2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited: The New \’20s City Truck

A Bed for All of Your Big-Box Store Trips

When the Santa Cruz first dropped in concept form, it gained more than a few fans (including yours truly). After all, the last time a new ute was promised to us, it was just before the Great Recession wiped out the brand that would have delivered such a ride (along with the motivation to deliver the ute under another brand/name). The concept not only showed what was possible, but where Hyundai itself wanted to go with it.

Six years later, I took the result to my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore to buy a new chair for all of my iRacing/streaming/social media managing needs. All I had to do after buying the chair was pull around back, drop the tailgate, and slide the tonneau cover open to accommodate the new purchase.

The bed also includes a drain (in case you need to dump a ton of ice and some Bud Lights into it for the ultimate tailgate cooler at the game), plus some storage for cords, rope and tie-downs, a 115V power outlet, LED bed lights, and a lockable underbed storage compartment near the tailgate. Maximum load limit is 1,411 pounds – more than enough for the biggest bags of mulch. If you need to tow, the non-turbo, front-wheel-drive Santa Cruz can pull 3,500 pounds, while the turbocharged, all-wheel drive utes work harder with a 5,000-pound towing capacity.

Combined MPG for the turbocharged Santa Cruz with HTRAC is 22 (19 city/27 highway). I managed to hit the combined mpg while driving around my Old Dominion home, which, alas, did not involve any runs to the recycling center or Lowe\’s. The front-drive non-turbo utes do better on fuel with a combined 23 mpg (21 city/26 highway). No hybrid versions are available at this time for those looking to save money at the pump, nor an N/N-Line for those seeking speed.

In Closing

Though the new compact truck/ute segment is still small at the moment, it already has quite the variety among the players. The Hyundai Santa Cruz feels more at home in the city running errands than at a job site next to the Ford Maverick. The fact the company markets the ute as a \”Sport Activity Vehicle\” should tell you all you need to know about this ride\’s purpose in life.

Still, if you\’re looking for a ride that can do handle everything from trips to Menards to a weekend at the park, the Santa Cruz might be all you need.

Photos: Aubernon Highway/Cameron Aubernon