Hyundai Santa Fe vs Hyundai Tucson Hybrid

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid arrived with a bold new design, featuring sharp, angular cues across its fascia and sides. It was longer and wider than its predecessor, making it unmistakable from the 2021 model. The Tucson's grille, shared with the Santa Cruz, blended seamlessly with the LED headlights, creating a dramatic, futuristic look. The interior was open and airy, with a bulky center console but an unobstructed view at eye level. The Limited trim offered a 64-color ambient lighting kit, heated and ventilated front seats, and a memory function for the driver’s seat.

In contrast, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe maintained a more conservative exterior design, continuing the look from the 2022 model. The five-passenger SUV was available in five trims, with the Calligraphy trim featuring a black-on-black interior and a base price of $42,600. The Santa Fe's wide upper and lower grilles and thin LED headlights were its most distinctive elements. Inside, the Calligraphy trim boasted Nappa leather seats, heated and cooled front seats, and a spacious cabin with 41.7 inches of rear-seat legroom. The extended panoramic sunroof and head-up display added to the vehicle's appeal.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid impressed with its 1.6-liter turbo-four engine and electric motor, delivering a combined 226 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. The six-speed automatic transmission managed the power well, and the responsive steering and outstanding suspension provided a balanced ride. The Tucson Hybrid achieved an EPA rating of 37 mpg city, 36 highway, and 37 combined, with the Blue trim level reaching 38 mpg across the board. The upcoming plug-in hybrid version promised even better efficiency with an 80 MPGe rating and 33 miles of all-electric range.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered two engine options: a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque, and a turbocharged version with 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The turbocharged engine, paired with an eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission, provided immediate acceleration and smooth handling. The Santa Fe's drive-mode selector allowed for customizable driving experiences, and the turbo version could tow up to 3,500 pounds. The non-turbo model managed 2,000 pounds. The Santa Fe's performance was smooth and quiet, with minimal body lean during cornering.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid offered impressive cargo space, with 38.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 74.5 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The dual-level cargo floor and ample legroom (over 41 inches in both front and rear) added to its practicality. The Limited trim's ambient lighting and well-designed storage solutions, including angled bottle holders and multiple cupholders, enhanced the cabin's functionality.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, with its two-row configuration, provided 41.7 inches of rear-seat legroom and 36.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row. Folding the seats down expanded the cargo area to 72.1 cubic feet. The Santa Fe's interior featured an eight-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, and dual-zone climate control in the SEL trim and above. The Limited trim added ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a hands-free smart liftgate. The Calligraphy trim included a head-up display, premium door and seat accent trim, and ambient lighting.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid's tech was a mixed bag. The 10.25-inch touchscreen in the Limited trim looked great but only utilized about 8 inches for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which required a wired connection. The smaller 8-inch screen in the Blue and SEL Convenience trims offered wireless connectivity. The touch-capacitive buttons for infotainment and HVAC controls were frustrating, but the Tucson provided plenty of USB ports and a Bose premium stereo.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in technology, with a standard 4.2-inch color LCD multi-information display in lower trims and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in the Limited and Calligraphy trims. The base SE trim featured an 8-inch display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while higher trims had a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired connectivity, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The infotainment system was customizable, though voice recognition had mixed results.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid came with a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot collision avoidance, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Limited trim added a surround-view monitor, highway-driving assist, and unique features like the blind-spot view monitor and remote smart park assist. The Tucson earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe also offered a robust set of standard safety features, such as forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. The SEL trim and above included Highway Driving Assist with adaptive cruise control. The Santa Fe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS, with high marks in all crashworthiness tests.