Two new, small pickups – the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick – are drawing attention in the automotive world.
The Maverick edged out the Santa Cruz for selection as North American Truck of the Year for 2022.
I spent much of a week aboard the Hyundai, impressed with its very firm and comfortably bolstered, leather-covered front seats, and I’ll soon be driving the Ford Maverick.
The Santa Cruz and Maverick are small, about a foot shorter than current compact pickups Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon and Honda Ridgeline.
Hyundai for a number of years has talked of a compact-sized pickup. Seeing it to fruition is supportive evidence the months and months of planning were well spent.
The 2022 Santa Cruz Limited four-door is 195.7 inches in overall length on a wheelbase of 118.9 inches, with curb weight of 4,123 pounds. It’s a proportional beauty from the side – similar-sized hood at front and cargo bed at rear balancing the overhead of the cabin – all finished in phantom black. It is based on the Hyundai Tucson crossover platform.
Inside is generally roomy; somewhat limited rear-seat legroom. Flip-up rear seats reveal storage space beneath. A 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster features Bose premium audio, navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The review model is the Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited all-wheel-drive pickup with 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine of 281 horsepower, mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters. Torque is 311 lb.-ft. and the turbo engine with AWD develops tow rating as high as 5,000 pounds. Tow capacity falls to 3,500 pounds with a base-engine 2.5 non-turbo of 191 horsepower.
In a Saturday morning drive for coffee at Panera off I-25 and 144th Avenue, the Santa Cruz handled the snow fairly securely, though it slipped and slid a bit in town driving through the deep, slushy streets. Its lane-keep assist system was effective on a long stretch of fairly narrow roadway.
Among features are side-by-side circle speedometer and tachometer in the instrument panel which with left-turn signal engaged offer view in speedometer of what was to the left and rear of the vehicle, and the view is to the right in the tach circle when that turn is engaged. The camera eye is in the outer edge of the sideview mirrors.
The box at back is of very limited size, with an integrated tonneau cover. It measures about 4-foot by 4-foot. Built-in steps in bumper corners assist access. Drop the tailgate to access a small, lockable storage space beneath the bed floor.
The Santa Cruz Limited, with an estimated 19/27 fuel mileage, averaged 21.2 miles per gallon.
The Santa Cruz Limited test model carried a sticker price of $41,550; a more basic version, still with AWD, begins around $30,000. It is built in Montgomery, Ala.