New Hyundai Santa Cruz Review

If you expect power even from a small truck, you are in luck. The Tucson-based truck has an effective 191-horsepower engine. Standard for SE and SEL editions, it is paired with front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic. If you want something speedier and stronger, there’s a 281-horsepower turbo with a dual-clutch automatic and all-wheel drive. Motor Trend calls the Santa Cruz engine “torquey”.

The mid size truck can sprint from zero to 60 miles per hour in just over six seconds with the turbo engine. Even at its smaller size, the Santa Cruz pickup truck in Phoenix AZ is still ready to tow. Ratings are 3,500 or 5,000 pounds, depending on the engine and drivetrain. That's quite a lot for a small truck, and it's definitely enough to allow you to take along adventure machines, a small camper or a small boat trailer.

As part of Hyundai's ownership experience, new Santa Cruz trucks come with up to three years of scheduled maintenance and up to ten years of powertrain coverage. You won't find that type of coverage on a rival midsize truck, such as the Honda Ridgeline, Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, or Nissan Frontier.

For better ride quality whether or not it is hauling, the Santa Cruz has a self-leveling rear suspension. There’s a sportiness to its handling that is sure to appeal to an adventure lover or a driving enthusiast. Sharp reflexes make it responsive to the driver's commands. Not only a pleasure to drive, the Hyundai truck manages to balance ride quality comfort with responsiveness.

It rides and drives much more like a well-sprung SUV with sharp reflexes. Sound is kept out by such measures as an acoustic-laminated windshield. AWD editions are at home on a dirt track headed for your favorite trail or lake. Drivers will find Hyundai all-wheel drive is tough enough for leaving the pavement. It has an electronic locking differential which can be locked with the push of a button.

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This vehicle doesn’t look as trucklike as most midsize trucks on the market. That’s why it gets praise for its stylishness and reviewers say things like it’s a standout design or it’s eye-catching. The compact truck bed measures four feet, and Car and Driver reviewers praise it as “highly versatile”.

There is a water-tight, yet drainable underfloor storage bin in the bed. The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz in Phoenix is only the second midsize truck to have this type of storage that can be used for gear or turned into a cooler. Like rival midsize pickup trucks, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, it has built-in bumper steps for easy entry into the bed.

The available roll-top cargo cover adds privacy. Other details include LED lighting, tie-down cleats, and lockable cubbies. For outdoor work or camping, there’s a 120-volt power outlet. The upper trims add a Dual C-channel utility track with rails and cleats. With so much equipment, this mid size truck is definitely a sport adventure vehicle.

To borrow a phrase from auto critic Edmunds, the Hyundai truck cabin has a distinct future-forward look. That’s due to the creatively styled driver’s cockpit and its full digital instrument panel. Drivers will appreciate the ergonomic layout that puts important features in easy reach on the console, dash or steering wheel. There are a nice long list of standard features, including the bed steps, bed compartment, advanced driver assistance, and an infotainment touch screen.

Stepping up, Hyundai piles on even more value with additional driver assistance technology, heated front seats, and a power-adjustable driver’s chair. This compact truck trim level also has a remote starter and Push Button Start. At the premium level, this affordable truck has the top infotainment system, a dual-zone automatic climate system, and the Hyundai digital key.

It adds a sunroof, roof rails, a cargo cover, and bed LED lighting. If you want the most luxe features on a pickup truck in Phoenix AZ, you can get leather upholstery, ambient lighting, rear air vents, and front-row ventilated seats. Hyundai adds the maximum in driver assistance and the complete advanced infotainment package to the truck’s top trim.

You can learn more about trim levels and features in this extended review.

The standard 8-inch touch screen has what everyone wants. Namely, it has wireless connectivity for advanced smartphone apps via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. HD radio is standard across this pickup truck lineup, and SEL editions add satellite radio connectivity. The upgraded 10.2-inch screen has navigation. The Limited adds a Bose audio system to surround Santa Cruz passengers with sound. Two front USB ports are standard, and the Limited trim adds back-seat USB ports.

On higher trims of the Hyundai truck, there’s a 10.2-inch digital instrumentation cluster. With the two screens, the cockpit really goes high tech. BlueLink Connected Car Service includes a special phone app. With this interface tool, you can use your phone to access your vehicle, including a remote starter with advanced capability. For those who have the dual-zone automatic climate controls and the available ventilated seats, that means a very cool greeting on a hot day.

If you are comparing this truck's size to rivals, the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz body is some 10 to 15 inches shorter than a regular midsize truck body. That’s what makes it so carlike to maneuver and so easy to park. Yet it still manages to have 101.8 cubic feet of passenger space. That's more than many SUVs.

And then there's the bed! Remarkably, this new Hyundai truck can handle 4 x 8 sheets of plywood in its four-foot bed. That’s due to the clever way the lower part of the bed is four inches longer than the top. Plus the adjustable tailgate allows for more length.

Payload can be 1,521 pounds with the regular engine or 1,753 pounds with the turbo. Ready to stray off the road, ground clearance is as much as 8.6 inches in the all-wheel drive editions.

Like Hyundai SUVs today, the standard driver assistance on the Santa Cruz is a list that reads like higher models by a different maker. This includes forward collision detection, warning, and responding autobrake. Other elements include pedestrian detection with a corresponding autobrake. Lane Keep Assist works to keep the Hyundai truck inside the safety of marked lines.

You can also get a blind spot monitor or the Hyundai blind spot camera system. Other favorites include a surround-view camera and Highway Driving Assist. Although this is a pickup truck, it is ready for parenting duty. Standard equipment includes two LATCH attachments and a rear occupant alert for the back seat.

At present the Santa Cruz is challenged mainly by the new Ford Maverick. Hyundai offers more standard features for the money, and it has the bed steps and hidden cargo compartment that the Maverick doesn’t offer. The Hyundai interior is “swankier” than the Ford, as one reviewer has written. Plus, the Santa Cruz has stain- and odor-resistant upholstery, helping you keep the interior looking better longer.

Next, it has a higher towing capacity than the Ford truck which can handle 2,000 or 4,000 pounds versus the Santa Cruz work truck with 3,500 or 5,000 pounds. The Hyundai even has a higher payload capacity despite the fact that the Ford Maverick bed is a bit bigger.

You also won’t find a standard self-leveling rear suspension on the Ford truck.

While not as fuel efficient as the Maverick’s hybrid engine, the Santa Cruz turbo competes well with the Maverick’s gasoline engine fuel economy.

Of course, the Santa Cruz truck has the longest warranties in the automotive industry. Hyundai coverage beats Ford coverage by up to two years (Limited Warranty) and up to five years (Powertrain Warranty).

Find out more when you schedule a test drive of the new Hyundai Santa Cruz truck.

Of course, the Santa Cruz truck has the longest warranties in the automotive industry. Hyundai coverage beats Ford coverage by up to two years (Limited Warranty) and up to five years (Powertrain Warranty).