The Hyundai Santa Cruz is Half-Truck, Half-Crossover, 100% Useful
Appealing to prospective auto buyers of all persuasions is the new Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup crossover. Practical with four doors but with a small bed like a pickup truck, many would-be crossover and small truck buyers will want to consider it. Built in Alabama, U.S.A., the Santa Cruz is made by Korean "chaebol" Hyundai Motor Group, the driving force behind new cars like the 576-hp Kia EV6 electric and the luxurious Hyundai Palisade SUV. The Santa Cruz throws previous assumptions of what Korean cars are out the window, forcing us to forget embarrassing vehicles like the Hyundai Accent and Kia Sephia.
The Santa Cruz makes itself both affordable and useful. For folks looking to get around as cheaply as they can, the 191-hp entry-level four cylinder motor starts at just $26,650 msrp, which is actually cheaper than the $27,250 msrp Tucson on which the unibody Santa Cruz is based. The base model SE comes in either front wheel drive or all wheel drive (+$1,500), and is not going to win any drag races in either form. But, it comes in one of six colors, California Sand, Hampton Gray, Atlas White, Blue Stone, Phantom Black or the stunning Sage Gray (this one runs $450 extra). Deal-seeking Americans will thank their lucky stars they can buy this affordable model — it’s off limits up north in Canada, where the only option is the more expensive turbo motor.
All Santa Cruz come standard with at least an 8-inch color touchscreen display for radio, and have integrated Bluetooth connectivity for both Android and iPhones. Other standard features on the base model include 18 inch wheels, an 8 speed automatic, 4-wheel ABS disc brakes, and LED headlights and taillights. The SEL trim starts at $29,400 msrp and adds a host of options as well as potential options, including remote start, proximity key, push button start, dual automatic climate control, and Hyundai’s “Bluelink” connected car system.
The more interesting upgrade for many will be the Night, XRT, and Limited trims, all of which step up to a turbo-2.5L four-pot which produces a whiz-bang 281-horsepower and 311 pound feet of torque . This motor comes with an eight speed “dual-clutch” transmission, technology that originated on F1 cars and debuted around 2003 on BMWs and Volkswagens. While it is still an automatic for all intents and purposes, the dual-clutch transmission provides faster, quicker shifts between gears, and the Santa Cruz also offers paddle shifters if you want to choose your own gears. The larger turbo engine also bumps the towing capacity of the Santa Cruz up to 5,000 pounds, making it a contender to pull some of the lightest of camper trailers or even a small boat. It can also haul 1600 pounds in its truck bed.
Top trims come standard with all wheel drive, and add smart cruise control, fender cladding, side steps, blind spot monitoring, 20-inch wheels, rain sensing wipers, more USB ports, a sunroof, heated steering wheel, rear A/C vents, ambient indoor lighting, power-adjustable seats, heated seats, Bose audio, and ventilated leather seats on the top tier Limited. The turbo models include the Night trim, XRT trim, and Limited trim, each starting at $38,210, $39,850, and $41,070 msrp respectively. Night trim features a dark look with blacked out wheels and trim accents, while the XRT combines a host of options with the turbo motor. Limited is the top of the line with all options and is the only trim which can be optioned with actual leather seats (XRT and Night come with fake “H-Tex” synthetic leather). Turbo trims also swap a larger 10.25 inch touch screen for the the standard 8-inch size screen.
The Santa Cruz fills a variety of potential uses, and spans a large gulf of potential prices, with over $15,000 separating the base model from the top of the line. The base model Santa Cruz gives other affordable vehicles like the Ford Maverick a run for their money, while higher trims can handily compete with other unibody trucks like the Honda Ridgeline and even mid-size body-on-frame models like the Ford Ranger.
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