The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz will be built at Hyundai’s Montgomery factory starting from June, with sales set to commence later in the summer
Hyundai first unveiled the Santa Cruz pickup truck to the world as a concept over six years ago, at the 2015 North American Auto Show. In 2019, Hyundai confirmed that the production-ready version of the pickup truck will go on sale in 2021, and later on, test mules of the vehicle were spied on test from time to time.
Now, Hyundai has officially taken the wraps off the production-ready Santa Cruz, however, the Korean carmaker isn’t calling it a “truck”. Instead, the 2022 Santa Cruz is being called a ‘Sport Adventure Vehicle’. Since the Santa Cruz was originally debuted over half a decade ago, the vehicle features tons of changes over its concept.
Talking about its design, the Santa Cruz’s front-end looks similar to the 2022 Tucson, thanks to the daytime running lights that are incorporated cleanly into the grille design. You can really only notice them when illuminated. There are additional stacked lights in the lower corners of the front bumper.
The Santa Cruz features a steeply raked A-pillar that makes the front look sleek, while the C-pillar is also designed to look more dynamic. Plastic cladding can be seen all around the body, making the vehicle look rugged, while the dual-tone alloy wheels add a premium touch.
The Santa Cruz comes standard with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine. For now, Hyundai has revealed that this engine puts out 190+ horsepower and 244+ Nm torque. The engine comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, which sends power to all four wheels. What’s more is that this powertrain can tow up to 3,500 pounds or 1,588 kilograms.
Also on offer is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with a max power output of 275+ hp and a peak torque rating of 420+ Nm. This engine is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox that includes paddle shifters. All-wheel drive is standard, and this turbo model can tow up to 5,000 pounds or 2,268 kilograms.
The Santa Cruz’s 52.1-inch long bed offers a range of useful features. A portion of the bed can be lifted up to reveal a hidden storage area. Also, steps have been placed on each corner of the bumper, which makes for an easier step into the rear. Another option is an extendable tonneau cover at the base of the cab that owners can extend and lock into place when wanting to secure cargo from the outside.
