![]() ![]() The Santa Cruz is shockingly fun to drive with its potent turbocharged engine, while the Maverick wows with its 37-mpg hybrid base powertrain. The Maverick is more utilitarian in appearance, materials and space. The Santa Cruz has a lovely, tech-filled interior with a premium vibe and a cramped back seat. What they’re bound to find, though, are two very different vehicles beyond their basic size and vehicle architecture. The Ford Maverick is another compact crossover pickup, meaning folks will inevitably line up their specs and do some cross-shopping. That’s still the case for the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz, but a big, whopping thing has changed: it now has a competitor. ![]() There were definitely pros and cons with the approach, but it seemed like a generally agreeable formula. ![]() It also made it less robust for off-roading and towing (even if its ground clearance and 5,000-pound max are better than the average crossover), while its diminutive size includes a relatively rinky-dink 4.3-foot bed. That made it lighter, more agile and more efficient in terms of both fuel consumption and interior space. Not only was it smaller than other trucks, but it had a car-like unibody structure. When we first drove and reviewed the Hyundai Santa Cruz, it was the best choice in a compact pickup truck segment of exactly one. Pros: Fun and refined to drive high-class interior great tech clever bed features Cons: Cramped back seat high price slow and inefficient base engine For now, its only direct competition is the equally new Ford Maverick, which has similar dimensions and a unibody/crew-cab configuration.Īside from that comparison, however, Santa Cruz’s tidy size, energetic design, and handy features offer a refreshing “adventurous urban dweller” alternative to more established competitors.2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Review: A different kind of pickup It's no longer the only compact pickup (hello Maverick), but it hasn't lost its charm Though we categorize it as a compact pickup, the Santa Cruz will likely be cross-shopped against traditional compact SUVs as well. The genre-bending Santa Cruz aims to blend the cargo-carrying versatility of a pickup truck with the sleeker styling, smaller dimensions, and better overall refinement of a compact SUV. A wide array of safety tech features are also offered, including lane keeping assist, driver attention warning, blind-spot monitor, and forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection. Also available is Hyundai’s Blue Link service, which provides remote-access features such as starting the engine or locking/unlocking the vehicle via a smartphone app or Amazon Alexa. These and other infotainment features are accessed via a standard 8.0-inch or an available 10.0-inch touchscreen. The Santa Cruz’s cabin features contemporary tech amenities such as Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and wireless device charging. An available lockable roll-top tonneau cover conceals cargo and retracts into an enclosure beneath the rear window when not in use. A lockable under-bed storage trunk with a removable drain plug is a handy standard feature. Santa Cruz’s maximum towing rating is 3500 pounds with the non-turbo engine, or 5000 pounds with the turbo all-wheel-drive version.įor greater hauling flexibility, the Santa Cruz’s bed features an array of D-rings, cleats, and pockets that allow users to customize their cargo setup as needed. The SEL Premium and Limited come standard with AWD and a 281-horsepower turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder paired with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. ![]() The SE and SEL are powered by a 191-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, and offer a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Four trim levels are available: SE, SEL, SEL Premium, and Limited. The Santa Cruz is offered in just one body style: a five-passenger, four-door crew cab with a 4-foot bed. It’s based on a unibody-design platform shared with the redesigned-for-2022 Hyundai Tucson compact SUV, and it integrates the cab and cargo bed into one seamless unit-unlike the separate cab-and-bed configuration of most pickup trucks. Compared to traditional pickup-truck rivals such as the Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, and Chevrolet Colorado, the Hyundai Santa Cruz is considerably smaller. CG Says: Hyundai introduces an all-new compact pickup truck for 2022, with splashy styling and scaled-down dimensions that blur the lines between the compact SUV and compact-pickup-truck categories. ![]()
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