Once upon a time, there were a couple of South Korean brands that were trying to make a name for themselves with bland but honest vehicles. Their main asset and lure was, of course, the affordable price. Well, years later the story has a happy (but still unfolding) ending... but probably just for the Asian automaker, not necessarily its customers.
Hyundai and Kia are mere shadows of their former selves, as the brands have slowly – but steadily – risen the ranks. Now they’re mature, tech-savvy, and (above all) extremely stylish. One can imagine that something had to be sacrificed. Well, as far as the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is concerned, the first-ever four-door Korean pickup truck to be sold in North America, it’s the affordable pricing strategy.
The Times They Are a-Changin' says Bob Dylan, and we couldn’t agree more. After all, it’s not every day that you see a Hyundai get undercut by a large margin in terms of pricing by the Blue Oval. But the reality is that Ford’s 2022 Maverick kicks off at an MSRP of $19,995 for the base XL version equipped with the 2.5-liter hybrid engine. Meanwhile, the highly anticipated Santa Cruz “Sport Adventure Vehicle” will deliver an “attractive entry point for target buyers” at $23,990, according to Hyundai.
There’s a rather hefty difference, but things might get complicated by the standard configurations and the optional goodies. The starting point for the Santa Cruz is the SE version with a 2.5-liter four-pot and we can already see the powertrain differences: ICE and 8 speed auto for the Hyundai, FHEV and CVT for the Ford. Besides, the Maverick can’t be had with AWD alongside the base engine, unlike the Santa Cruz – which kicks off the SE AWD at $25,490.
More trims can be had with the Santa Cruz: SE, SEL ($27,190 FWD / $28,690 AWD) and SEL Activity ($30,460 FWD / $31,960 AWD) just for the base 2.5-liter. Then, when it comes to switching to the 2.5-liter turbo, the Santa Cruz jumps directly to the AWD-only $35,680 SEL Premium and $39,720 Limited, both equipped with an eight-speed dual-clutch. Meanwhile, the 2022 Maverick Lariat with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost is $26,575, but it has less power (250 to 275 hp) and comes with a regular auto box.
One final note that might tip the scales one way or the other. Unlike Ford, which has a bad track record with eagerly anticipated model introductions (2021 Bronco is chief among them), we don't expect any hiccups for Hyundai. And the South Koreans are going to send the Santa Cruz to dealerships a bit faster, starting late July.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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