- The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is unlike anything else on the market, being both a pickup and an SUV.
- It has a modest but surprisingly adaptable truck bed and costs $24,000.
- It’s the ideal vehicle for weekend activities since it combines SUV proportions with pickup-truck functionality.
Three different people approached me and asked the identical question in the course of just one afternoon while I was driving Hyundai’s new pickup truck, the 2022 Santa Cruz: “What the heck is that thing?”
If we didn’t live in a time when many people’s social skills have completely vanished, much like their early-pandemic sourdough starters or their desire to dress oneself below the Zoom line, I imagine the figure would have been higher.
The majority of folks haven’t actually seen a Santa Cruz up close because it only came onto the scene this summer. However, there’s another reason why people always ask inquiries and give Hyundai’s small truck perplexed looks: it’s freakin’ strange.
The Santa Cruz is unlike anything else you can purchase today, occupying the odd space between a pickup and an SUV. In essence, Hyundai took an SUV, removed a sizable portion of the roof, and added a tiny truck bed where the trunk should have been.
Although the end result sounds horrifying, it flawlessly combines the functionality of a pickup truck with the comfortable form and feel of an SUV. The Santa Cruz is a brilliantly funky response to the big trucks and generic crossovers that rule US roadways, and it is in a league of its own.
In This Article...
Overview
It’s up for dispute whether the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz counts as a proper pickup truck, but there’s less disagreement over its unique appearance and practical cargo box. The Hyundai’s maximum towing capacity is 5000 pounds, and there are mid-size vehicles that can handle mud and rough terrain better. However, the Santa Cruz isn’t attempting to pass like one of those irate-looking, trail-eating, jobsite mule pickups. Consider it as a little Hyundai Tucson with a truck bed instead. After all, the vehicles’ platforms and drivetrains are similar. A weak 191 horsepower four-cylinder and a 281 horsepower turbo-four that is an option both power the Santa Cruz’s performance. The stronger engine is only compatible with all-wheel drive; it is only offered with the top two trim levels. The stronger engine is available with either front- or all-wheel drive. The SEL Premium and Limited offer the best technology and the nicest interiors, but they forego a greater number of physical controls in favor of less practical touchscreen buttons and are significantly more expensive than the less expensive variants. However, the 2023 Santa Cruz stands out for striking a mix between usability and enjoyable driving characteristics.
The genuinely compact pickup is revived with the Hyundai Santa Cruz.
The brand-new 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a two-row, crew-cab style vehicle that is aimed at city people seeking weekend getaways. The tiny pickup holds four adults in the cabin and has space for their belongings in the bed. It is the manufacturer’s first consumer pickup truck of any size or design to be marketed in the U.S.
An adequate amount of luggage and recreational equipment may fit in the pickup bed’s four feet, and a locking, metal roll-up tonneau cover keeps them safe and secure. The tonneau is a sensible feature that will probably be a well-liked factory option. In addition, the Santa Cruz has a lockable storage space built into the floor of the bed, similar to the Honda Ridgeline’s bed storage box.
Based on the outstanding prototype unveiled in 2015, Hyundai engineers and designers have been working diligently ever since to create a pickup truck.
Do Hyundai or Kia produce pickup trucks?
Unfortunately, Kia does not currently sell a truck in the United States, but it does sell the Kia Bongo, a well-liked cabover pickup truck, in countries like South Korea, Indonesia, and Australia.
Does Hyundai produce compact pickup trucks?
The small pickup truck is back. An unorthodox combination of trucks creates a new class of vehicles. The Ford Maverick comes from a company that has been producing trucks for more than a century, but the Hyundai Santa Cruz is the Korean brand’s first foray into this market. These two little trucks bring back memories of the days when small trucks ruled the highways. These two engage in a contemporary conflict.
Will Kia produce a truck?
Kia has announced its AutoMode self-driving car technology, a new electric pickup truck that will go on sale by 2027, and that it will produce the pickup and electric SUVs in the United States in a presentation outlining its business objectives for the remaining 2020s.
Is a pickup truck being released by Kia Motors?
Kia steps up its efforts in EVs. With a target to increase the lineup to 14 BEVs by 2027, the business will begin releasing at least two new battery-electric models (BEVs) every year beginning of the following year.
The plan includes “an entry-level BEV model” in addition to the Kia EV6 – debuted in 2021 – and its impending GT version. The Kia EV9 flagship SUV is scheduled to launch in 2023.
The South Korean manufacturer really revealed two electric pickup trucks, one for developed markets and the other for emerging countries:
- a completely electric pickup truck
- “an emerging markets strategic model”
Kia will add two electric pickup trucks—a specialized electric pickup truck and a strategic model for emerging markets—as well as an entry-level BEV model to its prior goal to introduce 11 models by 2026.
According to one of the presentation’s slides, pickup trucks won’t debut until 2026, or in about 4 years:
It’s interesting to note that there is also one “Pick-up/commercial” model listed for 2021, which most likely refers to the South Korean Bongo 3 EV (see Kia’s website here).
Kia withholds all information regarding the pickup trucks. There is still plenty of time to create those new models, after all.
There is currently no information available, but it will be intriguing to see whether the Hyundai brand (both are a member of the Hyundai Motor Group) also releases an electric pickup truck.
Kia may choose to manufacture its all-electric pickup trucks in the US whenever they are ready to be released. The presentation on the expansion of EV manufacturing contains a hint regarding that.
The South Korean automaker announced that beginning in 2024, American factories will start making electrified versions of mid-sized SUVs and pickup trucks:
“For instance, starting in 2025, small and medium-sized EVs will be manufactured in Europe. Mid-sized SUVs and pickup trucks are popular in the United States, and starting in 2024, electric versions of these vehicles will be made here. In China, Kia expects to release mid-size EV cars starting in 2019, while India plans to start making entry- and mid-size EV models in 2025.”
If electric pickup trucks are anticipated in 2026, the 2024 deadline must apply to new mid-sized SUVs.
Rivian (R1T) and GMC have already introduced the first contemporary all-electric pickups (Hummer EV Pickup). Ford will start giving the F-150 Lightning to customers this Spring, and several other companies have indicated intentions to do the same (including Tesla, Chevrolet and Toyota).
Has Hyundai ever produced trucks?
The new Hyundai vehicle was just released in 2021, so it does now. The Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup is what it is named. It aspires to combine the adaptability and comfort of an open-bed truck with the room and comfort of an SUV.
Does Kia manufacture trucks?
It’s time to put the rumors to rest because Kia has verified that a real Kia pickup truck is in the works and will go on sale in 2022 or 2023. Apparently, Kia thought the Telluride’s blocky shape, sharp edges, and off-road prowess made it the ideal basis for a Kia pickup truck. Many of the technological advancements and amenities that made the Telluride such a well-liked option among purchasers of midsize SUVs will be found in the new truck. Gasoline and diesel engines, as well as a single or double cab, will be available options for turning some of the Telluride’s 87 cubic feet of cargo space into a pickup bed.
The new Telluride-based Kia truck is being released in Australia, according to the Chief Operating Officer of Kia Motors in Australia. So, does Kia produce a pickup truck that will eventually be sold in Anderson and Fishers dealerships? Despite being hesitant to respond, Kia Motors America didn’t completely rule out the prospect of a Kia pickup for the US market.
Hyundai is there a Santa Cruz for 2023?
The pickup truck on a unibody platform enters its second model year with the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The new Night package for the vehicle broadens the brand’s product offering. Prices have increased by as much as $1,780 throughout the lineup.
All-wheel drive and every piece of equipment from the SEL Activity trim level are included in the Santa Cruz Night grade. This model has a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission in place of the 2.5-liter normally aspirated engine.
Where is the Hyundai Santa Cruz truck manufactured?
- Hyundai will manufacture the Santa Cruz pickup in Alabama in the future. Hyundai has stated that the company’s assembly factory in Montgomery, Alabama will be used to build the next Santa Cruz pickup truck.
- Review of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Car or Truck?
- First impressions of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Now for Something
A Santa Cruz—is it a truck?
The Santa Cruz blends the practicality of a compact truck with quirky styling and a fun-to-drive attitude. It costs a little more than its primary competition, the Ford Maverick, and the style might not be to everyone’s taste, but the extensive list of features and the high-end interior more than make up for the higher price.
Who creates vehicles with truck beds?
The Chevrolet El Camino is perhaps the first vehicle that comes to mind when you discuss a car with a truck bed. Even though you don’t often see the El Camino hauling a noteworthy quantity of cargo in the truck bed, many people nevertheless adore its novelty. This sportster, which is categorized as a coupe utility muscle car, looks to have it all.
What exactly is the vehicle that resembles a car?
Chevrolet installed their big-block engine under the El Camino’s hood and gave it the SS moniker in 1968. El Camino, Chevrolet’s first crossover model, had been on the market for ten years. Sales were exceeding Ford’s Ranchero, which had a similar design.
Currently, the 23-year production run of the car truck’s 1968-1972 El Caminos, including this exceptional 1968 Chevrolet El Camino currently for sale, are among the most collectible. According to Hagerty Insurance, El Caminos of concours quality sell for about $27,000.
What do you name a car that has a truck bed?
One of the Road’s Most Versatile Cars (or Trucks) You may create a “Ranchero” by taking a functional pick-up truck bed and adding it to a sleekly designed two-door American sedan.
Will Chevy bring the Chevelle back?
When Chevrolet developed a Chevelle concept car and unveiled it at the 2003 North American International Auto Show, we were thrilled.
Thanks to its usage of the Chevrolet SuperSuper design, that vehicle looked fantastic. It possessed the same combative stance and commanding lines that made the Chevelle so popular when it was first released in the 1960s. Sadly, the idea from 2003 was never put into action.
Chevrolet is currently developing a new Chevelle Concept vehicle that will be unveiled to the public in 2021. We don’t yet know how many ideas Chevy will test drive before deciding to put the car into production.
However, the fact that they’re starting with the 2003 model suggests that they may have achieved some sort of advancement that will make this car more practical.
For the time being, all anyone can do is wait until 2021 to see what engineers at Chevrolet have been up to when they unveil the most recent Chevelle at a car show. That gives us plenty of time to examine this car’s colorful past and determine how the past will influence the present.