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 feature the best electronics and prettiest interiors, but they swap fewer physical controls for less-convenient touchscreen buttons and are substantially more than the cheaper variants. However, the 2023 Santa Cruz stands out for striking a mix between usability and enjoyable driving characteristics.
In This Article...
The Hyundai Santa Cruz, which costs $24,000, is a truck that drives like an SUV, making it the ideal vehicle for adventures.
- 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.
The price of the Hyundai Santa Cruz in 2022.
The SE basic variant of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is priced at $26,885. The SEL, SEL Premium, or Limited are all available after that for $30,085, $37,075 and $41,115, respectively.
The 2022 Santa Cruz appeals to individuals deciding between a compact vehicle and something a little larger because it is smaller than most midsize pickups. A 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 181 horsepower and 191 lb-ft of torque is included as standard. Although all-wheel drive is an option, that is paired with a front-wheel-drive system and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
A six-speaker sound system and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility are also included. The 2022 Santa Cruz has forward collision warning and lane-keep assist as standard safety features. One of the nicest aspects of the Hyundai Santa Cruz, according to Edmunds, is how it almost seems like an SUV thanks to these features.
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.
Does Hyundai produce trucks?
Hyundai manufactures the four-door Santa Cruz compact pickup vehicle. The Santa Cruz is Hyundai’s first 4-door pickup truck offered in the North American market, and it will go on sale in 2021 for the 2022 model year. The car features a unibody chassis architecture instead of the ladder frame used in most pickup trucks and is based on the Tucson crossover SUV. According to industry observers, the Santa Cruz is more likely to draw car or crossover buyers than owners of larger, more traditional pickup trucks.
Which models of trucks does Hyundai produce?
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 utility and comfort of an open-bed truck with the room and comfort of an SUV. Whether traveling for a weekend road trip or a daily commute, the Santa Cruz performs admirably.
Do Hyundai pickup trucks exist?
The Santa Cruz, a brand-new addition to the range for the Korean carmaker this year, is Hyundai’s first pickup for the US market. The Ford Maverick, which is essentially its only direct rival, has a starting price of $23,990 before fees, which is very similar to the Santa Cruz’s.
That applies to the base SE grade, which has front-wheel drive and a 191 horsepower four-cylinder engine. There are a total of four model levels, with the top two — SEL Premium and Limited — coming standard with all-wheel drive and a more potent turbocharged engine. Last month, Hyundai lent me a fully loaded Limited model for a short period of time. The whole cost, with destination charges included, was slightly over $41,000.
There are several SUV-based trucks, but none compare to the Santa Cruz. Hyundai’s latest entry is less of a normal midsize truck than Honda’s Ridgeline, which has boxy dimensions, a longer bed, and a larger overall footprint. Similar to the Santa Cruz, Ford’s recently released Maverick is about the same size but resembles the F-150 more than it does anything else.
Makes trucks Kia?
The Kia Bongo, which has been manufactured since 1980, is the only Kia truck that have found success on the market. The Bongo is a light commercial vehicle with standard, super, and double cabin options that is assembled in facilities in South Korea, Indonesia, Ecuador, Uruguay, and Algeria. A 130-hp 2.5L turbo, an 80-hp 2.7L, or an 85-hp 3.0L engine are all options, depending on the configuration. A 6-speed gearbox and the more efficient Euro IV requirements are other features of the latest engines. The Kia Bongo also goes by the names Kia K-Series, Kia Frontier, and Kia Kaon.
What brand does the new Hyundai truck go by?
Overview. Contrary to popular belief, the new Hyundai Santa Cruz is a pickup truck. Even though it lacks a full-size tow rig due to its smaller dimensions and unibody construction, we nevertheless think highly enough of it to include it on our list of Editors’ Choices.
A 2020 Hyundai truck’s price.
Although the two pickups’ characteristics are extremely similar, the Maverick has a lower starting price of at $19,995 (plus a $1,495 destination fee). The top Lariat trim of it starts at $25,490. But with upgrades, additional AWD, and a more potent 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, it approaches the $40,000 mark.
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.
Who produced the Santa Cruz truck?
To support the automaker’s assertion, the Santa Cruz is built on the Hyundai Tucson chassis. Despite having a wheelbase that is almost 10 inches longer and a multilink suspension with rear self-leveling dampers, The Santa Cruz, according to CAD, handles like a vehicle. Everything about a compact crossover is simple, even maneuvering into parking spaces.
A sport-adventure vehicle is what? It’s a crossover SUV with a pickup truck bed called the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Its engine is another feature it takes from the Tucson. As a result, the Santa Cruz’s top trim model has a 2.5-liter inline-four engine with 281 horsepower. Furthermore, it can go from 0 to 60 mph in under 6.0 seconds. This offers the Hyundai Santa Cruz an advantage over rival midsize trucks in terms of acceleration.
A Santa Cruz—is it a truck?
The starting price is $25,450. Although the Hyundai Santa Cruz is an unusual pickup truck, many drivers find it to be the ideal vehicle. It has the practicality and driving qualities of a compact SUV similar to the Hyundai Tucson on which it is based thanks to its small size, car-like chassis, and capacious 4-door body.
How large is the bed on the Hyundai Santa Cruz?
Dimensions of the Hyundai Santa Cruz’s bed: length, width, and height 48.4 inch bed length with the gate closed. Bed Length (52.1 inches) from Floor to Closed Gate. Bed Length (Floor, Gate Open): 74.8 inches
What is the proper name for a hybrid vehicle?
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 there be a new Chevy El Camino?
A conventional pickup truck is not what the new Hyundai Santa Cruz is. Hyundai refers to it as a “Sport Adventure Vehicle” instead. The Hyundai Tucson serves as the tiny Santa Cruz’s foundation, hence it rides on a unibody platform. It is a Tucson that has a pickup bed, therefore making it a ute.
Although this body type is well-liked in Australia, it hasn’t recently been made available in the US market. The Chevrolet El Camino was one of the most well-liked American utes before to the Santa Cruz’s introduction this year. Chevrolet stopped making the El Camino in 1987, and currently has no intentions to bring it back.
Casados Design, an Alabama-based metalworking company, is creating its own contemporary Chevrolet El Camino to fill the hole.
Based on a heavily modified 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, the custom ute was created. The chassis has been lengthened and the back doors have been opened to accommodate the bed. Additionally, there are bespoke fender flares and a b-pillar that was inspired by a Chevrolet Avalanche. Although the Camaro was never meant to be a pickup, the bed fits in with the body well without distorting the proportions.
The design features and proportions have been completed, and since work on the project started about two months ago, an aluminum diffuser and rear bumper cover have been installed. The Camaro-based ute will also get an additional set of exhaust tips from Casados Design to give it a more aggressive appearance.
The client “didn’t want to imitate an actual automobile but rather, rethink the notion with his own very precise limits,” the designer claims, even though it appears to be a contemporary El Camino. We are eager to see the outcome of this project because it is obviously being undertaken with a lot of effort and love.