Ultimately, paying the extra cash for the SEL Premium gets you more power, which translates to a more satisfying overall experience and more opportunities to take it just about wherever you want. Of course, it’s not a valid apples-to-apples comparison as the Frontier uses traditional body-on-frame truck architecture, whereas the rest are unibody. That’s more than the Maverick (4,000 lbs.) and Outback (3500 lbs.), but the Frontier bests them all by more than 1,700 pounds with 6,720 lbs. On top of that, the Santa Cruz can tow up to 5,000 pounds with the turbocharged engine. Paired with the all-wheel drive system, it’s a potent powertrain combination ready to tackle a surprising number of off-roading situations. All-wheel drive is optional on the Maverick, Frontier, and Santa Cruz and the standard setup for the Outback.īut the upgraded turbo 2.5-liter stands out, with 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. Of the four (including the Santa Cruz), the Frontier offers the most power with a 3.8-liter V6 making 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque. That’s on par with what the Maverick offers (191 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque) and the Subaru (182 horsepower, 176 lb-ft of torque). Hyundai Performance: 13/15Įquipped with the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, the Santa Cruz is good for 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. What the Santa Cruz lacks in raw truck-style capability, it makes up for in efficiency and spunky, spirited attitude. With one of the best warranty promises in the business (five years or 60,000 miles basic and 10 years or 100,000 miles for the powertrain), the Hyundai Santa Cruz packs a heck of a lot of value within its fun personality. Sold as standard with Forward collision mitigation, lane keeping assist, blind-spot intervention, and rear cross-traffic alert, moving up the trim line adds adaptive cruise control, navigation, a lane-keeping system, and a crystal-clear 360-degree camera. And different, in this case, is a good thing because the Santa Cruz has a lot to offer. Think of it as an SUV (Truck? Adventure vehicle?) made for those who like to be a bit different. At 195.7 inches long, the Hyundai is easier to park than most pickups and SUVs, and it’s unusual enough that passers-by do a double take, giving it a fun factor other vehicles don’t have. And when properly equipped, the Santa Cruz can tow up to 5,000 pounds.Īs an easy-breezy mashup vehicle that can tow, haul and carry passengers in comfort, the Santa Cruz shines. The mid-grade SEL comes standard with the turbo upgrade and all-wheel drive, by far the better choice we put our tester, a Limited, through its paces on dirt roads, rocky mountain passes and fast-moving asphalt highways, and it surpassed our expectations for a car-based pickup. HyundaiĮquipped with two engine options-one turbocharged, with considerably more horsepower and torque-the Santa Cruz’s performance is on par with its competitive set. The Santa Cruz defies pigeonholing by blending crossover-like personality and interior with a surprisingly versatile pickup bed it creates it’s own definition of utility. At least at the base level ($26,745, including destination), as the more desirable turbo models jump by over $10,000 to start. Pricewise, the Hyundai is right in the middle between the cheaper Maverick and the costlier Frontier, Outback and Ridgeline. The larger Honda Ridgeline is also a worthy rival (read our head-to-head comparison here), but it’s the Maverick that truly stands toe-to-toe with the Santa Cruz. ![]() Three of the Santa Cruz’s closest competitors are the Ford Maverick, Nissan’s Frontier, and, in spirit if not sheet metal similarity, the Subaru Outback all scrappy, useful vehicles in their own right. Notably, blind-spot collision-warning assist, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist and safe exit warning are now standard across the board. ![]() A few welcome upgrades shift the 2023 lineup slightly the 10.25-inch touchscreen, formerly only on the Limited trim, is now extended to SEL Premium, as are dynamic voice recognition, adaptive cruise control and navigation-based cruise control that adapts to curves in the road. New for 2023 is the Night trim, with blacked-out features, the turbocharged engine and other specific amenities. ![]() The Santa Cruz retains the same four trim levels for 2023: SE, SEL, SEL Premium and Limited. Set proper expectations, and you’ll find that Santa Cruz can do it all. The Santa Cruz is a chameleon, able to adapt to various needs, and it can also be a disappointment for those who expect it to be solidly one or the other. It’s not an SUV, and it’s not a truck pinning it down is an amusing exercise, and that nebulous identity presents a pro and a con. Now in the third year of its first generation, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz strikes a pose all its own.
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