2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Review

MotoPickers has taken a closer look at Hyundai’s 2024 Tucson Hybrid so you can remain ahead of the curve in your search for the ideal compact SUV. The release marks Tucson’s third hybrid entry, and it pledges a perfect balance of form and function — a dynamic that previous gas-only versions seemed to miss, with their sharp looks that were ultimately overshadowed by weaker acceleration. 

Exterior Spotlight

Hyundai’s 2024 Tucson Hybrid offers its compact SUV crossover in four trims: Blue, SEL Convenience, N Line, and Limited. The lowest-priced Blue trim stands on 17-inch alloy wheels. Blue illuminates the road with LED headlights and Daytime Running Lights while offering additional practicality through features like heated body-colored side mirrors and roof side rails.

Graduating to the 2024 Tucson Hybrid’s SEL Convenience trim brings 19-inch alloy wheels for a more confident stance and side mirrors with turn signal indicators that foster more transparent road communication. The SUV’s trim-specific LED taillights sport sleek, modern styling, seamlessly fusing with the exterior’s sharp lines, bulges, and wedges, creating a fresh and organic design.

The 2024 Tucson Hybrid’s N Line adopts a sportier persona, with trim-exclusive features like a unique headlight bezel, front fender badges, and front and back fascia leading the way. This front fascia separates itself from other trims with an aggressive front end, a black mesh grille, and larger air intakes. The rear fascia is resculpted with a diffuser and chrome twin-tip exhaust.

A Limited trim personifies sophistication with dark chrome exterior accents while paving the road ahead with improved Premium LED Daytime Running Lights.

Interior Analysis

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid’s base trim, Blue, kicks things off with cloth seating surfaces and a dynamic 60/40 split-folding rear seatback, offering additional cargo space on demand. A driver seat’s customization revolves around an 8-way power adjustable configuration. The interior is roomy and comfortable, with quality headroom in front and rear rows, but there’s nothing particularly distinct about this model’s lowest-level trim in terms of design.

This 2024 Hybrid’s SEL Convenience offers more luxury with H-Tex synthetic leather seating surfaces. SEL Convenience owners can also set the mood within their cabin using expanded ambient lighting available in 64 colors. These colors project on the interior’s door trim and center console. Complementing this ambient lighting is a leather-wrapped steering wheel and 2nd-row air vents to help justify the trim’s extra cost.

Moving up to this compact hybrid’s N Line trim brings sporty interior design to the forefront of your driving experience. The trim features N-embossed front seats with leather bolsters and suede inserts that contrast against red accent stitching. Look up, and you’ll see a black headliner. Looking down reveals aluminum alloy sports pedals and an N Line design leather-wrapped steering wheel with an exclusive “N” badge.

Opting for a 2024 Tucson Hybrid N Line also gives you red contrast stitching door panels and 64-color ambient lighting that shines through the SUV’s center console and front door pockets — varying only slightly from the SEL Convenience’s ambient lighting existing in its door trim.

Going all-in with the 2024 Tucson Hybrid’s Limited top trim means receiving leather-trimmed and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel that can be handy when temperatures drop, and heated 2nd-row seats so rear passengers can experience front-row perks.

Power and Performance Evaluation

Weaker acceleration was a prime pain point for previous gas-only 2024 Tucson models. However, this model’s hybrid and plug-in hybrid lineup allows drivers to travel more miles at a faster pace.

Drivers don’t have to choose an N Line trim to get paddle shifters, as this sporty feature comes standard within the base Blue trim. This base trim also offers HTRAC All-Wheel Drive, which adapts to varying road conditions with real-time torque adjustments, establishing more grip and stability while providing multiple drive modes. Blue has a 38 mpg fuel rating in all three categories (highway, city, combined).

The 2024 Tucson Hybrid offers the same powertrain across all four trims, which may disappoint drivers looking to make the most of a sportier trim like the N Line. This compact SUV’s engine is an inline 4-cylinder turbo producing 180 horsepower @ 5500 rpm and 195 torque @ 1500-4500 rpm. The inline engine works alongside an electric motor, producing 59 horsepower at 1600-2000 rpm and 195 torque from 0 to 1600 rpm.

These power and performance specs culminate in a combined hybrid system horsepower of 226, which is plenty for the average driver. Every 2024 Tucson Hybrid trim except the Blue registers a combined fuel rating of 37 mpg, with 37 in the city and 36 on the highway. The trims’ battery type is a lithium-ion with 270 volts.

Tech on Deck

Technology features help this crossover SUV’s relatively straightforward interior shine a bit brighter. Accessing the 2024 Tucson Hybrid’s rear cargo area is easy thanks to a hands-free smart liftgate with auto open that’s standard across all four trims. Slide inside a 2024 Tucson Hybrid Blue base trim, and you’ll find additional convenient standard technology, like wireless device charging and a shift-by-wire gear selector.

The shift-by-wire gear selector allows you to shift between park, drive, reverse and neutral with push button controls. Hyundai will likely score brownie points with drivers, given that there has been an increasingly high number of complaints claiming that auto manufacturers are placing too many touch controls in vehicles to the point where it becomes a nuisance. A European study found push buttons to be quicker and safer.

Buttons near the shift-by-wire gear selector controlling fundamental features like Hill Descent Control also contain a push design. A 2024 Tucson Hybrid Blue also contains a 10.25-inch central display touchscreen hosting navigation and entertainment. A driver and their front passenger can use this display to accommodate individual temperature preferences.

Drivers may not view this SUV’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility as unique, but automakers like General Motors won’t support these programs in upcoming electric models. A couple of additional noteworthy technology features within this Hyundai’s base trim include an electronic parking brake and Bluelink+ for remote vehicle control capabilities from a smartphone. But its 4.2-inch color LCD instrument cluster display is small.

However, drivers who move up to a 2024 Tucson Hybrid SEL Convenience trim can enjoy a much larger 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The SEL Convenience further lives up to its name with its Hyundai Digital Key compatibility, allowing you to lock and unlock your vehicle via smartphone.

An auto-dimming rearview mirror, which adjusts to reduce headlight glare from cars behind and enhance road awareness, is available in every trim except the Blue. The N Line offers no features to distinguish itself within the technology category other than Bose Premium audio. Still, the top Limited trim can fulfill a desire for a tech-heavy interior.

A Limited trim boasts auto rain-sensing windshield wipers that are more valuable than you might imagine. Tesla has been struggling for years to offer customers auto rain-sensing wipers that consistently work across varied conditions. Limited drivers can also enjoy an Integrated Memory System (IMS), which remembers and automatically configures preferred driver seat settings.

Environmental awareness stretches beyond this compact hybrid SUV’s mileage. The Limited trim’s Surround View Monitor (SVM) provides a 360-degree bird’s eye view of the area around your vehicle. A Limited 2024 Tucson Hybrid additionally connects you to your environment with HomeLink technology that can be programmed to control your garage door. Some drivers may be disappointed that HomeLink is a top-shelf trim feature.

Safety Check

Safety is a vital category for any vehicle, but it’s especially relevant to the 2024 Tucson Hybrid, given that its drivers often use the SUV as a family vehicle. This model’s safety features are standard across all four trims, highlighting Hyundai’s commitment to passenger security. However, some differences exist regarding the trims’ SmartSense safety features that utilize intelligent sensors.

The base Blue trim offers a Rear Occupant Alert feature as a reminder to check your rear seat. Every trim above Blue has an Advanced Rear Occupant Alert, which can emit additional alerts, including honking, flashing lights, or a Bluetooth smartphone notification. If you want to gain extra driving visibility through the Blind Spot View Monitor, know the program is exclusive to this hybrid’s Limited trim.

Highway Driving Assist (HDA) — which many consider to be a straightforward safety feature with its ability to help center your vehicle within a lane, is also a Limited trim offering that’s not available on other trims. This trend of specific Hyundai SmartSense offerings existing only within the Limited trim continues with several other features, reflecting how you must opt for a top-level version for a notable safety improvement.

The Competition

Hyundai’s 2024 Tucson Hybrid separates itself from the competition in more ways than one — and it will have to if you’re going to opt for this compact SUV instead of its rivals, which include Toyota’s RAV4 Hybrid, Honda’s CR-V Hybrid or Ford’s Escape Hybrid.

A Blue 2024 Tucson Hybrid separates itself from the herd with its class-exclusive, gesture-free smart liftgate. The SEL Convenience trim takes class exclusivity to a higher level with Advanced Rear Occupant Alert that you won’t find in RAV4, CR-V, or Escape hybrid models. An SEL Convenience driver separately receives a class-exclusive Driver Attention Warning (DAW), which can detect drowsy driving.

If the DAW system registers drowsy driving, you’ll receive a sound cue and warning message via the SUV’s instrument cluster. Class exclusivity isn’t a strong point within the N Line trim, but Limited trims express their uniqueness through Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM) and Remote Parking Assist (RSPA) features.

When you signal a lane change, BVM provides a live camera feed of the lane you’re moving into and your blindspot on your instrument cluster to foster seamless transitions. BVM is the kind of feature that may make opting for a higher-level 2024 Tucson Hybrid trim worth the extra bucks. RSPA allows your vehicle to park itself or pull out of a spot, even if you’re not inside.

Areas That Could Improve

Drivers considering a 2024 Tucson Hybrid N Line might be disappointed to learn that the trim is more style over substance regarding looks and performance. The powertrain is no different than a base model trim. Still, if you’re seeking a compact SUV with a sporty feel, the N Line’s red accent stitching, steering wheel badge, aluminum alloy pedals, and N-embossed front seats will surely deliver.

Hyundai’s 2024 Tucson Hybrid also has questionable powertrain efficiency. While drivers don’t deal with problems like previous gas models’ light acceleration, at best, the model has a 38 mpg combined fuel economy, which is 8 mpg less than the average mileage of a new hybrid SUV. One could argue that this is a pain point of the SUV since its compact configuration should work to its advantage with mileage.

The 2024 Tucson Hybrid’s top Limited trim has impressive driver-assist features. Still, car shoppers may not wish to spring for a top-tier model to receive these features that may be standard on competitors’ less-expensive trims. Hyundai also seems to cut corners with this SUV’s interior materials. While synthetic materials are common, buyers may want more than leather inserts in a top-trim Tucson Hybrid.

Pricing and Trim Levels

A 2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid model starts at $32,325 for its base Blue trim, which many would say is a budget-friendly figure that could more easily facilitate hybrid ownership — a driving lifestyle that’s not always cheap upfront. An SEL Convenience trim is only a bit higher priced at $34,905 — while the sporty N Line jumps up $36,405.

Drivers can opt for a top-level Limited trim for just shy of $40,000 at $39,465 — a price point that’s $7,140 more than its base counterpart.

By comparison, Ford’s Escape Hybrid holds a $30,990 base price, Toyota’s RAV4 Hybrid starts at $31,725, and Honda’s Hybrid CR-V begins at $34,050.

Final Thoughts

Motopickers gives the 2024 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid a solid 8/10 rating. The crossover primarily thrives on its head-turning design characterized by unique exterior lines, bulges, and wedges that can efficiently act as a magnet for turning heads. This compact SUV also offers plenty of class-exclusive tech features and interior space that pave the way for comforting journeys.