► Hyundai’s baby pickup driven in California
► Chunky, funky and based on the Tucson
► Not destined for Europe, but that won’t stop us having a go…
This is an oddball, isn’t it? It’s Hyundai’s Santa Cruz pickup, the chunky and funky baby truck that’s endeared itself to quite a few folks across the pond.
Over here in Europe, the model is probably nothing more than a curio. Even so, we were offered an opportunity to drive the Santa Cruz on and off road at Hyundai’s enormous, tumbleweed-ridden proving ground in California.
When you get offered the key to a car you don’t normally get in your home market, it would be mad not to have a go, right? Step this way for our first experience of the Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup.
At a glance
Pros: Neat and easy to drive, feels solidly built, just enough off-road capability
Cons: Can’t buy it in Europe, not the most useful pickup, engine is noisy
What’s new?
This is Hyundai’s baby pick-up truck, designed more to be a handy car for your myriad leisure pursuits than one you’d see on a construction site. Hyundai quite literally says it’s ‘designed for California.’ Under the skin, the Santa Cruz uses the same architecture as the Tucson SUV.
The Santa Cruz has been on sale in North America for the last few years now, and is built at the brand’s factory in Alabama. 2024 saw a significant model year update with a chunky facelift, fresh technology and a new XRT trim. The XRT trim is Hyundai’s tougher spec variant that’s also seen on the Santa Fe and Ioniq 5; but all XRT models are for the North American market only.
What are the specs?
Just one engine is available, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder. You can have it either without a turbo or with one, meaning 191 or 281bhp respectively. Naturally-aspirated models feature a conventional eight-speed automatic, while the turbocharged and more powerful version uses an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
And then you arrive at the rather large number of trim options: SE, SEL, SEL Activity, XRT and Limited. Prices start at $28,500 (around £22,700 in a like-for-like comparison) for a base-spec, front-wheel drive Santa Cruz SE. The lower three trims are front-driven by default with all-wheel drive an optional extra, while XRT and flagship Limited include it as standard.
Base ones have enough kit, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, a rear-view camera, cruise control and keyless entry are all included.
The one we drive was an XRT (pictured, priced at $40,000, or around £32k) with the more potent turbocharged engine. The XRT spec is designed to be a little more off-road friendly, with beefier body cladding, tow hooks and a tow mode and bespoke ‘wrench-inspired’ 18-inch wheels shod in knobbly ‘all-terrain’ tyres. Loads of extra tech is thrown in, too.
What’s it like to drive?
We got to experience the Santa Cruz across the dusty off-road routes of Hyundai’s proving ground in California, as well as the roads around it. And would you be surprised if we say it drives quite a lot like the Tucson?
It’s all easy and light to get to know. The steering feels dainty as you turn, twisting smoothly and easily in your hands – handy for navigating the supermarket car park, or the local dunes… dude.
The dual-clutch transmission reacts quickly and shifts snappily, even responding positively to lead-footed hoofs of power in the sand dunes around Mojave, California. It’s here we learn the Santa Cruz’s ‘H-TRAC’ all-wheel drive system takes a lot for it to come undone, gripping well even in scenarios that would befuddle some other off-roaders of a similar size and price.
Floor it and acceleration is sprightly enough from the turbocharged engine, but the engine itself isn’t all that refined. There’s quite a raw and rough noise that emits when revs rise, and on-road refinement with those all-terrain tyres on the XRT model is only okay, rather than good.
What’s the interior like?
All in all, the Santa Cruz is a neat and tidy place to spend time, with some solid-feeling materials and some clever design touches that it (funnily enough) shares with the Tucson. There are also physical climate and infotainment buttons, too – hurrah! Interestingly, the Santa Cruz also has a physical automatic shifter – how old school.
The infotainment system is the same as any other modern Hyundai like the Tucson it’s based on and the larger Santa Fe, for example. That means some rather menu-heavy screens and lots of settings to choose from, but clean driver’s instruments and some handy features like a favourites button you can prime your most used setting to.
For those who like to have their driving position as low as possible, you’ll be left wanting – the Santa Cruz has quite a lofty seating position. Rear space is good enough for adults in the back, mind.
And then there’s the load bay. It’s a perfectly good space to chuck in your skis or your surfboards or whatever but, naturally, it’s not as large as most other pickups on the market – either those sold in North America or those sold in Europe like a Ford Ranger, for example. Go for an SEL Activity or above and you’ll get one with a rollover tonneau cover – perfect for making sure your stuff doesn’t get nicked when you’re at traffic lights and while parked.
Hyundai Santa Cruz: verdict
The Hyundai that’s ‘designed for California’ is, in reality, a very sensible and family-friendly Tucson SUV that’s gone on permanent holiday.
Good bits? It’s supremely easy to drive, feels like it’s built well and is capable enough to tackle sandy beaches and some muddy off-road tracks for all your adventurous hobbies. To us Europeans, it’s a bit wacky and something we’d never get over here, but there’s plenty to like.