What Is The Hyundai Santa Cruz?

The Santa Cruz blends the usefulness of a compact truck with quirky styling and a fun-to-drive attitude.

A small pickup vehicle with a distinctive personality is the Hyundai Santa Cruz.

Review of the Hyundai Santa Cruz: A more than adequate pickup

Don’t be fooled by this truck’s small size. The brand-new Hyundai Santa Cruz is really practical.

I have a lifted 2001 Miata for pre-running and a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata for pavement fun because I enjoy 2-seater, RWD convertibles. I compete in desert races like the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000 in air-cooled Volkswagens. I’m the only driver competing in an EV, the Rivian R1T, and I’ve twice won the seven-day navigational challenge known as the Rebelle Rally.

What is that bogus truck, my mother asked when she first saw the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz? Since Hyundai’s little Santa Cruz is simply an extended Tucson SUV with a truck bed, it isn’t a truck in the usual sense, which made me giggle. However, if you spend some time with one, you’ll see there is a lot to like. I adore the Santa Cruz even though I am a tried-and-true truck gal.

What is the foundation of the Hyundai Santa Cruz?

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.

How powerful is the Hyundai Santa Cruz’s engine?

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Cruz comes with two engine choices. A 2.5L 4-cylinder engine with 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque is the industry standard. A 2.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder with 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque is an upgradeable option for this. Both engines come standard with a FWD drivetrain, which can be changed to AWD if preferred.

The base engine achieves 21/26 MPG in FWD and 21/27 MPG in AWD, according to the EPA. From 0 to 60 miles per hour, acceleration takes about 8.0 seconds. On the other side, the upgraded turbocharged engine achieves 19/27 MPG on AWD when paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. From 0 to 60 miles per hour, acceleration occurs in around 6.0 seconds.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a truck, right?

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.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz has been around how long?

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Is the Hyundai Santa Cruz trustworthy?

Many people, and rightfully so, pay close attention to what Consumer Reports says about recently released vehicles and how it scores them. However, this is why you should disregard the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz’s low Consumer Reports rating if it has been keeping you from making a purchase.

The expected reliability of a vehicle is one of several factors taken into account by the overall Consumer Reports Rating. Consumer Reports had to base its dependability rating for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz on the reliability of the Hyundai brand as a whole because it is a brand-new vehicle with no prior performance history. The Santa Cruz has a low overall rating of just 59 out of 100 since its comparatively low score has a significant impact on the rating.

Is the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz a hybrid vehicle?

In summary, the Hyundai Santa Cruz from 2022 is not a hybrid. For this new compact vehicle, we believe a hybrid powertrain option would improve the portfolio. It loses a lot of ground to the Ford Maverick, its closest rival, due to its poorer fuel efficiency. Ford’s offering is far superior in this regard because a hybrid powertrain is included as standard. Thankfully, the Santa Cruz makes up for it in other areas by providing more opulent amenities and equipment in its most expensive trim levels.

Is the Hyundai Santa Cruz cozy?

One of the best interiors among mid-size trucks is found inside the Santa Cruz. Hyundai has developed a reputation for producing cars with stylish materials and in-demand contemporary amenities that would fit in perfectly with more expensive models. We like that it has a conventional shifter on the center console rather than a fussy rotary knob or push-button configuration because it is the first truck in its class to provide a fully digital gauge cluster. The Santa Cruz is only offered with a four-door crew cab, and both the front and rear passenger compartments are competitive with those of trucks of a comparable size. Its about four-foot-long cargo bed is one of the smallest in the market, but it is quite adaptable thanks to a lockable tonneau cover and a practical in-bed trunk that is similar to what the Honda provides.

What is the price of the Hyundai Santa Cruz?

A Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL FWD and a Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL AWD are two of the 794 brand-new Hyundai Santa Cruz vehicles that TrueCar has available for purchase nationwide. Currently, the cost of a brand-new Hyundai Santa Cruz ranges from $2,859 to $48,905. By entering your zip code, you can see new Hyundai Santa Cruz inventory at a TrueCar Certified Dealership nearby by viewing the closest matches.

Does the Hyundai Santa Cruz have all four wheels?

The Hyundai Santa Cruz has all four wheels, right? Yes, the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is available in all four trim levels with HTRAC(r) All-Wheel Drive. The top two model levels, the SEL Premium and Limited, both come standard with all-wheel drive while the SE and SEL are both optional.

Uses regular gas the Hyundai Santa Cruz?

The Hyundai Santa Cruz runs on standard unleaded gasoline, which reduces fuel expenses and makes fuel purchases simpler. 20 to 55 cents more per gallon can be paid for premium.

The Santa Cruz was constructed where?

The Santa Cruz is a small SUV with a truck bed that is made in Alabama and shares the same base as the Hyundai Tucson. Santa Cruz provides buyers with a variety of alternatives, including an assortment of engines.

What size bed does a Hyundai Santa Cruz have?

—the truck bed of the Hyundai Santa Cruz is surprisingly roomy. The Santa Cruz is equipped for almost everything, with a truck bed that is about four feet long and around 27 cubic feet in volume.

Does the back seat of the Hyundai Santa Cruz fold down?

There are other storage options if the Santa Cruz’s truck bed is too small. A few tiny objects can fit in the bed’s little trunk compartment. To use the trunk as a cooler for drinks and then drain the water afterwards, there is even a drain plug-in there. You can use the Santa Cruz’s back seat area, as I did, if you need even more room.

The cushions for the back seats can be folded up to provide a storage compartment for loose objects like groceries. The rear-seat compartment was also very accommodating for keeping larger things, such as the three drawers for the dresser I transported.

The Santa Cruz has enough space.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz doesn’t offer the amount of luxury you may anticipate from some German vehicles, for example, but that is to be anticipated given the affordable pricing. Nevertheless, for the price, this pickup truck’s cabin layout is so slick and easy to use that it represents a good compromise. The interior of Santa Cruz is appealing and practical by all measures, with premium materials, cutting-edge technology, and a variety of amenities.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is first and foremost attractive to look at. To create a feeling of refinement and ease, all interior components have been combined. Everything is simple to use right on, and there are no extraneous buttons or knobs to divert the drivers. The learning curve is not that steep.

A lot of drivers will also appreciate the completely digital gauge cluster and the conventional shifter on the center console. This pickup truck differs from other all-modern vehicles that insist on push-button controls thanks to the former. Due to its proximity to the steering wheel, the latter offers more ease and better vision when driving.

Second, for a little pickup truck, the Santa Cruz has a lot of inside space. The pickup truck’s inside passenger space is pleasantly surprising, much like the adaptable and practical cargo bed, which only appears constrained. The Santa Cruz is contemporary and appealing because to its extremely supportive seats with heating and ventilation features that help improve overall comfort.

What type of fuel efficiency can a Santa Cruz truck achieve?

The solution might be there in front of us as gas prices climb. Due to its superior fuel efficiency, the 2022 Ford Maverick might be more well-liked than the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz.

People who want to avoid huge gas guzzlers are drawn to smaller trucks for this reason among others. The Santa Cruz isn’t exactly what we would call a guzzler, though.

It is acceptable that the Hyundai Santa Cruz achieves an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in the city and up to 27 mpg on the highway. The considerably larger Ford F-150, meanwhile, gets up to 26 mpg on the highway and an EPA-estimated 25 mpg in the city.

The Ford Maverick Hybrid, which gets an EPA-estimated 42 mpg in the city and up to 33 mpg on the highway, is undoubtedly very well-liked. That’s difficult to top! The gas-powered engine also achieves a combined EPA estimate of 26 mpg.

Where does Hyundai stand in terms of dependability?

According to Consumer Reports, Hyundai cars are “excellent all-around performance, with straightforward controls, impressive fit and finish, and helpful amenities.” The company is renowned for building vehicles with powerful engines, svelte interiors, and a ton of affordable standard amenities. Numerous Hyundai models are listed as “recommended” by Consumer Reports due to their high overall ratings for dependability, customer satisfaction, safety features, and road test results.

RepairPal also gives Hyundai high marks for dependability. RepairPal offers car owners peace of mind by providing free, bespoke repair estimates, automobile reviews, and referrals to nearby, honest auto repair shops.

The Hyundai ranks fourth out of 32 automobile brands on RepairPal, with a dependability rating of 4.0 out of 5.0. This evaluation is based on the average of 345 different models. Hyundais typically cost $468 annually for repairs, compared to $652 annually for all other vehicles. Both large planned maintenance and unforeseen repairs fall under this category.

The Ford Maverick EcoBoost’s mpg is.

The Ford Maverick has already established itself as a great success for the brand, and while the entry-level hybrid model has garnered the most attention, the more potent EcoBoost model is also well-liked.

The Maverick’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder typically produces 250 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. Although those numbers are respectable for a truck of this size, Maverick owner Michael Kildoo recently posted on the 2022+ Ford Maverick Upgrades, Hacks, and Information page on Facebook to demonstrate how he had managed to boost power while also reducing fuel consumption.

Kildoo has added a resonator deletion, dual exhausts, a four-inch performance intake, and a Pedal Commander tune to his Maverick EcoBoost. He recently employed a GPS timing device to record a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint time of just 5.5 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.87 seconds, despite not knowing exactly how much power the truck is currently producing. For comparison, when testing a 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor last year, Car and Driver took 13.9 seconds to complete the quarter-mile.

It is also impressive how much fuel efficiency has improved. Kildoo told The Drive that he frequently gets 30 mpg. Compared to a typical all-wheel drive EcoBoost, which gets 25 mpg on the combined cycle, this is a big improvement. Kildoo claims that on one road trip, he achieved an estimated average of 41.1 mpg, which he calculated to be 39.25 mpg. While the majority of our road trip was on highways, the Maverick Hybrid’s stated combined fuel economy rating of 37 MPG was exceeded.