The Santa Cruz is, with the high-power turbo four, all wheel drive, a full active safety suite, moulded composite bed liner and a factory-installed tonneau cover, is a very upscale vehicle. Unlike other markets where a variety of power units are offered, Canada only gets the hyper-premium turbocharged 2.5L four. The turbo is hooked up to an eight-speed. dual-clutch, automated manual transmission that sends power to all wheels.

The Santa Cruz is fronted by a design that reflects a direct link to the Hyundai Tucson. The rest of the vehicle is curvy, stylish, and unique. It is surprising Hyundai has chosen this path as pickup buyers, even those buying a unibody pickup, generally seek very conservative styling. Honda’s first Ridgeline, which eschewed traditional pickup styling cues for an “out there” design, was rejected by the marketplace, leading Honda to adopt very conventional styling for the second-generation of its pickup.

The Santa Cruz is equipped with a moulded bed liner that contains a covered compartment with a conventional household electrical receptacle as well as a Honda-Ridgeline-like covered bin under the cargo floor. The cargo bed, which is only four feet long, is covered with a multi-segment, retractable, roller-blind-like  tonneau cover made up of solid segments. Like the Ford Maverick, the tailgate can be locked at an angle to act as the last perch for long items, like 4 x 8 sheets of plywood, the forward end of which rest on the flat surfaces above the wheel wells. The cabin is fronted by the dashboard from the Tucson. It looks good, but the total touchscreen nature of its operation is impractical while driving. The rest of the cabin is very nicely done. Rear seat legroom is tight.

Unlike Ford, which offers a wide variety of models on the Maverick, unibody pickup, Hyundai only offers premium and hyper-expensive versions of the Santa Cruz. The sole powertrain offered is a 281 horsepower 2.5L turbo four sending power to all wheels via an eight-speed, dual-clutch automated manual transmission. Three trims, Preferred, Trend and Ultimate, were supposed to be available for 2024, but the Trend was not offered on Hyundai.ca in March of 2024. The base Preferred trim is priced more than $40,000. The Ultimate trim adds a plethora of features including leather seating, ventilated front seats, a digital gauge package, a 360 degree camera system, active cruise control, a sunroof and a number of minor features and is very good value.

The Santa Cruz should be reliable during the warranty period. Unproven engine and transmission.