2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Review, Pricing, and Specs (2024)

Overview

If the functionality of a pickup truck is appealing to you but popular models such as the Chevy Silverado and the Ford F-150 are too big or too expensive, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz might be just what you need. This compact pickup is based on the Tucson crossover but its four-foot truck bed makes it more practical for hauling bulky items such as mountain bikes or a yard of mulch for your flower beds. A 191-hp four-cylinder is standard and can be had with front- or all-wheel drive. If you're looking to tow, you'll want to go with the optional 281-hp turbo four, which delivers perkier acceleration and increases maximum towing capacity to a stout 5000 pounds. When it's not doing truck tasks, the Santa Cruz delights with a refined ride, a quiet, handsome cabin, and plenty of desirable convenience and tech features. In other words, it's as easy to live with as the Tucson SUV. The Hyundai's only negative is its price, which is slightly higher than its only rival, the Ford Maverick.

What's New for 2025?

Although it's only in its fourth model year, Hyundai has given the Santa Cruz pickup truck a minor styling refresh for 2025 to make it look a little more rugged. The restyled grille and front bumper are similar to the 2025 Tucson SUV's, and the all-terrain XRT model takes things a step further. It gets a dollop of off-road flavor thanks to a unique front-end treatment with tow-hooks, exclusive 18-inch wheels and meatier tires, and new daytime running lights. Inside, the Santa Cruz's optional dual-screen infotainment system has been overhauled with Hyundai's latest tech. Gone are the separate infotainment and gauge displays from the 2024 Santa Cruz's top trims; they've been replaced by a single panel containing two 12.3-inch screens and an updated software interface that features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The new system can receive over-the-air updates and features USB-C ports, a fingerprint scanner for security, and Hyundai Pay, the company's in-vehicle payment system. Lower trims offer a single 12.3-inch infotainment display and analog gauges. The dashboard and center console have both been restyled, as have the steering wheel and the panel of buttons for the climate control switches.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

The XRT is the trim that we think is the one to get. Admittedly, this model represents a steep MSRP climb over the SE and SEL, but the more powerful turbocharged engine is a must for anyone who cares about acceleration. The more potent engine also lifts the tow rating to 5000 pounds and the XRT comes with all-wheel drive that's a costly option on the SEL. There's some rugged-looking equipment to heighten the aesthetic, and dark chrome trim as well.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

There are two powertrains available for the Santa Cruz, with the engine choice decided by the trim. The SE and SEL fit a 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque that shifts through an eight-speed automatic transmission. When we tested the same motor in the Hyundai Tucson SUV—on which the Santa Cruz is based—we found the acceleration sluggish. The Night, XRT, and Limited trims come with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four with 281 horses and 311 pound-feet, figures much better suited to urban driving. This engine gets an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. All trims except the SE can be had with all-wheel drive. The Santa Cruz is shorter and lower than larger rivals from the mid-size truck class, which makes it easier to maneuver around town. The top-of-the-line Limited model we drove showcased the truck's refined ride and agile handling.

0–60-MPH Times

While we haven't tested a Santa Cruz with the base engine, our experience in the mechanically similar Tucson SUV serves to indicate poky acceleration. That's not the case with the turbo four, which managed a 6.0-second run to 60 mph in our testing, just 0.1 second behind the last turbocharged Ford Maverick we tested.

Towing and Payload Capacity

When optioned with the base four-cylinder, the Santa Cruz is rated to tow 3,500 pounds. With the optional turbocharged engine, the little truck's tow rating matches that of the only other unibody trucks in this class, the Honda Ridgeline and Ford Maverick. All are capped at a 5000-pound towing capacity.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

Equipped with the base engine and front-wheel drive, the Santa Cruz is rated at 22 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. Adding all-wheel drive drops city and highway figures by 1 mpg. The turbocharged version has estimates of 19 mpg city and 27 highway. We ran a turbocharged Santa Cruz on our 75-mph fuel-economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, and it returned 30 mpg highway. For more information about the Santa Cruz's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

Hyundai has a habit of designing interiors that look more expensive than they are. The Santa Cruz benefits by having one of the nicest cabins among both the compact and mid-size pickup segments. It's the first truck in its class to offer a fully digital gauge cluster, and we appreciate that it has a traditional shifter on the center console instead of a rotary knob or pushbuttons. The Santa Cruz is only available with a four-door crew cab, and passenger space in the front and the back is competitive with similarly sized trucks. Its cargo bed is shorter than a mid-size truck's, but at about four feet long it's still handy and versatile, with a lockable tonneau cover and a useful in-bed trunk that's similar to what the Honda Ridgeline offers.

Infotainment and Connectivity

The base SE and SEL come standard with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen but higher trims come with dual 12.3-inch displays mounted together in a single, curved panel. One serves as a digital gauge display and the other as an infotainment touchscreen. Digital features include wireless device charging, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and Hyundai's Blue Link services provided free for three years. With Blue Link, owners can do things like remotely lock and unlock the doors and start the Santa Cruz by using an app, the Internet, or Amazon Alexa.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The Santa Cruz offers an array of driver-assistance technology, including a standard driver-attention warning and optional adaptive cruise control. For more information about the Santa Cruz's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:

• Standard forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking
• Standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
• Standard blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Hyundai—along with its corporate counterpart, Kia—has long offered one of the best warranty plans in the industry, with especially noteworthy powertrain coverage. The company also offers complimentary scheduled maintenance that bests mainstream rivals such as Toyota.

• Limited warranty five years or 60,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles
• Complimentary maintenance covers three years or 36,000 miles

More Features and Specs