The $25,175 Hyundai Santa Cruz is more expensive than a Ford Maverick
However, Hyundai's little trucklet comes with more standard equipment and a powerful turbo engine option.
Hyundai's compact Santa Cruz pickup goes on sale later this month, and on Monday the company confirmed the official starting price: $25,175 including $1,185 for destination. That's a pretty affordable price for this rad little truck, though it's quite a bit more expensive than its key rival, the 2022 Ford Maverick.
That $25,175 starting price gets you a front-wheel-drive Santa Cruz SE, powered by a 2.5-liter I4 engine with 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. Standard equipment includes 18-inch wheels, LED taillights, a driver attention monitor, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist and more. Inside, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system features wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto.
From there, the Santa Cruz SEL is priced at $28,375 and the SEL Activity costs $29,275. Like the SE, the SEL and SEL Activity come standard with the base 2.5-liter engine and front-wheel drive, though all-wheel drive can be added to all three trims for an additional $1,500.
This 10.3-inch display is available on higher-end models.
If you want the Santa Cruz's optional 2.5-liter turbo engine, that'll require $36,865. The more powerful I4 packs 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque, and allows the Santa Cruz to tow up to 5,000 pounds, compared with the base engine's 3,500-pound rating. The turbo engine can only be had with all-wheel drive.
Go for the gold and a fully loaded Santa Cruz Limited costs $40,905 including destination, and comes with the aforementioned 2.5T engine and all-wheel drive. The Limited has just about every feature you could want, including 20-inch wheels, the truck's awesome LED headlights, a 10.3-inch infotainment display, a 10-inch digital gauge cluster, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and Hyundai's Highway Driving Assist, which combines ACC and lane-centering tech. These features are optional on select other trims.
Across the board, the Santa Cruz costs more than its closest rival, the 2022 Ford Maverick, though it's worth pointing out Hyundai's truck has more standard equipment and a more robust suite of available tech. On the other hand, the Maverick offers a hybrid powertrain and is priced from $21,490, with the top-shelf First Edition commanding $36,985 including destination.
Since the Santa Cruz shares its underpinnings with the great new Tucson crossover, we're expecting good things from this functional little pickup. Stay tuned for our first drive review in the coming weeks.
