Photo: Kleber Silva on Behance
Introduced in 2004, the first generation of the Tucson is a very different compact crossover from the fourth generation that Hyundai has only revealed. Smarter, chiseled, and more eco-friendly than its predecessor, the newcomer has the makings of a commercial success.
Imagined as a pickup truck by pixel artist Kleber Silva, the Tucson with a bed out back and a dual cab doesn’t look half bad. It’s not, however, a viable proposition because such a model would overlap with the Santa Cruz. Due in 2021 and confirmed to be made in the United States, the unibody crosstruck will share a few things with the Tucson, though.
The 2.5-liter Smartstream four-cylinder engine is the most obvious culprit, cranking out 187 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque. This plant promises to be more efficient than the 2.4-liter GDi as well, and the 8-speed Shiftronic automatic transmission is a given as well.
Expected to cost “around $25,000” according to a report by Car & Driver, the Santa Cruz will go on sale as a 2022 model in the United States of America, just like the all-new Tucson. No fewer than $410 million are being invested into the Montgomery, Alabama plant to support Santa Cruz production. Some of that money will go into expanding the stamping and welding areas, and direct employment will increase by 200 jobs according to Hyundai.
First introduced in 2015 as a concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Santa Cruz will indirectly encroach on the only other unibody pickup sold in the U.S. right now. The Honda Ridgeline, to be more precise, which is based on the Pilot and features a free-breathing V6 as the standard and only engine available.
It remains to be seen, though, if the Santa Cruz will be closer to a mid-size crossover like the Santa Fe or a compact like the Tucson. Given that Ford and Volkswagen are also working on compact workhorses, Hyundai won't have it easy going forward in this segment.
The 2.5-liter Smartstream four-cylinder engine is the most obvious culprit, cranking out 187 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque. This plant promises to be more efficient than the 2.4-liter GDi as well, and the 8-speed Shiftronic automatic transmission is a given as well.
Expected to cost “around $25,000” according to a report by Car & Driver, the Santa Cruz will go on sale as a 2022 model in the United States of America, just like the all-new Tucson. No fewer than $410 million are being invested into the Montgomery, Alabama plant to support Santa Cruz production. Some of that money will go into expanding the stamping and welding areas, and direct employment will increase by 200 jobs according to Hyundai.
First introduced in 2015 as a concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Santa Cruz will indirectly encroach on the only other unibody pickup sold in the U.S. right now. The Honda Ridgeline, to be more precise, which is based on the Pilot and features a free-breathing V6 as the standard and only engine available.
It remains to be seen, though, if the Santa Cruz will be closer to a mid-size crossover like the Santa Fe or a compact like the Tucson. Given that Ford and Volkswagen are also working on compact workhorses, Hyundai won't have it easy going forward in this segment.
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