First Spin: 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz | The Daily Drive | Consumer Guide® The Daily Drive

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Restricted

Although clearly a small pickup truck, Hyundai calls its new-for-2022 Santa Cruz a “Sport journey automobile,” and to the corporate’s credit score, it’s not like some other automobile or truck at the moment on the market within the U.S.

The Korean automaker says Santa Cruz will not be supposed to compete immediately with different small pickups, however is a distinct segment automobile designed for tech-savvy city dwellers searching for crossoverlike consolation and comfort, together with open-bed truck utility and adaptability. Hyundai contends these prospects additionally worth a compact package deal that’s straightforward to maneuver and park within the metropolis.

Just like the Honda Ridgeline and Ford Maverick, Santa Cruz’s mattress is built-in into the automobile’s physique.

Although Santa Cruz shares its primary structure with the newly redesigned Hyundai Tucson compact crossover, it’s considerably bigger and heavier. At 118 inches, Santa Cruz’s wheelbase is 10 inches longer than that of the Tucson’s, and at 196 inches, the ’Cruz is 13 inches longer general. And, at round 3700 kilos, the Santa Cruz is sort of 400 kilos heavier than the Tucson.

Nonetheless, Santa Cruz is small for a “small” pickup. The Toyota Tacoma and Honda Ridgeline stretch 212 and 210 inches, respectively, and even the brand new Ford Maverick is 4 inches longer general than the Hyundai. Just like the Maverick and Ridgeline, Santa Cruz contains a one-piece physique as an alternative of the separate mattress/physique association discovered on each different pickup truck at the moment out there within the U.S.

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In contrast to the Hyundai Tucson compact crossover on which it’s primarily based, Santa Cruz employs a conventional lever-style gear selector.

Santa Cruz design typically recollects the Tucson, however an in depth look reveals a quantity styling variations. Santa Cruz, for instance, has rounder fenders and wheel openings, and the entrance fascia is bulkier under the grille. In fact, essentially the most important distinction is the open mattress space on the rear. We expect Hyundai did a masterful job designing the Santa Cruz, and like many just lately launched Hyundai fashions, it seems nice in individual.

Santa Cruz is offered in SE ($23,990), SEL ($27,190), SEL with Exercise Bundle ($30,460), SEL Premium ($35,680), and Restricted ($39,720) fashions. All-wheel drive provides $1500 to SE, SEL, and SEL Exercise fashions, and is customary on the SEL Premium and Restricted. These costs don’t embody the $1185 vacation spot cost.

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Rear-seat legroom isn’t beneficiant, however helpful storage trays might be discovered beneath the seat bottoms.

All 2022 Santa Cruz fashions come customary with driver-attention warning, forward-collision-avoidance help, lane-keep help, high-beam help, rear-occupant alert, computerized on-off headlamps, and Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto connectivity. Extra security options can be found, together with blind-spot collision avoidance, intelligent-speed-limit help, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, safe-exit warning, blind-spot-view monitor, and highway-driving help.

Apart from the bottom SE, all Santa Cruzes embody keyless entry and push-button beginning. Hyundai’s Digital Key’s out there on larger trim ranges. This smartphone app permits the automobile to be locked or unlocked and pushed with out the bodily key fob, and permits the proprietor to grant members of the family or associates restricted entry to sure automobile features. Different out there options embody wireless-device charging, adaptive cruise management with stop-and-go performance, a heated steering wheel, and heated and ventilated entrance seats.

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Situated below Santa Cruz’s mattress flooring is a helpful “trunk.” The storage compartment options drain holes, permitting it for use as a tailgating cooler.

Two engines can be found. Most trim ranges are powered by a 191-horsepower 4-cylinder mated to an 8-speed computerized transmission. This setup is rated by the EPA at 21/27/23 mpg metropolis/freeway/mixed with front-wheel drive. Freeway mileage drops by one mpg with AWD.

SEL Premium and Restricted fashions include a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4 rated at a strong 281 horsepower. This engine mates completely to an 8-speed dual-clutch computerized and comes solely with AWD. Mileage scores for this powerteam are 19/27/22 mpg.

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Solely SEL Premium and Restricted fashions include the 281-horsepower turbocharged engine. Lesser trim ranges make do with a 191-horse mill.

Although supposed for city journey, Santa Cruz is rated to tow as much as 3500 kilos with the bottom engine, and 5000 with the turbo. For the file, a pair of private watercraft on a trailer typically is available in below 2000 kilos. Additionally sturdy is payload; Hyundai claims Santa Cruz will haul between 1609 and 1753 kilos relying on gear.

Our First Spin happened close to San Francisco, and was restricted to the top-line Restricted. The take a look at truck stickered for $41,100 with flooring mats and vacation spot cost.

Maybe predictably, Santa Cruz felt very similar to the Tucson from behind the wheel, and that’s an excellent factor. The turbocharged engine supplied ample, easy energy, and labored nicely with the dual-clutch transmission. Throttle response was sharp, and in relaxed conditions the engine was almost silent. We had been impressed with the gearbox’s common smoothness and intuitive gear choice; we discovered no must make use of the usual paddle shifters.

Journey high quality was comfy and nicely managed, and the steering was properly weighted and correct, serving to Santa Cruz really feel assured on the tight-and-twisty two-lane roads Hyundai selected for almost all of our test-drive route. Cabin noise was nicely managed general, however street rumble can intrude on particularly tough pavement.

The Santa Cruz cabin additionally borrows from Tucson. Total, the cabin is trendy and engaging, although the plasticky sprint prime regarded a bit shinier than that within the Tucson. Up entrance, Santa Cruz feels ethereal, and this 6’ 2” tester discovered loads of stretch-out room. Large door openings contribute to straightforward entry and exit.

Santa Cruz’s rear-seat space is notably tighter than the Tucson’s. In response to Hyundai’s specs, rear legroom shrinks from 41 to 37 inches. With the entrance seat pushed totally again, legroom is scarce—this reviewer wasn’t in a position to sit behind a driver’s seat set as much as accommodate him. Grade-school-age youngsters will match effective within the second row, however the lack of passenger area additional defines Santa Cruz as an “urban-lifestyle” automobile and never a household hauler.

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Restricted fashions experience on 20-inch alloy wheels. Eighteen-inch wheels are additionally out there.

The rear bench is cut up 60/40, and the underside cushions simply fold up and out of the way in which to disclose a helpful flooring storage bin, a part of which is consumed by tire-changing gear.

A ten-inch show display is on the coronary heart of the Restricted infotainment system—an 8-inch display is customary on decrease trim ranges—and it boasts sharp graphics and is straightforward to learn even in vibrant gentle. We’re nonetheless not utterly offered on the touch-sensitive “digital” buttons employed for many local weather features. Discovered below the touchscreen, these buttons present no suggestions when touched, and might be gradual to answer inputs. What we do like is Santa Cruz’s conventional gearshift lever. The stout-feeling shifter is a welcome different to the push-button association present in prime Tucson trim ranges.

From the motive force’s seat, outward visibility is a combined bag. The view ahead is superb, thanks partly to the low instrument-panel cowl and dashboard. Sadly, the view to the rear is proscribed by quite a few components. The rear glass is small, and the upward curve of the aspect glass limits visibility by way of the rear-door home windows.

The aspect mirrors assist, however wanting over your shoulder to vary lanes needs to be simpler. Fortunately, our take a look at automobile was geared up with the out there rear-facing blind-spot cameras that activate routinely with the flip indicators and show clear blind-spot video within the instrument cluster. We expect this setup is extraordinarily helpful, despite the fact that it’s a bit odd at first to be wanting ahead whereas merging or altering lanes.

At 48 inches lengthy, Santa Cruz’s mattress is small (Maverick’s is six inches longer), however it’s thoughtfully designed. An out there lockable roll-top tonneau cowl is optionally available on SEL, and customary on SEL Premium and Restricted fashions. The quilt opens simply and routinely rolls up into an enclosure on the base of the rear window. When you’re having hassle picturing how this works, suppose old-school window shade.

To shut the tonneau, merely seize a backpack-style material strap and pull it towards you—no must climb into the mattress. We had been pleasantly stunned by the tonneau cowl’s ease of operation, however this tester grew up north of Chicago and may’t assist however surprise if it is going to work as easily when coated with snow because it did on a sunny 70-degree California day.

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From the entrance, Santa Cruz seems very similar to the Tucson crossover on which it’s primarily based. A stouter-looking decrease bumper remedy is in step with the pickup’s truckier mission.

Santa Cruz’s mattress options an ordinary lockable weather-sealed underfloor “trunk.” The trunklid is supported when open, and the compartment features a detachable drain plug so it may be used as an ice chest. The mattress space additionally consists of varied tie-down factors together with a utility rail and adjustable cleat system. There are small storage compartments in every sidewall, too. Out there options embody LED lighting within the mattress sides (these lights assist illuminate the trunk as nicely) and a 115-volt electrical outlet.

Pockets within the bedsides can be utilized to create a raised storage platform, and the tailgate might be set at varied angles to assist longer hundreds together with the cargo-bed benchmark 4X8-foot sheet of plywood. Santa Cruz additionally gives a small pass-through part within the middle of the rear window preferrred for skis and different lengthy objects.

After a day behind the wheel, we expect Hyundai has delivered on the promise of a small crossover imbued with the utility of a pickup mattress. We additionally suppose it doubtless there’s a significant viewers for simply such a truck. And whereas Hyundai is eager to accent the “journey” in sport-adventure automobile, we anticipate to see an excellent variety of these small Hyundais in Costco parking tons as nicely.

What stays to be seen is the scale of the marketplace for a really small pickup. Will the Santa Cruz be a single-generation automobile not not like the Subaru Baja, or is Hyundai (and Ford with the Maverick) about to rekindle America’s love affair with small vans? We’re inclined to suppose there are many automobile consumers who will discover the Santa Cruz’s distinctive mix of favor, sportiness, and practicality lots interesting.

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