A competitor to the Honda Ridgeline, the Santa Cruz is much to the liking of Travis Langness from Edmunds who had the opportunity to check it out in the flesh. Quite a bit fancier and wider than the Tucson crossover, the new “sport adventure vehicle” does have a few shortcomings.
For starters, the roll-and-lock tonneau cover is optional, and the in-bed trunk is smaller than what you’ll find under the cargo box of the Honda Ridgeline. On the upside, Hyundai offers a drain plug just like the Ford Mustang Mach-E while the cool-looking tailgate holds up to 500 pounds (227 kilograms).
Payload is another weak point because 660 pounds (299 kilograms) is nowhere near the larger Ridgeline's rating of 1,600 pounds or 726 kilograms. But in stark contrast to the Honda, the South Korean automaker is much obliged to upgrade the Santa Cruz to a force-fed engine. It may feature only four cylinders, but the torque rating is better at 310 pound-feet (420 Nm).
The Ridgeline has the necessary circuits to install a trailer brake controller, whereas Hyundai didn’t think of this potential requirement. For example, in the state of Arkansas, every trailer or semitrailer that exceeds 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) is required to come equipped with brakes on every wheel.
Given these details, it’s pretty obvious why Hyundai doesn’t refer to the Santa Cruz as a pickup. Customers will definitely appreciate the cabin, though, because it’s far nicer than what Honda offers. The only niggles that Travis found with the interior are the row of digital buttons just under the touchscreen infotainment system and the acres over acres of piano black.
“These aren’t haptic feedback. They’re not really buttons,” said the reviewer. As for the piano-black trim, which can be found on the rear armrests as well, “it’s going to get real greasy and ugly with those fast-food fingers.” Add the inevitable scratches from cleaning up those fingerprints, and you’ll understand why piano black is the worst finish for interior trim.
Coming to a dealership near you this summer, the Santa Cruz is listed on the automaker’s website right between the 2022 model year Tucson and 2021 model year Santa Fe. This, in turn, confirms the April 2020 report from Car & Driver, according to which the retail price will start at $25,000.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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