Today, Hyundai revealed its innovative Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This fresh concept reflects a completely new interpretation of truck utility for a new generation of buyers, especially Millennials, who represent the second-largest population of car buyers.

“The Santa Cruz crossover truck concept meets the unspoken needs of a growing Millennial lifestyle we call ‘Urban Adventurers’,” said Mark Dipko, director, corporate planning, Hyundai Motor America. “This new crossover allows them all the expandable utility they need throughout their active week, from work-life professionalism, to social interests, to a whole variety of outdoor pursuits, without the typical compromises they have come to expect from the industry’s current product offerings.”

URBAN ADVENTURERS

Modern urbanization is impacting the market in a broad way, and this trend is especially strong with young adults, who face tighter parking on streets and parking garages, and increasing congestion overall. These trends are not confined to one specific region of the U.S.; they’re happening in urban hubs everywhere. These “Urban Adventurers” have a different mindset, being very active both socially, and in their communities, bringing a pioneering spirit to make their neighborhoods a better place to live and work.

So whether it’s loading up friends and firewood for a bonfire at the beach, coaching the youth soccer team, volunteering for a community restoration project, or a quick drop-off at the local recycling center, they need a vehicle versatile enough to accommodate both passengers and gear, while being efficient enough to fit into their unique urban lifestyle.

SANTA CRUZ CONCEPT

To meet the specific needs of these Urban Adventurers, Santa Cruz doesn’t focus on all the same attributes as traditional pickups. It’s designed to meet more of their desires for expression, efficiency and maneuverability. Hyundai designers created a bold design that conveys this lifestyle, with a wide, sure-footed stance and an aggressive side-profile rake. The front view features an upright, hexagonal grille with cascading lines framing the sides, dual lens-free, honeycombed headlamp projectors, and prominent LED fog lamps. The side profile is highlighted by oversized wheels, Michelin® tires with a special tread design, center-locking hubs and yellow Brembo® brake calipers.

For ease of access to the rear seats, Santa Cruz features convenient, rear-hinged rear doors which integrate seamlessly with the front door design. The wheel arches, roof, and bed rails offer convenient tie-down cleats for securing cargo of all shapes and sizes. From the rear, the concept presents highly-contoured bed forms, and for extra utility, the expandable bed can be easily reconfigured for longer cargo, using a unique drawer-like sliding function.

Efficiency is a key attribute of its advanced powertrains, with an environmentally-friendly 2.0-liter turbo diesel powertrain delivering 190 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft. of torque, while achieving fuel economy in the high 30 mpg range. Santa Cruz also offers Hyundai’s HTRAC® All-wheel drive system, so there’s no anxiety about getting those snowboarding “fresh tracks” right after a storm moves through.

The concept is purposefully compact, and although it has four doors and seating for five, its overall footprint is similar to a small CUV. These dimensions make it ideal for navigating the urban jungle or a tight parking spot that most pickup drivers often have to pass by. It offers typical CUV driving character, but with a versatile cargo bed that provides separated storage for all they want to bring along, whether it’s a trip to the recycling center, a surf or paddleboard session, or a couple of mountain bikes for the trails. Whatever the day’s activity might bring -- all that dirty, sweaty, wet, sandy, bulky gear remains in the back of the truck, cleanly separated from the passenger compartment.

During the work week, gear for that early morning hike or after-work hockey game stays securely locked in the back, under an integrated, rigid tonneau cover that conveniently retracts when not needed. It not only keeps items safe and out of sight, it also keeps the interior clean and fresh. Santa Cruz is the perfect vehicle for those that want the attributes of a CUV, but still have dirty stuff that belongs “in the back.”

INNOVATIVE TAILGATE EXTENSION

Sometimes, there are those needs that call for even more cargo room; that’s why Santa Cruz offers an innovative tailgate extension that allows the bed length to be expanded whenever those “just in case” moments arise. The extension is perfect for everything from an epic mountain bike trip to bringing home an antique chest or classic motorcycle that’s ripe for restoration. When fully extended, Santa Cruz’s bed length is similar to a mid-size pickup, providing the ability to carry much more than its compact footprint would suggest, yet only when needed. Santa Cruz was designed to accommodate whatever the Urban Adventurer’s lifestyle calls for, whether expected or unexpected.

Some of the industry’s past attempts to blend truck-bed flexibility with passenger-car attributes were limited because they didn’t deliver the practical benefits the customer expected. Most tried to straddle the line by attracting traditional truck buyers with compromised products at a similar price point, failing to deliver any differentiating benefits. Santa Cruz, by design, isn’t an alternative to a truck, so towing, payload and ground clearance were not primary goals. Rather, Santa Cruz is intended to attract CUV and sedan buyers who are seeking greater utility, without the compromises that traditional trucks often require.

MORPHING LIFESTYLE DEMANDS

Hyundai research revealed that not everyone who wants an open-bed vehicle is willing to accept the tradeoffs that come with it. As evidence of this, industry pickup truck share is down over five percent in the last 10 years, with the biggest shift among young adults, reflecting a need for something that more closely matches these morphing lifestyles. In the past, small trucks accounted for half of pickup sales, and they were particularly popular with younger buyers. Today, that same young truck market is almost non-existent, and millennials under 30 represent just seven percent of all pickup purchases. Women, who buy more than half of all CUVs sold, now account for only 10 percent of pickup sales. Santa Cruz is intended to meet the customer needs that the current truck product offering is simply not fulfilling.

Santa Cruz is for the growing population who sees and pursues the world differently, those who want all the traditional attributes of a small CUV, but need the day-to-day versatility of an open bed. It’s the crossover truck that meets the unspoken needs of Urban Adventurers.

The Santa Cruz concept is inching closer to production as the CEO of Hyundai Motor America has confirmed the model is slated to be launched in 2020.

Speaking with The Detroit Bureau, Kyung Soo Lee said “We just had a meeting to look at the design” and the plan is to “launch it, in the U.S. market, in 2020” or shortly thereafter. The executive was tight-lipped about additional information, but the publication is reporting the company is working on locking down the truck’s final design and specifications.

While a lot of questions remain, it appears the production model will follow in the footsteps of the concept and be a lifestyle vehicle like the Honda Ridgeline. As part of this effort, the truck will be based on a crossover platform instead of an all-new body-on-frame setup. This should save on development costs and give the Santa Cruz a more car-like ride.

While the concept featured a diesel engine, one isn’t expected to be offered on the production model. Instead, the report suggests the pickup could be offered with either a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder or a naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder. The larger engine produces 185 hp (138 kW / 187 PS) and 178 lb-ft (241 Nm) of torque in the Sonata, while the turbocharged unit develops 201 hp (149 kW / 203 PS) and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque in the Elantra Sport.

Little else is known about the truck, but insiders have reportedly told the publication that the Santa Cruz’s design will echo crossovers instead of traditional pickups. It remains unclear how much of the concept’s styling will carryover, but its knockout design still looks good nearly four years later.

One of the more interesting items in the report is the suggestion that Hyundai is targeting the Santa Cruz at consumers who are under 30 years old. To help appeal to these buyers, Hyundai will reportedly keep prices affordable. This could mean the truck will undercut the Nissan Frontier which starts at $18,990.

In 2015, Hyundai first debuted the concept for an all-new compact pickup truck which it called the Santa Cruz. While many people may have forgotten that the automaker had its eyes on a pickup, Hyundai itself didn't and now it will not only sell its fabled truck on American soil, where it will also build the new model.

The South Korean automaker announced its plans for a $410 million investment in its Montgomery, Alabama assembly plant on Wednesday, a move which marks Hyundai's first deep dive into the compact pickup market. In all, it’s a small slice of the truck segment which other manufacturers have all but ignored in recent years.

Beginning in 2021, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) will add the Santa Cruz pickup to its growing portfolio of U.S.-produced vehicles. At the same factory, Hyundai currently manufactures its Santa Fe SUV, as well as two sedans, the Elantra and Sonata.

“Bringing the Santa Cruz to HMMA demonstrates that Hyundai Motor Company is confident our more than 3,000 Team Members are ready to build a quality crossover for the U.S. market,” said Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama President and CEO Byungjin Jin.

Hyundai says that in addition to its monetary investment, it also expects to add around 200 jobs directly related to production of the Santa Cruz. Parts suppliers and logistic companies are estimated to add an additional 1,000 support positions.

Sadly, Hyundai hasn't shown us another photo of what it envisions the Santa Cruz to be. The brand says that it is actively targeting a "new generation of buyers, especially Millennials.” Perhaps its final product will be fairly close to the ultra-modern concept it debuted, hopefully including its razor-sharp edges and vibrant accents as well.

One might also find it interesting that Hyundai didn't use the word "pickup" in its official press release—at all. In fact, it has avoided that term for some time, historically calling the concept a "crossover truck" and "compact utility vehicle.” We're not sure if Hyundai is trying to avoid the backlash of body-on-frame purists denouncing the vehicle's viability or if it hopes to open the market to otherwise non-truck buyers.

Either way, we're happy that a new compact pickup option is coming to U.S. consumers in the near future.

How long has it been since Hyundai took the veils off the Santa Cruz? The concept was revealed in January 2015 at the Detroit Auto Show, and the crossover-based truck was approved for production in August 2017.

7 photos

Spied on numerous occasions, the Santa Cruz has been photographed in a parking lot by YouTube do-it-yourself projects channel 80% Garage with production-ready parts. “I was actually on my way home from dropping my kids off at school,” said the original poster, “and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this little truck. About three or four months ago in this very same parking lot I’d actually seen three test mules for the Genesis GV70.”

Despite the camouflage up front, on the sides, and out back, it’s obvious that Hyundai took a lot of inspiration from the all-new Tucson. From the shutline of the hood with the front fender to the design of the side mirror and A-pillar’s triangular trim, Tucson influences galore. The front grille, taillights, and rear quarters give the Santa Cruz an identity of its own, along with a bed length estimated at four feet (1.2 meters) by the original poster.

That’s not long enough for Hyundai’s newcomer to rival a mid-size pickup truck such as the Ranger, Colorado, or Tacoma, and it also falls short of the 2022 Ford Maverick and Honda Ridgeline. For reference, the crossover-based pickup from the Blue Oval is estimated at 5.0 feet (1.5 meters) while the Japanese contender trumps both challengers with 5.3 feet (1.6 meters).

Expected to enter production at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery sometime in the second half of 2021 as a 2022 model, the Santa Cruz will join the U.S.-spec Tucson, Santa Fe, Elantra, and Sonata. HMMA is also responsible for no fewer than four engines, as follows: 1.6 T-GDI, an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter four-pot motor, the 2.5 GDI, and 2.5 T-GDI.

Given this information, it’s clear that Santa Cruz customers will be offered front-wheel drive and a four-cylinder engine as standard. Expected to start from approximately $25,000, the crossover-inspired truck should feature an eight-speed automatic as standard and HTRAC AWD as an option.

The full debut of the Hyundai pickup is just around the corner, but today we’re getting a revealing preview of what’s coming. It’s called the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, just as we’ve been expecting.

Four shadowy but decent photos are being shown today alongside a few undefined details. We can see that it’s quite obviously a small truck with a short bed and what looks like a roomy cabin. Just like the Honda Ridgeline, the Santa Cruz will be built on a unibody platform, but based on its size, it looks like more of a compact Ford Maverick competitor than a mid-size truck.

And before we type “truck” again, know that Hyundai is not calling it one. Instead, Hyundai is naming it a “Sport Adventure Vehicle,” which speaks to this vehicle’s purpose more than what it is. Make no mistake, this vehicle with a bed is most definitely still a pickup. Seeing the length of the bed, shape of the cab and car-inspired grille puts it in a gray area between tool and adventure-mobile, though.



You don’t have to look too far away in the Hyundai lineup to see where the grille comes from. It’s a derivative of the new Tucson’s and Elantra’s face, only made taller and bolder. The same exotic front running light scheme is used here again, and we can see the actual headlights mounted much lower in the front bumper. The body lines are muscular to the max with an especially strong Y-shaped crease pattern extending from the hood and front fenders into the door and down the side. Its windshield is crossover-like with its rake, unlike most trucks with more vertically-oriented windshields. The cab meets the bed from a diagonal angle. Out back, the tailgate has “Santa Cruz” stamped in it and features the Hyundai text on the handle. Strong, T-shaped horizontal taillights complete the lighting picture. One neat feature we can already make out are the bed steps incorporated into the rear bumper to reach items inside the bed.

Hyundai says the Santa Cruz will have a “flexible bed for gear, cutting-edge connectivity and a highly maneuverable all-wheel-drive platform.” It’s going to be suitable for “adventure-focused environments,” so we’ll be expecting a little more than your average crossover’s all-wheel-drive system. Additionally, Hyundai promises “powerful and efficient engines,” guaranteeing that there will be more than one engine option.

Beyond that, we’ll have to wait for the truck’s reveal on April 15 this year. Hyundai says the Santa Cruz will go into production this summer at its Montgomery, Ala. plant.

The Hyundai HCD-15 Santa Cruz was one of the biggest hits of the North American International Auto Show back in 2015. A year later, the company promised that a production version was a matter of when, not if. Well, it's been half a decade since then, but the Santa Cruz is finally happening.

Ahead of the Santa Cruz's April 15 unveil, Hyundai has released a video from its design studio in California talking about the new, well, not-truck. Yes, Hyundai is adamant that "it's not a truck," as design manager of Hyundai North America Brad Arnold states in the video. "It's a Santa Cruz," he concludes. So, um, it's a city? A skateboard brand? A school whose mascot is the banana slug?

Turns out, it was meant for the city first and foremost. "It's meant to thrive in dense urban environments, and the open outdoors," Arnold states, but the order here seems important. According to spy shots, it shares a lot with the Tucson, and no one would mistake that CUV for being an off-roader.


The unibody architecture with a pickup bed is what Australians would call a ute, but it's also different than the style best embodied by the Chevy El Camino and Ford Ranchero. Those were low to the ground and had only a bed for cargo. The Santa Cruz, however, will have "both open and closed storage," according to Arnold.

So it's more like a Ridgeline, then? Not quite, because if it's based on a Tucson it'll be one class smaller than Honda's midsizer. Function-wise, it seems to fill the void left by the 2WD pickups of the 1970s and 80s, from companies like Toyota, Datsun, Mitsubishi and Isuzu. However, those were of body-on-frame construction, not unibody.

So perhaps the Santa Cruz really is in a class of its own. The Santa Cruz debuts April 15, and even if it's been six years since the concept, at least Hyundai keeps its promises. Also, it's not every day that you get to be in a segment of one. That is, until the 2022 Ford Maverick enters the market.

Hyundai unveiled its highly anticipated Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle. The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz breaks new ground within the SUV, Truck and Crossover segments by offering a true Sport Adventure Vehicle unlike anything else in the U.S. market. Santa Cruz boasts bold yet sophisticated design, powerful and efficient powertrain options, a flexible open bed for gear, cutting-edge connectivity and a highly maneuverable all-wheel drive platform that is equally at home in urban and adventure-focused environments. The Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle begins production in Montgomery, Alabama in June and will be available for sale in summer. The addition of Santa Cruz to HMMA production will add an estimated 1,200 jobs to the U.S. economy.

"Santa Cruz, with its bold styling, breaks open all new segment territory, both for Hyundai and the industry as a whole. Open-bed flexibility coupled with closed-cabin security meets the changing everyday needs of its adventure-oriented buyers, while powerful and efficient engines and superb maneuverability ensure it is a pleasure to drive in urban or off-road environments. Our customers will wonder just how they managed before owning one," said Jose Munoz, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America.

Why Santa Cruz?

Hyundai Santa Cruz was developed to be the ultimate Sport Adventure Vehicle, a moniker confirmed in Hyundai's early consumer research. The research found consumers, often living in urban environments, whose lifestyles include the need to escape to weekend adventures of all kinds. Many of these customers carry various gear and equipment that is better suited to an open bed rather than a typical SUV bodystyle. These buyers want versatile transportation that is equally flexible for urban, adventure, occupational or even home improvement gear. Santa Cruz features a secure, open bed area which includes a lockable tonneau cover, hidden bed storage and versatile bed extension accessories. At the same time, these customers still value the secure utility of a compact SUV, with its comfort, passenger space, fuel efficiency and parking ease. Santa Cruz, with its unique, bold design, created an entirely new segment that meets these specific buyer needs like no vehicle before it.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz was a long time coming. The concept was revealed at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, which means it took six years for Hyundai to bring out a production model. You, like us, may be wondering what took so long. We asked Hyundai North America's senior manager for product strategy and regulatory compliance, Gilbert Castillo, and he gave us answers.

Castillo started off by saying that when the original Santa Cruz concept was launched it had a great reception with a lot of people interested in it. And as other Hyundai product planners pointed out, a small pickup was a product that had generally vanished, and therefore could be an interesting opportunity. So the company began to consider and work out how they could pull off such a vehicle.

Castillo explained that the problem was the platform they were working with. At the time, the plan was to use the previous generation Tucson crossover platform. The team developing the truck discovered they would have to make many compromises to use the now-old platform and weren't going to meet internal targets for the truck.

Instead of trying to put out a subpar truck, the Santa Cruz was put on hold for the next Tucson. And as development began for the crossover, the platform was developed with the idea of adapting it to a truck later, giving us the pickup design we saw unveiled today. And as you can see, the truck has changed a fair bit, taking on more styling cues from the Tucson that provided its platform. It also picked up a larger rear seating area than the concept, which Hyundai product planners felt would be more appealing to buyers. Considering the popularity of crew cab pickups, we think they're probably right.

So there you go, the Santa Cruz took a while because Hyundai wanted to get it just right, and that took a new generation of small crossover. We'll have a chance to tell first hand if Hyundai has a winner with the Santa Cruz later this year when we can finally drive one, but on paper it definitely seems interesting.

There's the potential for it to become even more interesting. Because the Santa Cruz shares its platform with the Tucson, there's some interesting powertrain potential. The crossover already offers a plug-in hybrid variant, and when asked, Hyundai representatives confirmed that the platform does support not just hybrid, but potentially full electric and fuel cell powertrains. They wouldn't comment on plans for adapting any of these powertrains to the Santa Cruz, but it seems like it wouldn't be terribly difficult if there's demand.

It has been six years since Hyundai first showed us its concept pickup truck, the small and sporty Santa Cruz. And now it's finally here. It's not quite the fat-fendered machine we saw back then, but it's no slouch either. There is clear Tucson influence in the big grille with hidden headlights and general size and cabin shape, but details have been squared off and chunk-ified, from the fender cladding to the bumpers. It also still gets the sloping rear pillar of its concept forebear.



It's also still small. Compared to trucks such as the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma, it's between 10 and 17 inches shorter in length, and overall height is 3 to 4 inches lower. It splits the difference between the two in width. This should make it more maneuverable around town, though the small size means a comparatively small bed. At its longest, the bed is 4.3 feet. And that brings up the other odd fact that the edge of the bed by the cab isn't a flat vertical slab. It goes inward at the bottom, giving that 4.3-foot number. At the top of the bed, the length is four feet.



The Santa Cruz makes up for the small bed with some handy storage features. It has an in-floor trunk like the Honda Ridgeline, though Hyundai hasn't said exactly how big it is. The bed also features an available built-in roll-top tonneau cover, which expands the covered, locked cargo capacity substantially. As for how much you can carry, the Santa Cruz has a payload capacity of 1,300 pounds. The standard naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine will let you pull 3,500 pounds of trailer, too, and the turbo version has a tow rating of 5,000 pounds.

Yes, there are two engine options for the Santa Cruz. As standard, it comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 190 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. It's coupled to a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission. Available as an option is a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 275 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque paired with a dual-clutch eight-speed automatic that comes with paddle shifters. Both powertrains come standard with front-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive is an option. That all-wheel drive system varies the torque split front and rear based on acceleration, cornering and tire slip. It also provides more rear torque by default when put in the truck's sport mode. Hyundai will also offer some off-road-oriented features such as a center differential lock and hill-descent control.

Inside, the Santa Cruz is virtually identical to the Tucson, but that's no bad thing. It has the stylish dual-cowl dash design, which can be paired with a 10-inch digital instrument display. The standard infotainment screen is 8 inches in size, but a 10-inch version is available as an option. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard as are safety features such as automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assist. Available as options are blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control with lane centering and a surround view camera.

The Santa Cruz goes on sale this summer. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but should be available close to the on-sale date. The truck will be built in Montgomery, Ala.

It took the Hyundai Santa Cruz approximately six years to morph from a concept to a production vehicle but, thankfully, the final step to the assembly lines required much, much less time than that. After finally making its official debut in April this year, the automaker’s Sport Adventure Vehicle is now entering production at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) plant.

By adding the new small truck to the Montgomery assembly lines, Hyundai is now assembling five different models at its Alabama factory for the first time in history, including the Sonata and Elantra sedans, as well as the Santa Fe and Tucson SUVs. Hyundai had to expand the plant in the preparations for the start of the production of the new Santa Cruz and says it can now better adjust its vehicle production according to market demand.

“We are excited and honored to be producing Hyundai’s first open bed vehicle for the North American market,” HMMA President and CEO, Ernie Kim, comments. “The launch of the Santa Cruz is a further testament to the trust Hyundai Motor company puts in HMMA and our Alabama home. I am so proud of our Team Members for accomplishing this achievement while the world is going through such difficult times.”

Hyundai expects the first customer examples of the small truck to begin arriving at the brand’s US dealers later this summer. You can either have it with the standard 2.5-liter naturally aspirated engine with 190+ horsepower (142+ kilowatts) and 180+ pound-feet (244+ Newton-meters) of torque, or with the optional 2.5-liter turbo offering 275+ hp (205+ kW) and 310+ lb-ft (420+ Nm). Both are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and send power to all four wheels.
For now, the only direct competitor of the Santa Cruz is the new Ford Maverick with Volkswagen recently ruling out a small truck to enter the segment. Hyundai still hasn’t released pricing details about its new product, but we know the Maverick has a starting price of $19,995 and can cost up to $42,835 when fully loaded.

The compact pickup truck war in the US market just bumped up a notch. Hyundai finally announced pricing for its Santa Cruz, and the initial reaction might be one of shock. The base model Santa Cruz SE starts at $23,990, a full $4,000 (okay, $3,995 to be specific) more than its Blue Oval competitor, the 2022 Ford Maverick. However, there's a bit more to it than that.

For starters, Hyundai's price doesn't include a $1,185 destination fee, so that raises the entry-level Santa Cruz to $25,175. To keep things fair, the Maverick has a $1,495 destination charge so its entry-level price is really $21,490. Still, that's a difference of $3,685 and that's not insignificant when talking about a compact segment where buyers are certainly cost-conscious. Furthermore, that same price gap exists at top-tier models, with the Santa Cruz Limited starting at $40,905 after destination. By comparison, a dressed-up Maverick First Edition with the turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive starts at $36,310.

Hyundai offers five different trims for the Santa Cruz, versus just three from Ford (excluding the limited-run First Edition). Hyundai also separates its three core trims (SE, SEL, and SEL Activity) by front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. So while the initial reaction to Hyundai's expensive Santa Cruz is indeed shocking, a closer look at mid-range trim levels suggests the trucks are far more comparable. That's likely where the vast majority of sales will fall; this general pricing chart for Santa Cruz and Maverick offers a glimpse of that strategy.

As we see, the price difference does narrow in the mid-range all-wheel-drive models, but Ford continues to hold an advantage. However, it's difficult to draw a pure apples-to-apples comparison as Ford only offers all-wheel-drive with the higher-output 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and the upgraded eight-speed automatic transmission, whereas front-wheel-drive Mavericks get the 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain with a CVT. Hyundai offers all-wheel drive with its base 2.5-liter engine, and all Santa Cruz trucks get an eight-speed automatic, save for the Premium and Limited which get a performance-oriented eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

The pricing situation is further complicated by Hyundai still not sharing a configurator for the Santa Cruz. The Maverick is considerably cheaper in base-model trim, but it's also a truck that comes with steel wheels, automatic emergency braking, and little else. Throughout the Santa Cruz lineup we expect more equipment to be included as standard versus Maverick, and that shows in a maxed-out Maverick price of over $42,000 once every option box is checked. Depending on Hyundai's options for the range-topping Limited, Ford could be more expensive in the upper spectrum.

Hyundai will beat Ford to market in this reborn compact truck segment. Santa Cruz sales are slated to begin in late July 2021, whereas Maverick will reach dealerships in the fall.