The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Pickup trucks are an American favorite and for good reason. Pickups offer a utility and strong presence on the road, that a sedan just can’t. But what if you want a pickup, that's more subtle and elegant, but still maintains that utility? 

Then the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz might be what you're looking for. It's a small truck that has a softer design then other heavy-duty pickups. Plus, it was named a  2021 Top Safety Pick by the IIHS, so you and your passengers will always feel safe. Want to find out more about this award-winning vehicle? Then read on for a comprehensive 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz review. 

As we've just mentioned the exterior of this truck is more refined than most others. And when you open the door to the all-new 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, you'll see it's just as elegant inside. Not only is the dashboard modern, but it's also upscale, and you'll enjoy multiple soft-touch areas. 

This 4-door pickup can seat up to 5 people comfortably. You'll get plenty of head and legroom, even in the back. As for cargo space, this truck has a 4-foot bed that can hold up to 1,753 pounds. It has a compartment underneath the bed, which adds extra storage space. 

Wondering about the Hyundai Santa Cruz fuel economy? Well, we've got good news! This vehicle gets 21 MPG in the city and 27 MPG on the highway (with the turbocharged engine, you'll get 19 MPG in the city and 27 MPG on the highway). 

The Santa Cruz comes with 4 trims: SE, SEL, SEL Premium, and Limited. The first 2 trim levels come standard with a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, which gives you 191 HP. The other 2 come standard with a turbocharged 2.5L 4-cylinder engine paired with a dual-clutch 8-speed automatic transmission, which upgrades you to 281 HP. 

What else do these trims come with? Find the details below. 

The SE trim is the base trim, but Hyundai's here to impress. It comes with plenty of standard features, such as cozy cloth upholstery, keyless entry, 18-inch alloy wheels, halogen headlights, and load-leveling rear shocks. 

The infotainment system for this base trim comes with an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, 2 USB ports, HD radio, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Most importantly, the SE trim comes with lots of standard safety features. They include a rearview camera, automatic high-beam headlights, rear seat alert, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, driver attention alert, and lane keep assist. 

Standout features:

• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: eliminate dealing with pesky wires 
• Comprehensive safety features: these come standard to protect all Hyundai Santa Cruz drivers 

This next trim option takes the SE trim and builds upon it to give you just a few more standard features. Most notably, you'll get remote start, push-button start, a power-adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats, and satellite radio. 

You'll also benefit from some additional safety features. They are blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. 

In addition, you'll have an optional upgrade package with the SEL trim. This is called the Activity package, which gives you a sunroof, roof rails, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, a sliding rear window, LED bed lighting, a tonneau cover, wireless device charging, and a 120V household-style power outlet. 

Standout features: 

• Push-button start: get your truck going with a simple push of a button 
• Optional Activity package: accommodate your rugged lifestyle with this generous package 

As the name implies, the SEL Premium trim will give you some of the best things Hyundai can offer. As we've said before, this trim gets the turbocharged engine. But not only that; it also comes with all-wheel drive, so you'll feel the truck's power when you get behind the wheels! If you want to opt for front-wheel drive, you should be able to in early 2022. 

Some of the other features you'll get with the SEL Premium trim are a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, a digital key, and shift paddles. 

Standout features:

• Leather-wrapped steering wheel: get good grip while driving and look classy while doing so 
• Dual-zone automatic climate control: all passengers will feel comfortable on rides 

At the top of the trim list is the Limited model. Hyundai doesn't hold back here, as this trim option is chockful of amazing features, in addition to its standard turbocharged engine. 

The Limited trim gives you leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, ambient interior lighting, 20-inch wheels, and backseat USB ports and air vents. The infotainment system is upgraded to a 10.2-inch touchscreen that has navigation, wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and an 8-speaker Bose audio system. 

The additional safety features you'll gain here include a blind spot camera, a surround-view parking camera system, and adaptive cruise control with lane centering. 

Standout features:

• Heated steering wheel: don't worry about your hands freezing on your drives 
• 8-speaker Bose audio system: hear every beat of your favorite songs clearly 

Now you know that the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz comes packed full of features no matter what trim you choose, it should be crystal clear that Hyundai has a superior pickup truck. Add in the fact that it's a top safety pick, and it's a no-brainer if you need to buy yourself a new vehicle. Do you want to test drive a Hyundai Santa Cruz? Then contact us at Patriot Hyundai in Bartlesville. If you’re interested in more of Hyundai’s top models, be sure to check out our research hub!