The latest 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a pickup truck with small dimensions and unibody construction. It is a functional and practical vehicle which offers a fun drive on the road.
4 trims come with the Hyundai Santa Cruz out of which SEL Premium is the best.
It boasts a powerful engine, standard All-Wheel Drive, auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather wrapped steering wheel and cooler tech. All of this comes with an additional $1,500. To buy used Hyundai cars in UAE, head over to the CarSwitch website.
Engine and Performance
There are two types of powertrain arrangements. In the standard layout, a 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine offers 180 pound feet of torque and 190 hp. As for the upgraded powertrain, it consists of a turbocharged 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine generating above 275 horsepower and 310 pound feet of torque.
Both powertrain options are paired with 8-speed automatic transmission. However, the turbocharged choice mates to the dual clutch automatic transmission. With both engines, an All-Wheel Drive is provided.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is easy to drive around because it is lower and smaller than it’s segment competitors. Two sizes of wheels are available in this midsize pickup truck which are 18 and 20 inches. The smaller wheels provide refined sidewalls and are more suitable to handle rough terrain.
Towing and payload capacity
Even though the Santa Cruz is not equipped to tow as much as the body-on-frame competitors, it can still pull a great deal. The only other unibody aka Ridgeline in this class segment has similar towing capacity as the Cruz.
Both trucks can tow 5,000 pounds. However, this capacity can only be achieved with the more strong turbocharged engine and not with the standard 2.5 liter engine which can only tow 3,500 pounds.
Cabin and cargo
Inside the truck, the Cruz appears to have one of the best interiors in the mid size pick-up trucks. The automaker has always been constructing vehicles using beautiful materials and attractive contemporary features which are even seen in lucrative vehicles.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is the first pickup in the segment to provide a completely digital gauge cluster. Instead of a flimsy rotary knob or push button layout, Hyundai has given a conventional shifter on the center console. The exact cabin size is unknown but it is only available in a 4-door crew cab. Since the wheelbase is 7 inches smaller than Ridgeline, the rear seats might not be easy to sit in.
Moreover, the cargo bed appears to be the smallest in the category with only 4 feet length. But it comes with a useful lockable tonneau cover and in-bed trunk which is similar to Honda’s.
Infotainment and connection
Hyundai made sure that this pickup truck is equipped with a modernistic infotainment system. It includes the standard 8 inches or an optional 10 inches touchscreen. The automaker has completely omitted the physical knobs.
Apart from wireless phone charging, the truck provides wireless pairing of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. If someone wants a bigger stereo system, there is a choice of 8-speaker Bose sound system.
The customers can start, lock and unlock doors with the automaker’s Blue Link services, offered free for 3 years. Through this feature, they can even remotely use the apps, internet and Amazon Alexa.
Safety and driver assistance
The Hyundai Santa Cruz provides a variety of driver assistance functions such as optional adaptive cruise control and standard driver attention warning. To learn about the crash test results of the vehicle, visit the websites of IIHS and NHTSA. The primary safety tech consists of:
- Optional rear cross traffic alert and blind spot monitoring
- Standard automated emergency braking and forward collision warning
- Standard lane keeping assistance and lane departure warning
Warranty and maintenance perks
Hyundai and it’s corporate counterpart aka Kai, has always provided top-level warranty coverage in the automotive industry, especially the significant powertrain warranty. Now, the brand even offers complimentary scheduled maintenance which even beats the competitors like Toyota. The main warranty coverage details are given below:
- Complimentary maintenance for 36,000 miles or 3 years.
- Limited warranty coverage for 60,000 miles or 5 years.
- Powertrain warranty coverage for 100,000 miles or 10 years.
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