-inch infotainment screen, and the rotary gear selector was located in the center console. Interior trim levels ranged from cloth seats to leather-trimmed, heated sport-contour bucket seats, with the First Edition model offering Navy Pier Leather power front seats and rubberized flooring.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson rode on a new platform and was offered in the U.S. as a long-wheelbase model with two rows of seating and an expanded cargo area. The Tucson's front end featured Hyundai's new parametric grille, which hid the standard LED daytime running lights, Bi-LED headlights, and LED front turn signals. The side profile borrowed design elements from the Hyundai Elantra, with a silver D-pillar creating a floating roof effect. The rear of the Tucson had distinctive toothy taillights illuminated by LEDs in all but the base model.

The Tucson's wheels ranged from 17-inch alloys on the SE, SEL, and Blue trims to 19-inch alloys on the SEL with the Convenience Package. High-end trims featured premium fascias, front and rear skid plates, gloss black pillars, and a panoramic sunroof. Standard features included roof rails, body-color side-mirror housing, solar glass, and acoustic laminated glass. Higher trims offered heated outside mirrors with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic avoidance assist, front aero wipers, and the option of a sunroof. The Tucson's interior was well-appointed, with standard stain- and odor-resistant cloth seats and available sport combination and leather-trimmed seats on higher trims.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport offered two engine choices tied to trim levels. The Base, Big Bend, and Outer Banks trims were equipped with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 181 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque. The Badlands and First Edition models featured a 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 245 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. All Bronco Sport models came with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive (AWD), along with a terrain management system with up to seven G.O.A.T. modes (Go Over Any Type of Terrain).

The Bronco Sport performed well off-road, thanks to its short wheelbase, four-wheel independent suspension, generous suspension travel, and decent ground clearance. On-road, the crossover had good manners, with the 2.0-liter engine providing a better match for the vehicle's character. The 1.5-liter engine could sound strained when pressed hard, but overall, the Bronco Sport was a capable and versatile vehicle.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson came in two powertrain variants: a 2.5-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine. The ICE engine delivered 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, while the hybrid powertrain offered 226 total system horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid powertrain made the Tucson more powerful and fun to drive, especially during testing on a 7,000-foot elevation change from Tucson to Mount Lemmon.

The Tucson's hybrid engine outperformed competitors like the Ford Escape Hybrid, Honda CR-V Hybrid, and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. AWD was standard on the Tucson Hybrid and available on ICE models, providing excellent performance on loose gravel roads and switchbacks. The ICE-powered Tucson achieved an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 26 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 29 mpg combined, while the hybrid models were far more fuel-efficient, with up to 38 mpg combined. The forthcoming Tucson plug-in hybrid promised even more power and efficiency, with an estimated 261 horsepower and 224 pound-feet of torque.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport offered clever features for active buyers, including cargo space designed to hold two 27.5-inch-wheel mountain bikes. Ford provided a catalog of over 100 factory and aftermarket accessories for transporting kayaks, surfboards, skis, and camping equipment. The roof could hold up to 150 pounds (100 with a moonroof), and the 2.0-liter engine could tow up to 2,200 pounds, while the 1.5-liter engine could tow 2,000 pounds.

The cargo hold featured a flip-up rear glass, an optional cargo management package with a slide-out work table, a 400-watt inverter, and liftgate floodlamps. The front cabin had ample storage compartments, including big door pockets and multiple cubbies. However, taller drivers might find it challenging to see past the roof overhang to spot traffic lights, and the bulges in the hood could obscure the trail ahead when off-road.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson offered a spacious and well-appointed interior, comparable to competitors like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, and Ford Escape. A six-way power-adjustable driver's seat was standard, with an eight-way version available on higher trims. Drivers also enjoyed lumbar support, three-stage heated front seats, ventilated front seats, memory for the driver's seat, and an eight-way power-adjustable passenger seat.

The new Tucson platform provided more room for passengers and cargo, with rear seats offering two inches more legroom than the RAV4. The cabin had plenty of space for a family of four, with more passenger volume than the CR-V, RAV4, and Escape. The 74.8 cubic-foot cargo area was comparable to the Forester, RAV4, and CR-V, and it bested the Escape. The rear featured a 60-40 split-folding bench seat and a dual-level cargo floor on ICE models, with a hands-free liftgate available on mid-grade models and up.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport featured an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with SYNC 3, compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also offered Ford+Alexa and SiriusXM capability, with FordConnect providing a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The base audio system was an AM/FM stereo with six speakers, while a Bang & Olufsen sound system was available on higher trims. The terrain management system included up to seven G.O.A.T. modes, and trail control technology provided a cruise-control-like feature for off-roading.

Intelligent access with push-button start was included on all trims except the Base model, and higher trims featured heated and leather-wrapped steering wheels, along with a 6.5-inch digital instrument panel.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson came with a strong set of standard tech features, including an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, a six-speaker audio system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, HD Radio, and two USB ports. Higher trims offered satellite radio, Blue Link mobile app compatibility, additional USB outlets, rear air conditioning vents, and dual-zone automatic climate control. A 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen was available, but it required plugging in devices for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The larger screen was embedded within a black plastic head unit that included climate control and radio/media functionality. While the touchpoints were responsive, the narrow steering wheel controls were less user-friendly than bulkier buttons.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport came standard with the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of safety features, including pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, auto high-beam headlamps, and a reversing camera. The available Co-Pilot360 Assist+ package added adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, a voice-activated touchscreen navigation system, and road-sign recognition. Trailer sway control was included in the tow package, and all models featured AWD with traction control, anti-lock braking, and electronic stability control. Crash-worthiness ratings from IIHS and NHTSA were not yet available.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson had not been tested by IIHS or NHTSA, but it offered the Hyundai SmartSense Safety Feature suite, including forward collision-avoidance assist, lane-keep assist, automatic high beams, driver attention monitor, rear occupant alert, speed limit assist, and leading vehicle departure alert. Additional features included blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, surround-view camera system, parking collision avoidance assist, and remote parking assist. Hyundai backed the Tucson with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, 5-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty, and 7-year anti-perforation warranty, along with 3 years/36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.