It’s official: Hyundai has a pickup now. The carmaker has finally revealed the Santa Cruz, its newest entry to the truck-heavy US market.
The Santa Cruz debuts with a very sleek and sporty design that we’ve been seeing a lot from Hyundai lately. It looks rugged, but the design is a lot curvier than its boxy competitors like the Nissan Frontier and the Honda Ridgeline.
The Santa Cruz is a lot smaller than other vehicles in its segment, too. It stands 4,971mm long, 1,905mm wide, and 1,694mm tall with a 3,005mm wheelbase. For context, the Nissan Navara measures 5,260mm long, 1,850mm wide, and 1,860mm tall, while the Isuzu D-Max is 5,277mm long, 1,880mm wide, and 1,810mm tall. (If you want to see how this stacks up with pickups here in our market, you can check out one of our recent comparos as well.)
It’s got a macho-looking front clip adorned by a Tucson-like grille. The rear, meanwhile, looks as stylish as the front, boasting a pair of swept-back ‘T’ taillights highlighting the tailgate. This end is very functional, too, with lockable in-bed storage, integrated corner bumper steps, and a lockable tonneau cover built into the design.
Underneath, the truck sits on 20-inch alloy wheels housed by armor-like wheel arches that add further add brawniness to the exterior styling.
Inside, the truck boasts a plethora of leather and glossy black plastic bits. Hyundai says the design was focused on providing ergonomic comfort as well as ease of ingress and egress. Sitting front and center is an edgeless 10-inch infotainment that’s mated to a Bose audio setup. This display can be paired with an optional 10-inch digital cluster for the driver.
The Santa Cruz comes with a choice of two gasoline engines: a 190hp, 244Nm 2.5-liter nat-asp four-banger, or a 275hp, 420Nm 2.5-liter turbocharged in-line-four. The former is coupled with an eight-speed hydraulic automatic gearbox, while the latter with an eight-speed DCT with paddle shifters.
And as with most new Hyundais these days, the Santa Cruz also comes with a hose of extra tech. Forward-collision avoidance assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep assist, and driver attention warning come as standard. Features such as smart cruise control, safe exit assist, highway drive assist, blind-spot view monitor and collision avoidance assist come as added options.
So, what do you think of the new Santa Cruz? Could this be a contender in the stacked pickup segment here in the Philippines? You can check out more photos of it below.
Photos of the Hyundai Santa Cruz
