How Does The Hyundai Santa Cruz Stand Up Against The Competition?

Hyundai’s first-ever pickup truck is gaining quite the attention at Hyundai dealer locations across the country. The Santa Cruz was named to honor the mountainous area of California to show that this pickup can handle all kinds of terrain. This Hyundai truck sits in a fairly tiny class of small unibody trucks like the newly released Ford Maverick and ever-popular Honda Ridgeline.

With small trucks gaining fame, it’s worth asking how the Hyundai Santa Cruz stands up against the competition:

Price

Stopping by your local Hyundai dealer to buy a Santa Cruz won’t set you back a ton. The base-level trim starts at just $25,385, which is just a few thousand dollars more than the Maverick but quite a bit less than Honda’s truck.

The top-of-the-line trim starts at $41,115. This is just shy of the Ridgeline’s premium trim but is almost $15k more than what you get from Ford.

Performance

The base-level engine in Hyundai’s truck is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that delivers 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. You can also opt for a turbo four-cylinder that makes 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. These are solid numbers for a smaller truck. Bigger options like the Ridgeline and Ford Ranger have base-level engines at around 275 hp each.

The Maverick offers an identical 191 hp engine that is assisted by an electric motor. A non-hybrid version is also available, which will give you 250 hp. Where the Santa Cruz stands out against the Maverick in the towing department, Hyundai’s truck can handle 1,000 more pounds.

As a whole, smaller trucks are going to offer better handling than larger models. You should expect Ford and Hyundai’s smaller trucks to be rather competitive on-road and off.

Cargo Space

Most shoppers aren’t buying a small truck because they have a lot of gear to haul. Bigger trucks are always going to trump smaller options. The Santa Cruz sports a four-foot-long cargo bed, which is half a foot shorter than the Maverick’s bed and a touch shorter than Honda’s truck bed. Hyundai, however, throws in a lockable tonneau cover as a standard feature.

What’s Inside

It seems like Hyundai focused on interior storage and space when it designed the Santa Cruz. To keep the price down, you won’t find a ton of unnecessary adornments. It’s hard to beat the Ridgeline’s luxurious interior, but that kind of style definitely raises the price. The Maverick offers a similar space.

On the tech side of things, it’s hard to beat Hyundai’s infotainment system. You can go with either an eight-inch or 10.3-inch touchscreen display. Honda and Ford only offer an eight-inch display on their trucks.

Hyundai also includes quite a few driver-assist safety features as standard gear. You get things like forward-collision warnings and automatic braking. Honda offers similar standard equipment at a higher price. Ford only offers standard automated emergency braking.

Final Thoughts

Deciding which truck is right for you depends a lot on what you want from a pickup. If you’re looking for a vehicle that offers tremendous value, plenty of power, and advanced tech, stop by your local Hyundai dealer and see why everyone is talking about the new Santa Cruz.