2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is the trucklet we've always wanted

Introducing the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz at sports adventure vehicle. [MUSIC] You guys don't get me wrong I love a full size truck but the truth of the matter is most people don't need a full size Chevy Silverado or even a midsize Ford Ranger. What Hyundai has done here is they're trying to cater to those niche group of people that maybe need to haul larger items, but they still need the maneuverability and the fuel economy that comes with a compact crossover. Now this new Santa Cruz is based off the hunt Hyundai Tucson platform, it's just got a four foot bed. Now the cool thing about slapping a bed onto a compact crossover is that suddenly it becomes much more useful. I mean, I could put a mountain bike back here, I could put surfboards, or I could just throw in all of my DIY supplies. I mean, you can put 660 pounds of gear in here. And because it's a crossover, there's all kinds of super cool little hidden storage cubbies like this one here. I mean, it's even got a drain plug, so you can just fill it with ice, put some [UNKNOWN] in it and you got yourself a party. From the factory is a locking [UNKNOWN] cover, which is pretty dope. So you've got this locked and that under cubby locked as well, plus I've even got a little step right here on the bumper. Under the hood is a 2.5 litre four cylinder engine good for 191 horse power and 181 pound feet of torque, and that's made it to an eight speed automatic transmission, but Hyundai will do you the favour of slapping a turbocharger onto that bad boy and that pushes the output to 281 horses. 311 pound feet of torque and you get a dual clutch eight speed transmission. Yes please that is the one that I want to buy. Now when it comes to towing that standard engine is going to tow 3500 pounds. This big boy here can tow 5000 pounds. Now personally for me that means that I can tell my open trailer with a race car. So onus Now a question you might be having because I know I did is will the Santa Cruz off road now I haven't driven it but just by looking at it I'm gonna say maybe. I mean the all wheel drive system here certainly helps and there's a center locker but there's no way to lock up the rear and there's nothing to help you when you get into rough stuff or into soft sand There is hill descent control. So that is a bonus. But if you know you're going to get out into the rough stuff, I recommend sticking with the 18 inch wheels instead of opting for the larger 20 inch wheels, you're just going to have more sidewall. The geometry here doesn't look all that great but honestly stock vehicles are much more capable than people give them credit for. You're just gonna have to be very cognizant of what line you pick and be super careful to not **** up your undercarriage. As for design, I mean you guys look at it. I mean it somehow manages to be tough and quirky and cute all at the same time. I just love it. I really love these see pillars here with this aggressive raked angle and in the front, you've got some hidden daytime running lights in the grill that really give the Santa Cruz a unique presence on the road. I mean besides the fact that it even exists because that's a unique presence all on its own. Now inside I've got a lot of large screens here and available wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as available wireless charging. As for drivers as well things like Lane Keeping Assist and Lane follow assist and a few other things are standard. But if you want the good stuff like the blind spot monitoring that shows up in the screen on the dash or adaptive cruise control and highway drive assist, well, those are all gonna be optional. But I think what I like the most about the Santa Cruz is that it's not trying to be a truck It's tried to be a compact crossover with the bed and it's really successful at it. I mean, the truth is, this is the most truck that most consumers are ever gonna need. And we don't have any word on pricing but the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz will be available in dealerships this summer. [MUSIC]