2022 Volvo XC90 vs 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid

Volvo had come a long way from its boxy cars of the past, maintaining its family-friendly, safety-oriented image while moving upscale. After Ford sold Volvo to China's Zhejiang Geely Holding in 2010, the brand underwent a significant transformation, developing new vehicle platforms from scratch. The 2022 XC90, launched as a 2016 model, was the company's flagship SUV, riding on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform. It featured a sleek, athletic design with a long roofline and pronounced wheel arches, and its interior boasted "Scandinavian Modern" and "Swedish Luxury" aesthetics, with natural wood and metal trim.

The XC90's interior was luxurious, with exquisite details like a sliding wood tambor cover and a clear crystal gear selector handle. Volvo had committed to going leather-free by 2030, but the 2022 model still offered Nappa leather seats as an option. The non-leather "tailored wool blend" upholstery was also available, promising durability and easy maintenance. Our test car had leather seats, which proved comfortable during a week of high temperatures and humidity. The XC90's interior was spacious and airy, with a standard laminated panoramic moonroof adding to the sense of openness.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid showcased a dramatic new design, with sharp, angular cues across its fascia and sides. The vehicle was longer and wider than its predecessor, making it impossible to mistake for the previous model. The Tucson's exterior styling was bold and futuristic, with a grille that blended seamlessly with the LED headlights, running lights, and turn signals. The base-level Blue trim shared design cues with the mid-level SEL Convenience trim, while the top-tier Limited trim featured a dark chrome finish on the grille.

Inside, the Tucson Hybrid offered a spacious and airy cabin with heated front seats, cloth upholstery, and an eight-way power driver seat on the Blue trim level. The SEL Convenience trim added a 10.25-inch digital driver information display, wireless device charging, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Limited trim upgraded to 64-color ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, and ventilated front seats. The Tucson's center console felt bulky, but the integrated infotainment display and hoodless driver information display provided an unobstructed view. The interior was well-ventilated, with fast-acting air conditioning and ventilated front seats.

The 2022 Volvo XC90 offered three powertrains: the T5 with a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline four-cylinder engine, the T6 with a supercharged and turbocharged version of that engine, and the T8 with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The T5 produced 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, while the T6 delivered 316 hp and 295 lb-ft. The T8 combined gasoline and electric power for a total of 455 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque. The T5 models were front-wheel drive (FWD) with available all-wheel drive (AWD), while the T6 and T8 models were AWD only. All XC90 models used a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission.

The XC90 engines required Premium (91-octane) gasoline. The EPA estimated the T5 FWD models to achieve 21 mpg city/30 mpg highway/25 mpg combined, while the T5 AWD models were rated at 20 mpg city/28 mpg highway/23 mpg combined. The T6 AWD models achieved 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway/22 mpg combined. The T8 had a combined rating of 27 mpg on gas and 55 MPGe with an 18-mile EV range. The extended-range variant offered 26 mpg combined on gasoline, 66 MPGe, and an EV range of up to 36 miles. Charging the battery from empty to full took about five hours at 240 volts (Level 2).

The driving experience of the XC90 was superb, with minimal body roll and controlled handling. Our test vehicle, a top-of-the-line T8 Inscription extended range, provided spirited acceleration, with the electric motor delivering torque early and smoothing out power delivery. The XC90 was not a hot rod, but it was fun to drive.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid featured a 1.6-liter turbo-four engine paired with an electric motor, producing a combined 226 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The Tucson Hybrid was noticeably quicker than the gas-powered model, which had a 2.5-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine. The Tucson's steering was responsive and direct, and the six-speed automatic transmission managed everything admirably. Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters were included on all trims.

The Tucson Hybrid's suspension was outstanding, absorbing road imperfections without feeling bouncy and keeping the vehicle balanced through corners. The EPA rated the Tucson Hybrid at 37 mpg city, 36 highway, and 37 combined, with the Blue trim level achieving 38 mpg across the board. Our test vehicle achieved 36.5 mpg. The upcoming plug-in hybrid Tucson was expected to feature a similar powertrain with a 13.8 kWh battery, offering 80 MPGe and 33 miles of all-electric range.

The 2022 Volvo XC90 was available in six-passenger and seven-passenger configurations, with either captain's chairs or three-across seating in the second row. The third row was suitable for children but lacked legroom and thigh support for adults. The XC90 offered 15.9 cubic feet of luggage space behind the third row, 41.8 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 85.7 cubic feet with both the second and third rows folded. The XC90 could tow between 4,000 and 5,000 pounds, depending on the configuration and powertrain.

The XC90's interior was spacious, with ample storage space in door pockets, seat back pockets, and the center console. The standard laminated panoramic moonroof added to the sense of openness. The air-conditioning system performed well during a heat wave, cooling the cabin rapidly and maintaining a comfortable temperature.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid offered a longer and wider footprint than its predecessor, with 38.8 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk and 74.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. The Tucson provided over 41 inches of front and rear legroom, and the rear seats reclined for added comfort. The cargo floor had a dual-level system, allowing for a flat loading floor or maximum space.

The Tucson's interior featured decent bottle holders in all doors, two cupholders in the center console, and a fold-down center armrest with two cupholders in the rear seat. The Limited trim's ambient lighting system added flair to the cabin.

The 2022 Volvo XC90 featured the Sensus infotainment system, with a nine-inch diagonal, portrait-oriented touchscreen interface. The system supported familiar smartphone gestures but was occasionally glitchy and slow to respond. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were available, with the former performing better in our tests. The XC90 also had a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a head-up display, a 360-degree surround view camera system, and an advanced air cleaner.

The XC90 came with a standard Harman Kardon Premium Sound system, with an optional $3,200 Bowers & Wilkins upgrade. The vehicle included two front USB-A ports, two rear USB-C ports, a WiFi hotspot, and the Volvo Care smartphone app for remote vehicle controls.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen in the Limited trim, with native software utilizing the full screen but Android Auto and Apple CarPlay only using about 8 inches. The smaller 8-inch screen in the Blue and SEL Convenience trims offered wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Tucson's interface controls were touch-capacitive buttons, which could be frustrating to use, but steering-wheel controls were available for infotainment commands.

The Tucson provided multiple USB ports, including two for rear-seat passengers, a beautiful touchscreen display, and a Bose premium stereo in our test vehicle.

The 2022 Volvo XC90 continued the brand's commitment to safety, with features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking assist, rain-sensing wipers, slippery road alert, lane-keeping aid, adaptive cruise control, oncoming lane mitigation, and road-sign recognition. The Pilot Assist system combined several safety features for highway driving with minimal driver intervention. The XC90 received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid came with standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic alert, driver-attention monitor, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, safe-exit warning, and rear occupant alert. The Limited trim added a surround-view monitor, highway-driving assist with adaptive cruise control, blind-spot view monitor, and remote smart park assist. The Tucson received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation, but the NHTSA had not yet tested it.