Test Drive Showroom: 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited | Daily Drive | Consumer Guide® The Daily Drive
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited ice white
Not so good: Average fuel economy, limited space for rear seat passengers, especially with a limited number of rows
CG says:
Hyundai introduces an all-new compact pickup for 2022, with striking styling and miniature dimensions that blur the line between compact SUVs and compact pickups. Compared to traditional pickup competitors like the Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado, the Hyundai Santa Cruz is significantly smaller. It builds on the unibody design platform shared with the redesigned Hyundai Tucson compact SUV for 2022, and it integrates the cabin and cargo bed into one seamless unit – unlike a separate cabin and bed configuration. distinctive of most pickup trucks.
The Santa Cruz is offered in only one body style: a five-passenger, four-door crew cabin with a 4-foot bed. Four trim levels are available: SE, SEL, SEL Premium and Limited. The SE and SEL are powered by a 191hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and offer a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. The SEL Premium and Limited come standard with AWD and a 281-hp 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Santa Cruz’s maximum towing rating is 3500 pounds with the non-turbo engine or 5000 pounds with the all-wheel drive version.
For more transportation flexibility, the Santa Cruz bed features an array of D-rings, slots, and pockets that allow users to customize their cargo setup as needed. Lockable under-bed storage with a removable drain plug is a handy standard feature. Lockable roll tonneau lids are available to conceal cargo and retract into a cover under the rear window when not in use. The Santa Cruz cabin has modern tech amenities like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and wireless device charging. These and other infotainment features are accessed via the available standard 8.0-inch or 10.0-inch touchscreen. Hyundai’s Blue Link service is also available, which offers remote access features such as starting the engine or locking/unlocking the vehicle via a smartphone app or Amazon Alexa. A host of safety tech features are also offered, including lane-keeping assist, driver attention warning, blind-spot monitoring and forward-collision assist with pedestrian detection. pedestrians and cyclists.
The genre-bending Santa Cruz aims to combine the cargo-carrying versatility of a pickup truck with the sleeker styling, smaller size, and overall better refinement of a compact SUV. Although we classify it as a compact pickup, the Santa Cruz can also be compared to traditional compact SUVs. For now, its only direct competitor is the equally new Ford Maverick, which is similarly sized and in a single-cabin/crew configuration.
Our AWD Limited test proved practical and fun to drive during our testing, though a slightly small rear-seat area limits the Cruz’s appeal to families with growing teenagers or those who frequently drive with an adult in the back. Additionally, the dual-clutch automatic transmission sometimes registered shifts with more pronounced engagement than we would have liked.
