Many automotive manufacturers around the world have been moving towards greener fuels owing to the rising global warming and fuel prices. Even with the rising demand for fully electric vehicles, there are a few brands like Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai which have managed to experiment with hydrogen fuel cells. Being in production for close to four years, the 2022 Hyundai Nexo is Hyundai's answer to the rivals like the Toyota Mirai and Honda Clarity, both of which come at a similar price range and have hydrogen fuel cell technology under the hood.
Launched at a base selling price of $59,435, the 2022 Hyundai Nexo can be had in two trim configurations and comes with no major changes from the outgoing 2021 model. This hydrogen-powered electric vehicle gets a 161-hp electric motor and has impressive fuel economy and range figures. The spacious cabin and the class leading warranty coverage make it a perfect choice for family buyers too. However, one of the biggest downsides is that it is only available in California. If you are planning to get the 2022 Hyundai Nexo, here are 10 things you need to know.
10 Spacious Cabin And Cargo Area
Being a 5-seater compact crossover SUV, Hyundai hasn't cut any corners when it comes to the cabin space on offer. Get into the front row of the 2022 Hyundai Nexo and the above-average headroom and shoulder room makes sure that even the taller folks have no problems fitting in comfortably. The legroom of 41.5" is better than both the rivals too.
The leather and fabric upholstery coupled with the white and black interior color palettes makes for an airy cabin experience. When it comes to the rear row, three adults can fit in comfortably, similar to that of the Hyundai Tucson. The seats offer good under-thigh support and there is support for a split rear seat too. The cargo capacity of 30 cu ft is excellent as well.
9 Top-Notch Fuel Efficiency And Range
Coming with two trim configurations, the range and MPGe figures of the 2022 Hyundai Nexo varies for both trims. If you want the best of the range, you would need to opt for the base Blue trim as it offers an estimated range of 380 miles. This is due to the lower curb weight and smaller 17" alloy wheels of the Blue trim when compared to the Limited trim.
Even the 354 miles offered by the Limited trim is quite impressive for the segment. In terms of the MPGe figures punched out by the 2022 Nexo, the Blue offers 65 MPGe in the city and 58 MPGe on the highways. However, the Limited trim punched out a slightly lower 59 MPGe in the city and 54 MPGe on the highways. The 2022 Nexo also gets complimentary hydrogen filling for the first three years or $13,000 worth of fuel.
8 Very Expensive
One of the biggest dealbreakers of getting a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is the exorbitant base price tag. This makes it less value for money than the electric vehicles as you could lay your hands on fully electric vehicles with the same specifications and better range for about $15,000 less.
In comparison, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 can be had for just $42,000 and the Kia EV6 retails for an MSRP of $43,000, both of which are much cheaper than the 2022 Hyundai Nexo. They are also widely available across the country since Nexo is only offered for sale in California.
7 Classy Exterior Design
Like all the modern offerings from Hyundai, the 2022 Nexo does manage to turn heads when out on the open roads. The striking front fascia with LED headlights, subtle chrome accents, and the funky grille design makes sure that the Nexo looks quite imposing. The exterior dimensions are similar to many of the segment rivals too.
The side profile is highlighted by clean body lines, silver accents, black cladding that runs around the car, and beautiful-looking alloy wheel designs for both trims configurations. The blacked-out pillars and roof and silver roof rails are onboard too. In comparison, the rear end looks a bit subtle. However, the LED taillight, creases on the bumper, and shark fin antenna help to break the monotonous look.
6 Cabin Feels Different From Other Hyundais
Even though the cabin of the 2022 Hyundai Nexo has got a few elements from Hyundai Palisade and Hyundai Tucson like the two-spoke steering wheel and the protruding dashboard design, it still manages to look quite different from all other models from the Hyundai stable. The stone gray and black interior color combination makes the cabin quite ravishing to look at and the subtle golden dashboard accent uplifts the design well.
The center console gets a silver treatment and the perfectly integrated digital instrument cluster and infotainment screen make the cabin much more elegant and futuristic. The sunroof comes as standard for even the Blue trim and the leather and cloth upholstery gives the passengers a comfortable traveling experience.
5 Infotainment Offers Everything You Need
The infotainment system sees no changes from the outgoing 2021 model year as the 2022 Hyundai Nexo comes fitted with an impressive 12.3" touchscreen infotainment screen that shares the space with the massive 10.3" digital gauge cluster display. Unlike the 2021 model, this digital gauge cluster is standard for even the base Blue trim as well.
The standard features include Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM radio, navigation, voice recognition, Bluetooth, and BlueLink connected car system. The audio is handled by a 440-watt Krell audio system, and it comes with 8 speakers including an 8" subwoofer and external amplifier.
4 All Safety Features Are Standard
The 2022 Hyundai Nexo comes standard with all the bells and whistles in terms of safety and driver-assistance techs and that is one of the biggest selling points of the compact crossover SUV. The standard driver-assistance techs include adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, forward collision monitoring, blind spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist.
If you get the top-of-the-line Limited trim, the blind spot camera can be displayed in the instrument panel. Other features like the rear cross-traffic alert system and adaptive cruise control are onboard too. All the basic safety features are present as well. The 2022 Nexo also received the 2022 top safety pick + title in the IIHS crash test with a good rating in most of the subsections.
3 Unmatched Warranty Coverage
Being a Hyundai product, the warranty coverage sees no compromises. This also makes it a perfect option for those who plan to keep their ride for a longer time. The limited warranty is covered for five years or 60,000 miles and the powertrain warranty is for 10 years or 100,000 miles. This turned out to be slightly better than the Mirai and Clarity.
The complimentary maintenance coverage is offered for three years or 36,000 miles. In terms of reliability, both the 2022 and 2021 iterations of the Hyundai Nexo received no recalls from the manufacturer. There were no customer complaints too. However, JD Power hasn't rated the 2022 Hyundai Nexo yet.
2 Faster Than The Toyota Mirai
The 2022 Hyundai Nexo comes with a single powertrain option, and it managed to outperform the Toyota Mirai. The single electric motor is rated to 161 hp and 291 lb-ft of torque, and it gets a 95-kW fuel cell and a 40-kWh battery pack. This motor comes mated to a single-speed automatic transmission and the power is put down through the FWD drivetrain.
The 0-60 MPH comes in 8.4 seconds and the quarter-mile time of 16.8 seconds is slightly better than some of the segment rivals. However, it is nowhere as fast as the fully electric offerings like the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 as both of them punched out better performance numbers and acceleration figures.
1 Superb Braking Performance
Coming with a 4-wheel disc brake setup with 12.6" front ventilated rotors and 11.9" solid discs at the rear, the 2022 Hyundai Nexo could anchor down from high speeds quite effortlessly. Stomp hard on the brake pedal from 70 MPH and the car comes to a complete stop in 169 feet.
Coming with an electric motor under the hood, the 2022 Hyundai Nexo also gets a regenerative braking system and the car could shed speeds easily when you take your foot off the gas pedal. Other braking features include automated emergency braking, ABS with EBD, brake assist, hill hold control, and electric parking brake.