Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup truck gets an “off-road” XRT version in the new model year

Contents of the material

Exterior design

To build the 2022 Santa Cruz pickup truck, the Koreans took the front part of the body from the Tucson crossover and “glued” an open cargo compartment to it. Along the way, the wheelbase was stretched (from 2755 to 3005 mm), which made it possible to make the rear platform 1323 mm long. By American standards, this is very little, and the spring multi-link suspension on the rear axle is not designed for heavy loads.

Nevertheless, it will be possible to fit some things in this compartment, but as a towing vehicle, the Santa Cruz is clearly an outsider: 5,000 pounds (2,267 kg.) for the modification with a turbocharged engine and only 3,500 pounds (1,587 kg.) for the version with 2.5 -liter “four”.

Salon

All of the above shortcomings are designed to compensate for the interior design of the Santa Cruz 2022 pickup truck. Here the Koreans have spared neither high-quality materials nor modern comfort systems, and in terms of the size of the interior space, the car’s cabin is not inferior to other representatives of the class of mid-size pickup trucks. The driver is offered a fully digital instrument panel with two 10.25-inch displays and a touch-sensitive climate control unit.

Plus in the equipment – upholstery made of high-quality leather substitute, electric drives and ventilation of the front seats, a sunroof, dual-zone climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, adaptive cruise and all-round cameras.

Salon and equipment

The interior of the new model is disappointing due to the lack of changes. Whether you’re in a Tucson or a Santa Cruz, you won’t notice any difference. The interior of the model does not match the exterior, as it looks urban.

The geometry is dominated by smooth rounded lines, the steering wheel looks like it belongs to a city sedan. The hand-drawn dashboard lights up with gray dials, and the dashboard is devoid of buttons.

The interior is not exciting, although it has good build quality. The quality of finishing materials also cannot be called luxury or bad.

The key difference in the interior is the presence of a brutal gearshift lever. For rear passengers, space had to be sacrificed to increase the volume of the luggage compartment. However, the trunk for a pickup truck is still considered small: a bicycle will not fit here.

The problem with the bike was solved by the presence of a special mount that allows you to place the bike on the trunk.

Among the nice additions, the car has an additional trunk in the lower part of the body and a large compartment for things under the rear seats.

Equipment of the basic version includes:

  • Assist the driver when braking.
  • Lane behavior control system.
  • Supports smartphone interfaces, both Apple and Android.
  • 8-inch multimedia display.
  • Blind spot monitoring.
  • Diode optics.

For an additional fee the owner receives:

  • All-round camera.
  • Leather interior.
  • Automatic engine start.
  • Electric adjustments for all seats.
  • Luke.

This pickup truck has 19-inch wheels, and 20-inch rollers are available for an additional cost.

Release date and prices

The pickup will go into serial production in July 2021, sales will start in early autumn in America. The manufacturer has not yet announced the cost. The car will not reach the Russian market.

The new Santa Cruz 2022 model year differs from its competitors in its small size and modern design.

The concept of combining an urban and off-road pickup truck is new and there will be many people in need of such a vehicle. The new pickup truck is a good model that works hard to handle everyday tasks.

Photos of Hyundai Santa Cruz:

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