(By Tom Lohnes) – Here it is, the revival of the small truck. No, this is not the Ford maverick, it’s Hyundai’s first-ever pickup truck and it’s called the Santa Cruz.
With a starting price of right around $23,000, the Santa Cruz is a deal and a half, much like all Hyundai products. Starting with the engine the Santa Cruz comes with two options. In the base models lies a Naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter I-4 that makes 190 horses and 150 lb-ft, which is very healthy for a free-breathing four, but upgrade the engine and you have a little monster of a pickup truck.
In the upgraded versions lies a 2.5-liter Turbocharged 4-cylinder, which is the same engine that is in the performance-oriented Hyundai Sonata N-line and Kia K5 GT, and also the base level Genesis G80 and GV80. In the Hyundai and Kia, it makes 290 horses and in Genesis form is produces 300. Somehow, this compact truck that is comparable in size to a Santa Fe has more power and the same 310 lb-ft of torque that a current-gen Ford Ranger has. Of course, this is an SUV-based unibody truck, so your drive choices are front or all.
So, is the Santa Cruz your thing? It looks like an interesting truck with a lot of cool features, and I can’t wait to try one out.
Actually, this is Hyundai’s second pickup, just the first one they’ve sold in the US. First one was an El Camino like version of the Pony.
What size is that bed? Looks more like a sedan without the trunk lid.
Maybe get a half sheet of plywood in back.
This will sell, to the person who lives, in an apartment, and wants to be able to haul enough gear, for a weekend camping trip, or getaway.
Looks like the Subaru Baja was ahead of it’s time.
I’m sure there’s now a market for an AWD station wagon with the rear roof removed.