The compact pickup truck segment is heating up. Both the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz posted strong results in the past quarter, yet the Maverick is – no surprises here – the big winner.
Manufactured in Mexico, the Ford Motor Company’s most affordable new vehicle posted 23,931 deliveries in the US in the third quarter of 2023, up from 13,049 in the third quarter of 2022. Year to date, the numbers are 66,430 as opposed to 51,802 from January through September 2022.
What about the Santa Cruz? Assembled in the United States of America, the South Korean unibody pickup truck ended the third quarter with 9,033 deliveries to its name. By comparison, Hyundai moved 8,600 units in Q3 2022. In terms of year-to-date sales, make that 29,083 and 26,803.
In a nutshell, the Maverick outsold the Santa Cruz in the US of A by 37,347 units from January through September 2023. As for third-quarter differences, the compact-sized truck moved just under 15,000 more units than its only competitor.
Even so, the compact pickup segment has yet to catch up to the compact-sized crossovers on which the Maverick and Santa Cruz are based. The Escape clocked 38,774 units in Q3 2023 and 103,613 units year to date in the US market. The Bronco Sport, which is manufactured alongside the Maverick in Mexico, prides itself on 33,232 and 96,375 units.
Hyundai’s long-running Santa Fe totaled 35,020 deliveries in the past quarter, with year-to-date sales totaling 96,162. The Tucson, which is based on the same platform as the Santa Fe and Santa Cruz, soldiers on as Hyundai’s best-selling vehicle in the US due to 52,589 and 153,180 deliveries, respectively.
Photo: Ford
That being said, what’s new for 2024? Starting with the Maverick, the previously optional 2.0-liter EcoBoost with the 8-speed automatic transmission is now standard. Equipped with an eCVT, the 2.5-liter hybrid is optional across the board this year.
The 400-watt inverter and remote start are no longer stand-alone options. Both are now part of the XLT Luxury Package and Lariat Luxury Package. New colors include Azure Gray Metallic Tri-Coat and Terrain, while Carbonized Gray Metallic and Iconic Silver Metallic are fleet only on the XL for 2024.
Over at Hyundai, the Santa Cruz sports bi-LED projector headlamps for all trim levels. Dual-zone automatic climate control and an auto defogger are standard from the SEL trim level up. The SEL with Activity Package now comes with 10.25 inches of touchscreen infotainment and satellite navigation.
All trims have been treated to haptic feedback for the steering wheel for Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist. The Santa Cruz Night flaunts black H-Tex upholstery, but more importantly, 2024 sees the introduction of the Santa Cruz XRT. A replacement for the SEL Premium, the XRT grade is marketed as an adventure-oriented trim due to wide fender cladding, lower door garnishing, side steps, bed rails, as well as orange hub caps for the wheels.
For the standard naturally-aspirated 2.5 with an 8-speed auto, the South Korean automaker charges $26,650 (sans destination charge). By comparison, the most affordable Maverick retails at $23,400.
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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