Hyundai · 2021–present

Hyundai Santa Cruz

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a four-door compact pickup truck manufactured and marketed by Hyundai. Released in 2021 for the 2022 model year, the Santa Cruz is the first four-door pickup truck sold by Hyundai in the North American market. The vehicle is based on the Tucson crossover SUV, and uses a unibody chassis design. Industry analysts expected the Santa Cruz to attract car or crossover SUV buyers instead of people who have owned a larger, traditional pickup truck. Hyundai is to reportedly discontinue production of the Santa Cruz in 2026.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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Overview

The Santa Cruz was previewed by a concept pickup truck at the 2015 North American International Auto Show with the same name. The production model debuted in April 2021 for the North American market. Marketed as a "Sport Adventure Vehicle", it is closely related to the fourth-generation Tucson, sharing the same project code (NX4, with additional 'a' to denote American production and 'OB' suffix, meaning 'open bed'), production site, and dashboard design. It also features a similar styling introduced on the fourth-generation Tucson, with its front end dominated by the grille with integrated daytime running lights. The Santa Cruz uses a front-wheel-drive configuration as the base model, with an available upgrade to the HTRAC all-wheel-drive system. The HTRAC system allows for the rear wheels to receive up to 50 percent of the drive power via a lockable clutched center differential. It is equipped with MacPherson struts for the front wheels and a multi-link independent suspension in the rear. The rear suspension is equipped with self-leveling shock absorbers to keep the truck level even when there is weight on the bed or a trailer on the hitch.

Facelift (2025)

The facelifted Santa Cruz was revealed on March 27, 2024. Changes include new headlights with redesigned LED daytime running lights, a new front fascia, a new grille, new exterior colors, new alloy wheel designs, a new curved panoramic screen with two 12.3-inch displays, the inclusion of physical controls for the HVAC and infotainment shortcuts, a new steering wheel, new air-con vents, updated features for safety and technology, and the XRT version received a few visual changes.

Powertrain

The Santa Cruz is available with a standard naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with both port and direct injection that produces 191 hp (194 PS; 142 kW) and 181 lb⋅ft (245 N⋅m; 25.0 kg⋅m) of torque that is exclusive to the United States. A turbocharged 2.5-liter engine that produces 281 hp (285 PS; 210 kW) and 311 lb⋅ft (422 N⋅m; 43.0 kg⋅m) of torque is available as an option, and is standard in Canada while being an option in the United States. The base engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, while the turbocharged engine is paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters. For the 2026 model year, the turbocharged engine became paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, replacing the dual-clutch automatic.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Hyundai Santa Cruz

Manufacturer

Hyundai

Production

June 2021 – present

Model years

2022–present

Assembly

United States: Montgomery, Alabama (HMMA)

Class

Compact pickup truck

Body style

4-door pickup

Layout

Front-engine, front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive (HTRAC)

Platform

Hyundai-Kia N3

Related

Hyundai Tucson (NX4)

Engine

Gasoline:, 2.5 L Smartstream G2.5 GDi I4 (US only), 2.5 L Smartstream G2.5 T-GDi I4

Transmission

8-speed A8F27 automatic, 8-speed D8LF1 dual-clutch automatic

Wheelbase

3005 mm

Length

4970 mm

Width

1905 mm

Height

1695 mm

Kerb weight

3704 -

sp

us

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

US EPA fuel-economy records

US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q97619529CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Santa_CruzCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1351675648 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2025_Hyundai_Santa_Cruz_XRT_(United_States)_front_view.jpgCC BY 2.0 · Photo: Charles · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Manufacturer website (link only) — https://www.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/vehicles/2022-santa-cruzLink only; no content copied · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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