- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr He Ar
Hyundai Santa Cruz. Special pickup
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a compact 4-door, 5-seater front-wheel drive pickup produced by Hyundai since 2021. It falls out of the range of conventional mid-size pickups, which is why a separate niche has been created specifically for it, called the Sport Adventure Vehicle. The Santa Cruz doesn’t even have direct competitors, as all other pickups are much larger. Its closest rival is the front-wheel drive Honda Ridgeline, but it’s almost 40 cm longer. In the United States and Canada, sales of the Santa Cruz will begin in the autumn of 2021. The pickup will be sold exclusively in two-row cab and five-seater versions. No pricing information is available yet. The company does not specify which other countries the pickup will be delivered to. So we don’t know whether we should wait for the new Hyundai Santa Cruz in Israel, but we will still tell you about it.
The first generation
The new Hyundai Santa Cruz is based on the Hyundai Tucson SUV. It is 4,971 mm long, featuring a transverse-mounted engine and an independent suspension. In terms of other parameters, the Korean model is also inferior to the Japanese Ridgeline. The Santa Cruz is 1,905 mm wide and 1,694 mm high, with the wheelbase of 3,005 mm (by the way, the Tucson has a shorter wheelbase of 2,755 mm). The length of the cargo platform for the two-cab model is also small: 1,323 mm. However, the multi-link suspension will not stand up to much: the pickup’s payload amounts up to 640 kg. But the small cargo compartment is carefully thought out: there are hidden cavities, including a box under the floor. There is a stash compartment under the rear seat. The cargo platform is 1,323 mm long, while the compartment itself is equipped with a sealed cover. For example, a bicycle does not fit completely, so when transporting a two-wheeled friend, its front wheel hangs over the side, but there is a special mount for this.
Exterior
The front end of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz is almost no different from the ‘face’ of the Hyundai Tucson SUV. There are the same running lights recessed into the radiator grille, however, the grille itself and the bumper with headlights are somewhat different. Unlike the SUV, the pickup features round wheel arches, housing 18-inch or 20-inch wheels.
Interior and equipment
The interior of the car is the same as that of the original Tucson. However the pickup has a standard gear lever, whereas the SUV has a push-button panel for switching transmission modes. There is an electronic dashboard on a 10.25-inch display without a visor, and the center console is devoid of physical buttons. The multimedia system comes with an 8-inch display and is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Under it is the climate control unit.
The list of standard equipment of the Santa Cruz includes automatic braking and lane keeping assist systems. For a surcharge, dual-zone climate control, leather seat upholstery, digital instrument panel, power-driven heated and ventilated front seats. Plus, for a surcharge, you can order all-round cameras, blind spot monitoring system, rear traffic monitoring system, as well as warning to passengers exiting the car. In addition, LED headlights are available, and accessories include a padlockable body cover and padding to extend the platform.
Engines
The new Hyundai’s pickup comes with two 2.5-liter gasoline engines, one naturally-aspirated unit with 194 hp and a turbocharged engine with 285 hp. Both are paired with an 8-speed gearbox. The first develops 193 hp and 244 Nm and is equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The pickup gets a more powerful turbocharged engine, producing 279 hp and 420 Nm, an 8-speed preselective robotic gearbox. Both versions are front-wheel drive by default, and for a surcharge they can have all-wheel drive, working through a clutch. Depending on the engine, the 2021/2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz can tow a trailer weighing 1,588 or 2,267 kg.
