Exploring the Hyundai Santa Cruz: Essential Features Before Buying
Discover the Hyundai Santa Cruz, a stylish compact pickup blending SUV comfort with truck utility. Learn about its engine choices, digital interiors, advanced tech features, impressive towing capacity, and fuel efficiency. Ideal for those seeking versatility in a modern vehicle, the Santa Cruz offers a sleek design, innovative interiors, and powerful performance options. Perfect for day-to-day use or light hauling, it's a standout choice among contemporary pickups, offering comfort, tech, and capability in a compact package.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz offers a modern and stylish approach to a compact pickup truck. Its distinctive design features LED lighting integrated with the front grille, creating a commanding presence. Unlike traditional trucks, its sleek curves run the entire length of the vehicle, giving it an elegant look. This four-door vehicle combines the comfort of an SUV with the utility of an open bed, making it ideal for versatility and style.
About Hyundai Hyundai Motor Company, based in Seoul, South Korea, was founded in 1967. It owns luxury brand Genesis and electric vehicle brand Ioniq, forming part of the Hyundai Motor Group.
Hyundai’s conglomerate includes Hyundai, Genesis, and Ioniq, collectively known as the Hyundai Motor Group.
Key Features of the Hyundai Santa Cruz The Santa Cruz is perfect for those who want the benefits of a pickup without the size and cost of larger trucks. Let’s look into its standout features below.
Engine Options and Performance The Santa Cruz features two engine choices: a base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 181 lb-ft of torque and 191 horsepower, and a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine with 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The turbocharged option delivers quicker response and more power. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the turbo variant using a dual-clutch system. Its unibody construction offers easier handling and better comfort compared to traditional truck frames, making driving more enjoyable. The turbocharged engine’s impressive power enhances driving dynamics, especially on curvy roads.
Interior Features Among mid-size pickups, the Santa Cruz excels with a refined cabin crafted from stylish materials and equipped with desirable modern features. It comes only as a four-door crew cab, offering ample passenger space in both rows. Notably, it is the first in its class to feature a fully digital gauge cluster. Its cargo bed is about four feet long, equipped with a lockable tonneau cover and a practical in-bed trunk. The interior feels futuristic, especially with the available large-center touchscreen and digital instrument panel. However, touch-sensitive shortcut buttons below the screen can be tricky to operate while driving. The steering wheel controls are somewhat redundant but well-organized.
Advanced Technology Hyundai ensures its Santa Cruz comes with a top-tier infotainment setup. Standard features include an 8.0-inch touchscreen, with an upgrade to a 10.3-inch display optional. It supports wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and wireless charging. An optional Bose eight-speaker sound system provides excellent audio quality. Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system allows remote start, lock/unlock, and vehicle management via apps, internet, and even Amazon Alexa, free for the first three years.
Towing Capabilities The Santa Cruz can tow up to 5,000 pounds when equipped with the turbocharged engine, while the standard engine allows for towing up to 3,500 pounds.
Fuel Efficiency With front-wheel drive and the standard engine, it achieves approximately 21 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. The all-wheel-drive version increases highway mileage slightly; the turbocharged model averages 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on highways.
