2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Performance, Price, And Photos

The Korean automaker's first attempt at a pickup is a head-turning lifestyle vehicle, and its range of capabilities falls somewhere between a crossover and a traditional work truck

Now the compact truck segment never really gained traction in America until recent entrants like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz hit the scene. We first saw a swanky futuristic Santa Cruz pickup concept back in 2015. Last year, the Korean automaker finally turned that vision into reality with the all-new 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz.

These models are primarily targeted at the urban commuter who's looking for some degree of versatility from their daily driver. While they might not have the capabilities of a full-on pickup, these lifestyle trucks offer much more capability than your average family SUV.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is particularly unusual due to its short yet functional bed and compact unibody frame. The Sports Adventure Vehicle, or SAV as Hyundai likes to refer to the Santa Cruz, is not really a traditional pickup. Instead, you can think of it as a regular crossover during the week and an urban lifestyle vehicle for the weekend.

RELATED: Watch Five Pickup Trucks Try To Invoke The Usain Bolt Spirit In Them In This Drag Race

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is available in four trims:

Under the hood, the base model Santa Cruz features a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four-cylinder engine that produces 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. If those numbers aren't convincing enough, the Santa Cruz also offers up a more potent 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four-cylinder that puts out a respectable 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, making it one of the torquiest mills for a vehicle in this class. As a result, the Santa Cruz can hit 60 mph in only 6.0 seconds. The eight-speed DCT transmission offers rapid shifts.

The apparent improvement in ride comfort and handling over a normal body-on-frame SUV or truck is the primary benefit of choosing a crossover. Hyundai created the Santa Cruz by taking a well-handling crossover and giving it a short bed configuration.

Although all models of the Hyundai Santa Cruz offer the H-TRAC AWD technology ($1,500) as an option, front-wheel drive is the default configuration, as this is after all a crossover-derived platform. The driver will find the relevant off-road settings that adjust the traction control and AWD system for optimal grip and a 50:50 torque split.

Boasting 8.6 inches of ground clearance, the Hyundai Santa Cruz should easily handle bumpy roads and minor trails with ease, putting its off-road capabilities on par with other crossovers at this price point. Do keep in mind that the Hyundai Santa Cruz is not a full-blown 4x4 and you wouldn't want to venture too far off the beaten path as it doesn't have the tough underpinnings of a body-on-frame setup.

When it comes to towing capacities, the non-turbo engine has a maximum capacity of 3,500 pounds, while the turbo models with all-wheel drive have a maximum capacity of 5,000 pounds.

The bed of the Santa Cruz has a maximum payload capacity of 1,411 pounds. While these figures are less than some of its body-on-frame competitors, they’re still impressive for what is essentially a lifestyle pickup.

The bed measures just 4.3 feet long which is perhaps its biggest drawback. This is a unibody vehicle after all and the one on the Santa Cruz is considerably shorter when compared to the competition. Although, you do get a plethora of clever features. They include:

SEL and up offer the following features as optional extras while the Limited trim gets them as standard

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Specs

Engine

2.5-liter Naturally aspirated/ turbocharged Inline-four

Horsepower

up to 281 horsepower

Torque

up to 311 pound-feet

Drive

FWD/AWD

Transmission

CVT / Eight-speed DCT

0-60 mph

6.0-seconds

Top Speed

133 mph

Base Price

$25,735

RELATED: The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Is Almost $4k More Expensive Than Ford Maverick

Let's talk styling. Unlike a conventional truck, the Santa Cruz's design is a combination of curvaceous lines along with a rugged appeal. Upon first glance, the Hyundai Santa Cruz and the Tucson appear to have a lot in common.

However, closer examination reveals that despite their remarkably similar designs, both vehicles don't share a single body panel. The Santa Cruz features the dynamic split headlight configuration with DRLs built into the grille. The main headlights themselves sit within the front bumper. On the top-spec Limited trim, the grille and the tail-gate handle get a dark-chrome finish.

The SAV appears tough from the sides as well, thanks in part to the obligatory plastic wheel arches and plastic running board. The highest grade comes with 20-inch wheels, but if you plan to take your Santa Cruz off the pavement frequently, you can also get 18-inch wheels on high-profile tires.

As for the C Pillar, where a traditional truck would have a near vertical drop, here the design follows a smoother line at a slight angle that flows seamlessly into the bed. Speaking of the bed, this is the first Hyundai to ever feature one.

Finally, at the rear, you get a pair of arrow-like LED lights with the name 'Santa Cruz' stamped into the sheet metal on the tailgate. Look closely at those tail-lights and you'll find 'Designed in California', which says a lot about the target audience for this vehicle.

Exterior Colors:

Exterior Dimensions

Length

195.7 in

Width

75.0 in

Height

66.7 in

Wheelbase

118.3 in

Ground Clearance

8.6 in

Curb Weight

3,704 lbs

RELATED: 2022 Mid-Size Pickup Truck Drag Race: Honda Ridgeline Vs Hyundai Santa Cruz

Step inside and you'll find that the funky and unusual styling of the exterior has unfortunately not translated into the cabin. If you've seen the interior of any modern Hyundai crossover like the Tucson, you'll find a lot that is familiar to you. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Hyundai interiors have come a long way in terms of fit, finish and tech, and the one on the Santa Cruz while a lot more conventional, is a high-quality one.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz's cabin is far from utilitarian and since it shares its platform with the Tucson, you pretty much get a design and layout that's identical to its crossover sibling aside from the tough-looking gear selector lever. An 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto is standard on the base model.

Top trims get a 10.25-inch unit with additional features like Sirius XM Satellite Radio, Bluelink Connected Car Service, a premium Bose Audio system, and a digital driver's display. Remote keyless entry and rearview monitor with dynamic parking guidelines come standard from the base model, while remote engine start is available from SEL trim and up.

As for interior color and upholstery options, you can either choose between black or a gray-themed cabin with orange accents (on Limited-trim). The base model features stain and odor-resistant cloth seats and a 6-way adjustable driver seat. Lumbar support and an eight-way power seat for the driver seat is available from the SEL trim. You also get ventilated and heated front seats and a heated steering wheel on the top-Limited spec trim.

Coming to passenger accommodations, given that the Santa Cruz is about the size of a mid-size sedan, Hyundai had to compromise somewhere and as a result, they chose to do that in the second row. The rear seat legroom is pretty right. Sure the seats aren't as upright as what you generally find with pickups, but you wouldn't really want to seat adults back there for longer stints on the road.

Although you do get more storage under the rear seat bases, two USB C ports, dedicated climate vents, and a part of the rear window that slides open, just like on a conventional pickup. A power-tilt and slide sunroof and roof rails are optional on the SEL trim and come as standard on the Limited.

Interior Dimensions

Seating Capacity

5

Headroom (front)

40.7 in

Headroom (rear)

40.1 in

Legroom (front)

41.4 in

Legroom (rear)

36.5 in

Shoulder room (front)

57.6 in

Shoulder room (rear)

56.1 in

RELATED: 5 Reasons We'd Buy The Hyundai Santa Cruz (5 Reasons We'd Rather Have The Ford Maverick)

Trim

Price

SE

$24,440

SEL

$27,640

SEL Premium

$36,130

Limited

$40,170

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz has a starting MSRP of $24,440 with an additional $1,295 toward freight charges. The range-topping Santa Cruz in Limited trim carries a sticker price of $41,170.

The Activity Package ($3,270) is available as an optional extra from the SEL trim and is standard on top trims. It includes the following features.

You can configure the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz here.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz comes loaded with a plethora of safety and driver assistance features right from the base model. Noteworthy features include:

Driver assist features like Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA) are available from SEL and up while the top Limited trim gets Surround View Monitor (SVM), Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM), Navigation based Smart Cruise Control with curve control as standard.

While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has yet to test the compact pickup for crash test ratings, the Hyundai Santa Cruz was the Insurance Institute of Highway (IIHS) Safety's Top Safety Pick for 2022 in the Small Pickup/Crew Cab Pickup category.

Given how unconventional the Santa Cruz is, targeting the lifestyle crowd, it doesn't necessarily have direct competition. But other unibody pickups like the Ford Maverick, the Honda Ridgeline, and maybe even the body-on-frame Toyota Tacoma come close. Here's a detailed comparison between the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Sure, the Santa Cruz's base price of $25,735 is lesser than that of the Ridgeline's base MSRP of $39,435, but it still isn't as affordable as the Ford Maverick's $23,000 starting price.

The Santa Cruz still makes a compelling argument for itself, thanks in part to its distinctive styling, car-like handling, and that turbo engine, which packs enough punch to give it an edge over the competition. The Santa Cruz hence has the appeal of a daily driver and is a tempting alternative to your ordinary crossover. It is for someone who isn't seeking a full-fledged SUV, crossover, or pickup truck, but is looking for a combination of all three body styles in one package, and the Santa Cruz sure does manage to execute that beautifully.

Here are 10 reasons why the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is the perfect alternative to a crossover. Also, if you've set your heart on a compact pickup instead of a crossover, here's our ultimate guide to Unibody trucks.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz starts at $24,440 for the base model SE trim. The range-topping Limited trim comes in at $40,170. All models are also available with H-Trac All-wheel Drive for $1,500

The Ford Maverick is longer than the Santa Cruz by four inches. With a more squared-off shape, it also features a slightly more usable bed as well.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz's chief rival is the Ford Maverick. But the Honda Ridgeline is also comparable as a unibody pickup truck alternative.

Both model years are almost the same. The 2023 Santa Cruz comes standard with rear-cross traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is not an electric vehicle. It is a unibody pickup that is powered by gasoline-engines and shares its platform with the Hyundai Tucson SUV.

Khris is a classic car aficionado and adores his Jags and Alfas, although he keeps tabs on everything from super exotics like an old EB 110 to the latest from Lucid. Formula One is very close to his heart, and he diligently makes time to tune in for the Grand Prix on Sundays. Khris also loves his road trips and he prefers a stick shift over an auto any day.