The new 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz compact pickup truck has finally arrived in time for those who want a smaller pickup for work around the city without the high cost of fuel. Since Hyundai announced the first Korean-made concept pickup truck at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, it finally fulfilled the promise.
The Santa Cruz Concept Vehicle in 2015
The Santa Cruz is bold looking with a unibody design and modern interior features. Although slightly smaller, the Santa Cruz competes with the Ford Maverick, Chevy’s new mid-size Colorado, and the Honda Ridgeline. The Santa Cruz seats five and only comes as a crew cab with rear-hinged suicide doors.
The Santa Cruz is practical for hauling smaller loads, fits easily into parking spaces, has a lower price point, and is good on fuel. Although the pickup bed is short, it can be extended from four- to five feet. In addition, the entire bed can slide out along with the tailgate, taillights, and rear bumper. The pickup bed also offers a built-in cover.
The Santa Cruz is available in four trims. For a week, I test drove the Limited all-wheel drive (AWD) model, fully loaded with advanced safety technology and premium materials. The Limited has a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with Shiftronic, and a self-leveling rear suspension for off-roading.
Hyundai has a reputation for putting premium quality materials in affordable vehicles, and Santa Cruz is no exception. The top-of-line Limited models come with leather seats, smart cruise control, dual automatic temperature control, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with navigation, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, rearview monitor with parking guidance, surround-view monitor, wireless charging, a premium Bose audio system, and Blue Link services.
Hyundai’s Best Warranty covers all vehicles. It includes a five-year/60,000-mile basic, ten-year/100,0000-mile powertrain, seven-year unlimited-mile anti-perforation, three-year/36,000 complimentary maintenance, and five-year unlimited-mile roadside assistance.
In addition, the Santa Cruz is loaded with standard driver assistance technology that includes a driver-attention warning. Adaptive cruise control is an option on the lower-class models.
Models/Price: The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup comes in four trim levels: The SE ($25,685), SEL ($28,885), SEL Premium ($37,375), and Limited ($41,415).
Power: The new Santa Cruz offers two types of engines, including a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that gets 191 horsepower with 181 lb-ft of torque and a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder that generates 281 horses and 311 lb-ft of torque.
Fuel Economy: The base engine with FWD Santa Cruse is rated at 21 city/26 highway mpg, while AWD adds another one mpg. The turbocharged engine averages 19 city/27 highway mpg.
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