SUMMARY
Hyundai has surprised a lot of us with the release of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, the first pickup truck ever released by the brand. Starting off as a concept in 2015, we’ll be able to see how it stacks up against the many established pickup truck models in the market today. The Santa Cruz comes with many different features for driver convenience and hosts a decent towing capacity for heavier usages. Overall, we see the Santa Cruz as a great vehicle with loads of potential moving forward. This 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz review will go into the specs and features that drivers will be able to avail of with this new release.
LATEST
Back during the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, we already knew that Hyundai was playing around with a conceptual Hyundai pickup truck. Now, we can finally see this concept turned into reality with the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. This new model seeks to join the market of mid-sized pickups as a brand new contender against some of the already established trucks available.
ESTIMATED PRICE
The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz price point differ between the 4 available trim levels. First off is the base SE model which is then followed by the SEL and SEL premium trims. The highest tier would be the Limited trim which comes with all features as standard. The base model itself is already well and good enough for typical driving needs but we suggest the SEL Premium or the SEL for those want a bit more. Below is our 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz cost table that details the starting MSRPs of the available trims:
| Trim (Drivetrain) | MSRP* |
| 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE | $24,140* |
| 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL | $27,340* |
| 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL Premium | $35,830* |
| 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited | $39,870* |
The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz lease price is available through the brand’s various lease programs and financing options available on their official site. Make sure to check there and the site of your preferred car dealer to find the deal that’s right for you within your local area.
MACHINE PERFORMANCE
The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz specs sheet shows that the powertrain options available to the Santa Cruz differs between the Inline 4-Cylinder and the Inline 4-Cylinder Turbocharged engines. The former of these powertrain options is for the SE and SEL levels and is capable of 191 horsepower and 181 pounds-feet of torque. The SEL Premium and Limited levels get the turbocharged version of this system that’s capable of 281 horsepower and 311 pounds-feet of torque. The SE and SEL trim levels can use either the front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations. The SEL Premium and Limited ones will only come with all-wheel drive as standard options. The transmission of the first two trim levels is fitted with an 8-speed automatic transmission that features SHIFTRONIC technology. The highest 2 trim levels are fitted with a more responsive 8-speed Wet Dual Clutch Transmission system.
FUEL EFFICIENT & ACTUAL MPG
The EPA has rated all the trim levels of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, placing it at levels that are quite efficient for the most part. Only the first two trim levels have the option for front-wheel drive systems as the rest of the lineup is only available in all-wheel drive configurations. Take note that all models have a fuel capacity of about 17.7 gallons.
| Trim Mileage Estimates | City/mpg | Highway/mpg | Combined/mpg |
| 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE (FWD) | 21 | 26 | 23 |
| 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE (AWD) | 21 | 27 | 23 |
| 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL (FWD) | 21 | 26 | 23 |
| 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL (AWD) | 21 | 27 | 23 |
| 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL Premium (AWD) | 19 | 27 | 22 |
| 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited (AWD) | 19 | 27 | 22 |
INTERIOR, SOLACE & BAGGAGE
Hyundai’s work on the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz interior cabin is a massive step up when compared to the cabins of the pickup trucks that it’s competing against. The materials used on the passenger cabin, as well as the attractive layout work done here, make it seem like the Santa Cruz is much pricier than it is. For passenger capacity, the Santa Cruz can fit around 5 people with its passenger volume of around 101.8 cubic feet.
TOWING CAPACITY
Hyundai did not disclose on their press releases much information on the axle ratio of the Hyundai Santa Cruz. What we do know is that it’s been rated to have a payload capacity of 3,500 pounds for the FWD models. The AWD models have the greatest capacity with 5000 pounds of towing capacity.
TECHNOLOGY
The infotainment system of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is as well-equipped as any vehicle in Hyundai’s lineup. Passengers start off with the color touchscreen display that’s available in either 8-inch or 10.25-inch resolutions depending on the trim level selected. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity comes standard to all trims along with SiriusXM Satellite Radio available. Other features that come optional include wireless device charging capabilities for any devices supported. All models also come with Hyundai’s Bluelink Connected Car Service which includes different features. The sound system on the SE to the SEL Premium is just a standard AM/FM/HD Radio package that comes with the 8-inch Color Touchscreen. This can be further upgraded to a Premium Audio System sourced from BOSE that’s only available to the Limited trim level.
SAFETY
The Santa Cruz’s wide range of driver-assistive features and safety technologies lend it a lot of credibility as a vehicle that puts passenger safety at the forefront of it all. Some of the standard features available on the SEL trims and above include a Lane Keeping and Following Assists, a Blind Spot Collision Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Alerts, Forward Collision-Avoidance with Pedestrian detection, and a Vehicle Stability Management system. The Limited trim steps it up a notch by adding a Blind Spot View Monitor as well as a Surround View Monitor for the driver’s convenience. Highway Driving Assists and even a Smart Cruise Control feature also comes standard to the Limited trim.
WARRANTY
Hyundai’s various warranty package offers are well-known for their reliability and the length of the warranty terms. The Limited warranty plan lasts for about 5 years or the first 60,000 miles driven, whichever comes first. Their Powertrain warranty is well regarded as one of the longest-lasting warranty plans out there, spanning for 10 years with a mileage limit of 100,000 miles driven. They also have anti-perforation warranty as a standard offering with terms that span for 7 years without a mileage limit.