Small-truck market is picking up
Hyundai Santa Cruz one of early entries in segment.
As if I were Nostradamus making non-apocalyptic predictions, I said that there was an untapped truck-buying segment out there that felt abandoned. Pickup trucks have gotten bigger and more expensive. And crossovers and SUVs dominate the market. But for anyone who wants a smaller pickup truck, they haven’t had any real options until recently.
Both Hyundai and Ford jumped into the small truck segment (smaller than Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger) and showed that my prediction was right. But honestly, I didn’t need a Magic 8 Ball to know that people (especially Americans) love pickup trucks. So the just-right size of the Hyundai Santa Cruz is resonating with those consumers. And now they feel well represented.
This week I’m driving the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz, which is one of two small trucks in this segment (the other being the Ford Maverick). While the Santa Cruz and Maverick are significantly different in look and personality, there are other competitors coming directly in to challenge the Santa Cruz. That certainly stands as a compliment to what Hyundai has done with the Santa Cruz.
On looks, the Santa Cruz is distinctive. While aesthetically it’s a straight carryover from the 2022 model year, the 2023 version retains a unique appearance that will be attractive to some and repellent to others. It’s one of the bold designs that is going to be a hit or a miss with little in between.
A mesh-like grille stands out.
Squared-off headlamps offset the grille and add to the distinction. On profile, the Santa Cruz slightly resembles the Honda Ridgeline with a raised-up B-pillar almost protruding into the beginning of the stubby four-foot bed. One can say the Ford Maverick is more traditional with its pickup truck looks while the Santa Cruz is a little quirkier. But as mentioned that’s part of its charm.
There are several stand-out color options too as well as several bold rims to compliment the loaded personality of this small truck. Is it too cutesy? That’s a judgment call.
As the exterior oozes with personality, some of that same personality makes its way into the driving performance. It looks fun, and it is fun — surprisingly so. That’s all thanks to a peppy turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. There is a less-powerful, duller 4-cylinder engine option, but that loses much of the personality. This turbocharged version cranks out 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. A straight eight-speed automatic transmission is standard, but my tester had eight-speed dual clutch transmission which eliminated turbo lag and added to the enthusiastic performance of the Santa Cruz. My tester also came with all-wheel drive. Front-wheel drive is standard.
For being so small, the interior of the Santa Cruz is comparable to that of the larger Toyota Tacoma. Two adults fit comfortably in the back seat with just enough legroom and headroom. It’s not cavernous like today’s big pickup trucks, but it’s more reminiscent of how small trucks used to be. And honestly, it’s fine.
The interior materials are up to snuff with quality touch points. Hyundai’s infotainment system continues to be one of the best systems out there. It features a responsive, intuitive 10.25-inch touchscreen. Overall, the quality of the cabin in the Santa Cruz is modern and surprisingly big.
While the four-foot truck bed is small (smaller than every other truck out there), it still has some usefulness with a locking tonneau cover, tie-down points, in-bed lighting and a storage hold area.
My tester was the Limited trim with AWD. It has an MSRP of $41,810, including a destination fee.
The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz (with AWD) has an EPA rating of 19 mpg/city and 27 mpg/highway. In a week’s worth of mixed suburban driving (and not really putting any payload in the bed), I averaged nearly 22 mpg.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz helped open the door for an emerging segment in the industry. With this small pickup, they’re proving there is a market for consumers who wants pickup trucks but don’t need full-size behemoths.