The wait is finally over for all the pickup enthusiasts out there with Hyundai making its way into the segment with the enticingly new 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Rather than taking the huge, sinewy main players of the segment head-on, the Santa Cruz plays it pretty smart by opting for a compact category that has roughly no players to put up a fight with.
The first-of-its-kind truck by the Korean automaker, the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, is undoubtedly the right answer to approximately every issue trucks can solve. In fact, Hyundai prefers to call it a “Sport Adventure Vehicle” rather than a truck.
It is small in the true sense of the word
If Hyundai opts to not dub Santa Cruz a pickup truck, they have literally done some hard work to make it not look like one. As far as the front end is concerned, it is similar to the new Tucson with the huge dark chrome grill and the exceptional LED lights integrated into it. Furthermore, there are sharp creases all over the body and they truly expand onto the pickup’s business end while putting together the bed neatly with the body.
The rear is also exceptionally designed with tail lamps expanding onto the tailgate. The Santa Cruz has proved to be innovative in a true sense by bringing the sleek design which is unknown to the pickup segment. Moreover, the cargo bed of the brand new Santa Cruz is not that huge as compared to its bigger rivals. With another storage space under the bed, it is complete with a drain plug. Moreover, an optional retracting tonneau on top, it can easily hold up to 100 kg. There is also a fascinating power port and various points for tying down your cargo. There are also several steps carved into the rear bumper.
Comfort meets innovation
Comfort is one of the most important areas of the Hyundai Santa Cruz hence the interior is exceptionally well-appointed, like most of its other vehicles. It comes with a contemporary dashboard design, a sunroof along with optional ventilated/heated leather seats. Besides, there is also an eight-inch infotainment screen that ideally brings in some extraordinary tech features such as wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Wireless charging to name a few. To add further twist, there is also a “Lock” button near the gear lever hinting at some electronic trickery depending on the ESP as it gets an AWD system that cannot hold up conventional differential locks.
Safety comes first
The extensive safety suite of the Hyundai Santa Cruz is also exceptional that comes with lots of wondrous features. It gets Driver Attention Warning, Forward Collision Assistance embedded with pedestrian and cyclist detection and also lane-keeping assist as usual. If you want to add more twist to the tale, spend some more money, a blind-spot camera, surround-view monitor, rear-cross traffic collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control and a safe exit assist system will all become part of the package.
Choice of two engines
The coolest thing about the new Hyundai Santa Cruz is that it offers two engine choices under the rather edgy hood. The standard engine is a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder that churns out 190 hp and 244 Nm of torque. This really comes hooked up to a fascinating eight-speed automatic with either front or all-wheel-drive.
Furthermore, there is a 2.5-litre turbocharged optional engine too that furnishes more than 275 hp and 420 Nm. Both numbers are exceptionally good for the most compact trucks available on the market, giving a good competition to the least-expensive Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, or similar midsize truck.
While not posing to be an outright pickup truck, it is basically a daily-use crossover with a pickup bed. Moreover, we are still trying to figure out whether this North American offering makes it to the UAE or not. If you want to buy any used Hyundai cars in UAE, the best place choice would be to go for Carswitch as you can buy any kind of SUV, pickup truck, super car and others at the most affordable prices. Hurry up and buy any car in UAE without any hassle!
