Sitting in the Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited AWD, you wouldn’t know you were in a pickup, which is sort of the point. Hyundai built this trucklet on an SUV platform and it shows. From behind the wheel it feels like a refined crossover with all the comfort and confident handling that implies, only this one has a bed out back.
Because the Santa Cruz is based on an SUV rather than a traditional body‑on‑frame truck, it’s on‑road manners are noticeably smoother and more carlike. Steering is light and precise, body roll is contained and the ride comfort easily outshines the midsize pickups it’s often compared to.
The tradeoff is clear: it cannot haul like a traditional truck (though towing capacity is a somewhat impressive 5,000 pounds). Still, the bed always seems to come up just a bit short for whatever you want to carry. A tonneau cover keeps items protected and out of sight, but its housing takes up valuable space at the front of the bed.
Hyundai borrows an idea from the Honda Ridgeline with an in‑bed trunk, but here it’s shallow and better suited for small items than for meaningful extra storage. The rear cabin partition doesn’t drop to extend the bed either. It’s understandable that doing so would present an engineering nightmare, but it’s hard not to imagine how much more versatile the Santa Cruz could be if that were possible.
The turbocharged four‑cylinder is plenty peppy, delivering brisk acceleration and confident passing power. Inside, Hyundai shows why it’s a leader in user‑friendly tech with verbal traffic camera alerts, blind spot camera views that display on the dashboard and a clean wraparound LED screen that looks modern and upscale.
When it comes to reliability, Hyundai places just above the industry average in the newest JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study.
If the Santa Cruz appeals to you, there’s some urgency. Hyundai is said to be planning to phase out the model next year, which would make the current version one of your last chances to get this clever SUV‑pickup mashup. The example here is priced at $45,185, after shipping.
