Smaller Hauler: The Santa Cruz Pickup Is Half SUV, Half Mini-Pickup

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@ 24/08/2026

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front three-quarter view, white pickup driving on gravel road through pine forest with mountains.

Hyundai

MSRP

HIGHS

Respectable fuel economy, easy-to-wield size, comfortable carlike interior.

LOWS

Desirable turbo engine comes at a steep price, lacks genuine off-road chops, small cargo bed has its limits.

VERDICT

Easy to drive, easy to park, and easy on gas, the Santa Cruz resides somewhere between a small SUV and a small pickup.

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Seating

5 Seats

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Powertrain

Gas

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Drivetrain

All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive

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Limited Warranty

5 Years/60,000 Miles

By Andrew Wendler

Overview

Aimed at homeowners and outdoorsy types rather than hardcore truck users, the Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup blends a four-door SUV front half with a four-foot pickup truck bed in the rear. Based on the Tucson SUV, the bed allows users to deposit their gardening supplies, bulky cargo, wet or dirty outdoor gear, and other assorted detritus of modern life without worrying about soiling or damaging the interior. There’s also an available weather-tight tonneau cover to seal up the bed should you need a layer of security.

Two engines—a 191-horsepower 2.5-liter four and a turbocharged 281-horsepower four, both with an eight-speed automatic transmission—are on offer, as is a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. Its smallish footprint and agreeable ride make it ideal for urban duty, and its respectable fuel efficiency numbers won’t break the bank.

Expert Tip: It’s all but confirmed that Hyundai is sending the Santa Cruz to go live on farm with other discontinued models at the end of the 2027 model year, so savvy shoppers might be able to wrangle a sweet deal before it leaves town for the last roundup.

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What's New for 2027?

Hyundai discontinued the SEL and top-tier Limited trims for 2027, leaving the SE, SEL Activity, and XRT as the three available models. The XRT sees a handful of upgrades to help fill the void, including a sunroof, Bose premium audio, a standard heated steering wheel, an auto-dimming mirror, and a rear armrest as standard equipment. Faux leather trim is now standard across the board, and the fingerprint detection system is no longer available. Finally, the Rockwood Green and Canyon Red exterior finishes are no longer available.

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Pricing and Which One to Buy

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Engines: 191-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder, 281-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Drivetrain: front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive

There are two powertrains available for the Santa Cruz, with the engine choice decided by the trim. The SE and SEL Activity have a 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque that shifts through an eight-speed automatic transmission. When we tested the same engine in the Hyundai Tucson SUV—on which the Santa Cruz is based—we found the acceleration sluggish.

The XRT comes with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four with 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet, which is much better suited to urban driving. An eight-speed automatic is used here as well. All trims can be had with all-wheel drive, but it comes standard with the turbo engine.

The Santa Cruz is shorter and lower than its larger rivals from the mid-size truck class, which makes it easier to maneuver around town. The last Santa Cruz we drove showcased the truck's good ride and agile handling.

0–60-MPH Times

C/D 60-mph Test: 6.0 seconds (turbo)

In Comparison: With the turbo four, the Santa Cruz managed a 6.0-second run to 60 mph in our testing, just 0.2 second behind the turbocharged Ford Maverick Lobo we tested.

Towing and Payload Capacity

Max Towing: 5000 pounds (XRT turbo)

With the base four-cylinder, the Santa Cruz is rated to tow 3500 pounds; the 5000-pound rating is only for the XRT with the turbo engine.

In Comparison: The XRT’s 5000-pound rating matches the other unibody trucks in this class, the Honda Ridgeline and Ford Maverick.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

C/D 75-mph Highway Fuel-Economy Test: 30 mpg (XRT turbo)
EPA City Ratings: 18-22 mpg
EPA Highway Ratings: 26-30 mpg

Equipped with the base engine and front-wheel drive, the Santa Cruz is rated at 22 mpg city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined. Adding all-wheel drive drops city, highway, and combined figures by 1 mpg. The turbocharged XRT all-wheel drive has estimates of 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined.

We ran a turbocharged Santa Cruz on our 75-mph fuel-economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, and it returned 30 mpg highway, handily beating its EPA estimate. For more information about the Santa Cruz's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

In Comparison: The Ford Maverick hybrid is significantly more fuel efficient, posting EPA ratings of 42 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 35 mpg combined with front-wheel drive; the non-hybrid Maverick checks in at a more comparable 23 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

First Row: Hyundai has a habit of designing interiors that look more expensive than they are. That's the case here too. The Santa Cruz benefits by having one of the nicest cabins among both the compact and mid-size pickup segments. It sports a fully digital gauge cluster, and we appreciate that it has a traditional shifter on the center console instead of a rotary knob or pushbuttons.

Second Row: The Santa Cruz is only available as a four-door crew cab, and passenger space in the back is competitive with similarly sized trucks.

Cargo Capacity: Its cargo bed is shorter than a mid-size truck's, but at about four feet long, it's still handy and versatile, with a lockable hard tonneau cover on the upper two trims and a useful in-bed trunk that's similar to what the Honda Ridgeline offers. In our testing, we fit 13 carry-on suitcases in the Santa Cruz with the rear seats stowed.

Infotainment and Connectivity

Infotainment: 12.3-inch touchscreen
Connectivity: Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Audio System: 6-speaker stereo (standard), 8-speaker Bose Audio (optional)

The base SE comes standard with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, but higher trims come with dual 12.3-inch displays mounted together in a single, curved panel. One serves as a digital gauge display, and the other as an infotainment touchscreen.

Digital features include wireless device charging (on the SEL Activity and XRT), standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and Hyundai's Blue Link services provided free for three years. With Blue Link, owners can do things like remotely lock and unlock the doors and start the Santa Cruz by using an app, the Internet, or Amazon Alexa. Four USB-C ports (two in front and two in back) and a 12-volt power port are standard.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The Santa Cruz offers an array of driver-assistance technology, including a standard driver-attention warning and optional adaptive cruise control.

Standard Safety Features: lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
Optional Safety Features: adaptive cruise control

For more information about the Santa Cruz's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites.

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Hyundai—along with its corporate counterpart, Kia—has long offered one of the best warranty plans in the industry, with especially noteworthy powertrain coverage. The company also offers complimentary scheduled maintenance that bests mainstream rivals such as Toyota.

Limited Warranty: five years or 60,000 miles
Powertrain Warranty: 10 years or 100,000 miles
Complimentary Maintenance: three years or 36,000 miles

C/D Test Results and Specs

Each year, we put hundreds of vehicles through our rigorous instrumented testing regimen. If the data in the chart below is for a different model year, that's because this vehicle hasn't changed since we last tested it, and the test results remain accurate.

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Specifications

Specifications

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $40,945/$41,140
Options: carpeted floor mats, $195

ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 152 in3, 2497 cm3
Power: 281 hp @ 5800 rpm
Torque: 311 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm

TRANSMISSION
8-speed dual-clutch automatic

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 12.8-in vented disc/12.8-in disc
Tires: Michelin Primacy LTX
245/50R-20 102V M+S

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 118.3 in
Length: 195.7 in
Width: 75.0 in
Height: 66.7 in
Passenger Volume: 104 ft3
Curb Weight: 4132 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.0 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.5 sec @ 98 mph
100 mph: 15.2 sec
130 mph: 32.3 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.4 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.3 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.3 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 133 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 171 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.82 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 18 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 30 mpg
Highway Range: 530 mi

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 22/19/27 mpg

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

More Features and Specs

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