The fully electric IONIQ 5 crossover and Santa Cruz pickup are now on sale.
Redesigned Tucson, refreshed Kona, high-po Elantra N and Kona N on the way.
Base and turbo Veloster models dead, IONIQ Electric dead.
Hyundai recently announced its intention to introduce a wide range of electric vehicles wearing the IONIQ badge, and the first of this new generation of vehicles has arrived in North America.
Despite its electrification strategy, the Korean automaker is still heavily banking on its full lineup of passenger cars and utility vehicles, expanding its hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain options, and has even introduced a pickup truck—although it’s not calling it a pickup. Here’s what to expect from the Hyundai brand in 2022.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 crossover is now on sale, available with a rear-wheel drivetrain matched to one of two battery sizes—58 and 77.4 kWh—for an estimated driving range of 220 or 303 miles (354 or 488 km). An AWD variant with the bigger battery is also offered, with a range of 256 miles or 414 km. Power ranges between 168 and 320 horsepower, with the IONIQ 5 AWD being the most potent one of the bunch. SE, SEL and Limited trim levels are on deck in the United States as well, while Essential and Preferred are the Canadian-spec trims.
Meanwhile, the Hyundai IONIQ hatchback is still offered in hybrid and plug-in hybrid configurations for the 2022 model year, but the fully electric variant has been retired. The IONIQ hybrid serves up 139 horsepower and gets up to 59 mpg or 4.0 L/100 km on the combined city/highway cycle, while the PHEV gets a slightly more power electric motor and a bigger battery pack (8.9 kWh instead of 1.56), allowing for an EV-only driving range of 29 miles or 47 km. There are no changes for the 2022 model year.
The other big news this year is the arrival of the Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup. In the United States, it’s available in several trim levels with either a 191-horsepower 2.5L inline-four, or a turbocharged 2.5L engine belting out 281 horsepower. Front-wheel drive is standard, while AWD is optional. However, the Canadian market only gets the turbo engine matched to AWD. It competes indirectly with the new Ford Maverick, but Hyundai’s marketing team states that Santa Cruz isn’t actually a pickup truck—it’s a Sport Adventure Vehicle that creates a whole new category. We’ll call it a pickup for now.
The Hyundai Accent sedan is still available in the United States with a 1.6L inline-four engine, good for 120 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque, matched to either a six-speed manual or a continuously variable automatic transmission. The Accent gets no changes for the 2022 model year.
Thoroughly redesigned for the 2021 model year, the Hyundai Elantra gets no significant changes for 2022. It’s offered in various trim levels with a 147-horsepower, 2.0L four as the base engine, while the hybrid relies on a 1.6L four and an electric motor for a combined output of 139 hp and 195 pound-feet. The Elantra N Line received the company’s 201-hp turbo 1.6L four, and the upcoming Elantra N will boast up to 286 hp from a turbo 2.0L engine.
The Hyundai Veloster’s 2021 lineup in Canada was reduced to only the Veloster N, and now, it’s the U.S. market’s turn to exclusively get the Veloster N, as the variants equipped with the 147-hp 2.0L four and 201-hp turbo 1.6L four have been ditched. The Veloster N, carried over from the 2021 model year, is equipped with a turbocharged 2.0L four developing 275 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, matched to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a dual-clutch eight-speed automatic.
For 2022, the Hyundai Sonata gets some package and feature changes, the most notable being the U.S.-market’s Tech Package now being fitted as standard in the SEL trim level. The latter now includes a panoramic sunroof, LED interior lighting, a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation, a Bose 12-speaker stereo and more. The Sonata still offers a naturally aspirated, 191-hp 2.5L engine, while uplevel versions rely on a turbo 1.6L four with 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, and the Sonata Hybrid’s gas-electric powertrain produces a combined 192 hp. The sporty Sonata N Line is equipped with a 290-horsepower, turbo 2.5L four, and it’s now available with a blackout Night Edition Package in the U.S. The striking Glowing Yellow paint is no longer available.
The Hyundai Venue is a front-wheel-drive urban crossover that’s offered with a 121-horsepower 1.6L four and a continuously variable automatic, although the Canadian market keeps the six-speed manual in the base trim level that has been shelved in the U.S. for 2021. The Venue gets some equipment changes for the new year, while in the United States, the Denim edition becomes the Limited, a power sunroof is now standard on the SEL, but the latter loses its optional Premium Package that bundles the sunroof, navigation and heated front seats, among other things.
The popular Hyundai Kona received a mid-cycle refreshed for the 2022 model year. It includes new front and rear styling, alloy wheel designs, paint colours as well as cabin materials and seating surfaces. More-affordable variants of the subcompact crossover rely on a 147-hp 2.0L four, while the new Kona N Line and the U.S.-market Limited get the turbocharged 1.6L four, now boasting 195 horsepower. Front-wheel and all-wheel drivetrains are available as well. The Kona Electric moves into the 2022 model year with the aforementioned design changes along with dual 10.25-inch screens in the cabin, and still features a fully electric powertrain with 201 hp and 291 pound-feet of torque, providing a driving range of 258 miles or 415 km. The all-new, high-performance Kona N launches with a turbo 2.0L four good for 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet, although an overboost function temporarily adds another 10 ponies for good luck.
The Hyundai Tucson has been fully redesigned for 2022. It now features four powertrain options, including 187-horsepower 2.5L four, a 180-hp turbo 1.6L four, a hybrid system with 226 horsepower and a plug-in hybrid system with 261 horsepower. The latter serves up an EV-only driving range of 33 miles or 53 km. The Tucson’s exterior and interior styling has changed radically, the compact crossover is bigger than before, and it gets some newfound technology such as Remote Smart Parking Assist, meaning the vehicle can creep in and out of tight parking spots on its own. A new rugged-style Tucson XRT has been announced in the U.S., and will be called the Tucson Urban in Canada, featuring blacked-out exterior trim, unique alloy wheels, roof cross rails and other adventure-inspired details.
After receiving a mid-cycle refresh for the 2021 model year, the Hyundai Santa Fe gets a few changes this year. A new range-topping Calligraphy variant has been added over the course of 2021, while a new plug-in hybrid powertrain with a combined 261 horsepower is now available. Other engines include a 191-hp 2.5L four, a 226-hp hybrid system with a turbo 1.6L four as well as a 281-hp turbo 2.5L four. Front-wheel and all-wheel drivetrains are available as well. In the U.S., a new rugged-style XRT edition has been added, based on the SEL with the Convenience Package, and features unique dark exterior trim and wheels, skid plates, side steps and roof cross rails. Meanwhile, the equivalent to the Santa Fe XRT in Canada is called the Urban.
The Hyundai Palisade receives minor changes for 2022. In the U.S., side mirrors with turn signal indicators, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and safe exit assist are now standard on all trim levels, and there are new paint colours as well. The three-row midsize crossover begins its third year on the market featuring a 3.8L V6 with 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque as well as a front-wheel drivetrain, while AWD is optional.
Last but not least, the hydrogen fuel cell Hyundai Nexo gets one change for the 2022 model year, as the seven-inch digital instrument cluster is replaced with a new 10.25-inch unit. The Nexo is available in limited markets where refuelling infrastructures are in place, such as California, British Colombia and Quebec, for example.
