2021 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2022 Hyundai Tucson

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan featured clean lines and balanced proportions, which some might have found boring, but it had a conservative, upscale, and timeless aesthetic. This design was likely to age well. The Tiguan was large for its class, offering a roomy and accommodating interior with plenty of space for four people, and the optional third-row seat expanded passenger capacity to seven, though three of those would need to be children. The interior combined modern geometric forms with a no-nonsense control layout, though it had some hard plastic and flimsy steering wheel stalks. The Tiguan came in S, SE, and SEL trims, with sporty R-Line variants, and pricing ranged from $25,245 to $39,095.

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 featured a parametric grille hiding LED lights, forming a unique shape when illuminated. The side profile had a floating roof design, and the rear had toothy taillights. Depending on the trim, the Tucson rode on 17- or 19-inch wheels, with high-end trims featuring premium fascias, gloss black pillars, and a panoramic sunroof. The cabin was well-appointed with stain- and odor-resistant cloth seats, and higher trims offered sport combination and leather-trimmed seats. The interior had horizontal lines and an uncluttered aesthetic, giving it a sense of spaciousness.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan was powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission sent power to the front wheels by default, with 4Motion AWD as a $1,400 option on most models. The powertrain was adequate but suffered from turbocharger lag, making the engine feel breathless during passing maneuvers. The Tiguan returned 25 mpg in combined driving with FWD and 24 mpg with AWD, though testing showed an average of 22.6 mpg with AWD. The Tiguan provided a pleasurable driving experience with light but responsive steering, a compliant ride, and refined braking action, though it struggled with sharper speed bumps and railroad tracks. On curvy roads, the Tiguan's tires gave up grip early, and the suspension allowed too much body motion, encouraging slower driving. However, it was quiet and composed on the highway.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson came in two powertrain variants: a 2.5-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine delivering 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine with 226 combined horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The ICE engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrid got a six-speed. The hybrid powertrain made the Tucson more powerful and fun to drive. The Tucson Hybrid was more powerful than the Ford Escape Hybrid, Honda CR-V Hybrid, and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. AWD was standard on the Tucson Hybrid and available on ICE models. The ICE engine returned an EPA-estimated 26 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 29 mpg combined with FWD, while the hybrid models were far more fuel-efficient, getting up to 38 mpg combined. The forthcoming Tucson PHEV was expected to offer around 25 miles of all-electric range and a total system output of 261 horsepower.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan prioritized comfort with large doors and tall seating hip points for easy entry and exit. The front seats offered a wide range of adjustments, and the V-Tex leatherette upholstery mimicked real leather. The back seat provided excellent support, generous legroom, and foot space, with air conditioning vents and USB charging ports. The Tiguan had a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat and a usefully shaped cargo space with deep wells. Cargo volume ranged from 33 to 37.6 cubic feet behind the second row, depending on whether the SUV had the third-row seat, with a maximum capacity of 65.7 to 73.5 cubic feet.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson's interior was budget-friendly but well-appointed, comparable to the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, and Ford Escape. It featured a six-way power-adjustable driver's seat, with an eight-way version on higher trims, and lumbar support. Heated and ventilated front seats, memory for the driver's seat, and an eight-way power-adjustable passenger seat were available. The new platform made the Tucson more spacious, with more passenger volume than the CR-V, RAV4, and Escape. The rear seats offered two inches more legroom than the RAV4, and the cargo area had 74.8 cubic feet of space. The rear had 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 Volkswagen Tiguan featured the MIB3 infotainment system starting with the SE trim, with an 8-inch touchscreen, faster processing, and expanded features like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, WiFi, SiriusXM 360L, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and Car-Net connected services. The system had some quirks, and the voice recognition technology was lacking. The six-speaker sound system struggled with bass, while the SEL Premium R-Line had a nine-speaker Fender premium audio system. The SEL and SEL Premium R-Line featured Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrumentation.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson had a strong set of standard tech features, including an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, six-speaker audio system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, HD Radio, and two USB ports. Higher trims added 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 required plugging in devices for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The larger screen was embedded within a black plastic head unit with touchpoints for climate control and media functions, which could be difficult to use while driving. The steering wheel controls were narrow and less user-friendly.

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan came with the IQ Drive collection of advanced driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Adaptive cruise control was standard on SE trim and above, with lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist on the SEL, and automatic high-beam headlights on the SEL Premium R-Line. The Tiguan's parking sensors and reversing camera provided clear views, with a top-down surround-view available on the SEL Premium R-Line. Car-Net connected services offered features like automatic collision notification and Family Guardian alerts. The Tiguan earned a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS in SEL and SEL Premium R-Line trims.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson had not been tested by the IIHS or NHTSA. The Hyundai SmartSense Safety Feature suite included standard features like 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, parking collision avoidance assist, and remote parking assist. Hyundai offered 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.