Imagined as the posher rival to Ford’s more affordable and hybridized Maverick, some say about the Hyundai Santa Cruz that it is just another crossover SUV “but with a sandbox strapped to the back.”
Well, no need for sarcasm, as Hyundai’s cousin riding like a unibody pickup truck on the Tucson architecture took enough of a beating in terms of sales. After the first half of the year, it was lagging not just behind the Maverick, but also behind the larger and more expensive Honda Ridgeline!
Naturally, the South Korean automaker decided to do something about it and opted to tap into the Santa Cruz lifestyle’s dark side, with a new Night version joining the lineup for the 2023 model year roster. Well, that, of course, brought the cool little crossover-based unibody compact pickup truck back on the radar of some people.
Among them is also Nikita Chuicko, the virtual artist better known as kelsonik on social media, who probably thought now is the right CGI time to again play with the Santa Cruz as the latest release bodes well with his signature “Shadow Line” transformations. Alas, since we are dealing with the Santa Cruz Night, the makeover is already inherited from the factory. Still, some subtle CGI points could be made to make a Santa Cruz look even cooler.
For example, the OEM dark chrome grille is now completely black, whereas the custom, personalized atmosphere is supported by the lowered suspension and wrapped up with the best asset – a humongous set of deep-dish-style aftermarket wheels. Interestingly, judging by the rims’ depth, we could also be talking here about staggered tire widths, with the front ones being narrower than the rear ones, in true motorsport fashion.
Now, is this enough to get your CGI approval, or not?
Naturally, the South Korean automaker decided to do something about it and opted to tap into the Santa Cruz lifestyle’s dark side, with a new Night version joining the lineup for the 2023 model year roster. Well, that, of course, brought the cool little crossover-based unibody compact pickup truck back on the radar of some people.
Among them is also Nikita Chuicko, the virtual artist better known as kelsonik on social media, who probably thought now is the right CGI time to again play with the Santa Cruz as the latest release bodes well with his signature “Shadow Line” transformations. Alas, since we are dealing with the Santa Cruz Night, the makeover is already inherited from the factory. Still, some subtle CGI points could be made to make a Santa Cruz look even cooler.
For example, the OEM dark chrome grille is now completely black, whereas the custom, personalized atmosphere is supported by the lowered suspension and wrapped up with the best asset – a humongous set of deep-dish-style aftermarket wheels. Interestingly, judging by the rims’ depth, we could also be talking here about staggered tire widths, with the front ones being narrower than the rear ones, in true motorsport fashion.
Now, is this enough to get your CGI approval, or not?