With the added power, you get an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission instead of an automatic but can still choose to send the power to the front or both axles. SEL Premium and my Limited test car get the turbo and enjoy 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque as a result. SE and SEL trimmed models get the former and make do with 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque that ties to an eight-speed automatic transmission and sends power on to either the front or all four wheels. To power this amalgamation of vehicle types, Hyundai offers two 2.5L four-cylinder engines, one naturally aspirated, the other turbocharged. Peppy and Polished Inside, the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is reminiscent of the Tucson There are also lights and sliding tie-downs to help hold everything in place. Or, instead, fill it with ice for a built-in cooler while you tailgate or camp.īehind the wheels on either side of the bed are small glovebox-like storage bins, and the one on the passenger side includes an A/C plug. And, just like the Honda, the Santa Cruz under-bed storage area comes with a drain plug, making it easy to clean. The under-bed storage area on the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruzįurthermore, just in front of the tailgate is an under-bed storage area, similar to what Honda offers on the Ridgeline. And mounted on top is a lockable roller tonneau cover to both hide and secure your gear. You can open the tailgate with the push of a button on the key fob, which will happen slowly and softly as a gas strut helps smooth out the operation. The strap in the bed is attached to the lockable tonneau cover Though not as strong as aluminum or steel, this material is well-suited for a pile of wet and dirty items, like beach towels or mountain bikes. Hyundai used sheet-molded compound plastic to make the bed. Think of it like a Tucson with a separated cargo area, a mudroom of sorts. Despite the figures and the shape, the intended purpose of the Santa Cruz is noticeably different than we’re used to. Then why does Hyundai call it a “Sport Adventure Vehicle” and not a “truck”?īecause it’s not a truck - at least not a typical one. You can adjust the tailgate to line up with the top of the wheel wells to haul 4 x 8-foot sheets of plywood None of the above will convince diesel-powered, one-ton owners to trade in, but it might raise a few eyebrows for folks on the recreational side of things. And, with a couple of minor adjustments and tie-down straps to help, you can lay 4 x 8-foot sheets of plywood flat in the bed. Its maximum payload is as much as 1,753 pounds. Depending on trim, the Santa Cruz can tow up to 5,000 pounds. And it’s certainly not the traditional body-on-frame structure most manufacturers use as the bones of their trucks. Indeed, forward of the bed, it looks very much like the Tucson, inside and out. That’s the same structure as the Hyundai Tucson, Santa Fe, Sonata, and several Kia models. Submitted as supporting evidence, consider the following: Hyundai used the N3 platform to build the Santa Cruz. The company prefers the term “Sport Adventure Vehicle.” And yet it fits in a typical city parallel parking spot. It’s a vehicle that, depending on the trim, includes a tow-hitch, a tailgate, and a bed filled with tie-down straps. 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Review: Truck or Not? Despite the pickup bed, the Santa Cruz is shorter than a Hyundai PalisadeĬertainly, the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is smaller than most modern trucks. Its short bed means it isn’t much use at a job site, but it might just be the perfect outdoor gear-hauler. And its size allows you to easily parallel park it in the city. In short: The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a modern, more compact version of an El Camino that gets better gas mileage than popular pickups of today. That’s a far cry from the early ’90s regular cabs running around with a 6.75-foot bed and nearly a yard shorter footprint.īut now we have the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz - a pickup with four doors, five seats, and a 4.3-foot-long bed - which measures 16.3 feet from bow to stern. And trucks? Well, the popular Ford F-150 Super Crew body with the shortest available 5.5-foot bed is 19.3 feet long. Many of today’s small SUVs have three rows of seating. Compact cars now stretch to within an inch of midsize cars from 25 years ago. In the world of automobiles, everything is growing. The Santa Cruz is also a better adventure companion than you might think, and a way better commuter than any big heavy truck on the market. The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a vehicle for those of us who need a car but want some of the utility a truck has to offer. It calls the 2022 Santa Cruz a ‘Sport Adventure Vehicle.’ Hyundai is the latest auto manufacturer to hop into the lucrative truck market, but it hasn’t built a typical truck.
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