2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited

If the functionality of a pickup truck is appealing to you, but popular choices like the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tacoma are too big, then the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz could be what you’re looking for. This little truck can do everything the bigger ones do while providing a comfortable car-like ride quality that most drivers prefer. The Santa Cruz is based on the popular Hyundai Tucson chassis, but its four-foot truck bed makes it practical for hauling larger items like mountain bikes or pottery.

The Santa Cruz can even tow up to 5,000 pounds when it’s equipped with its more powerful engine option. And when it’s not doing truck things, the Santa Cruz provides a quiet and comfortable cabin that’s well-appointed and accommodating for up to four adults. The only negative point that I see is its price, which comes in a little higher than its main rival, the Ford Maverick.

Exterior

First things first, it’s only right to address the Hyundai Santa Cruz’s interesting exterior design. Some say it looks like a Subaru Brat, while others compare it to the old Chevy El Camino. Either way, it’s safe to say that the Santa Cruz is unique and as stylish as it is functional. The four-foot bed is versatile as ever, with a lockable tonneau cover, under-bed storage, and clever design details like integrated tie-downs. The rest of the truck exterior is boasts chrome accents, a bold grille design, 20-inch wheels, and a premium LED headlights, which contribute to the Santa Cruz Limited’s rugged look.

It's clear that Hyundai aimed to make the Limited trim not only luxurious, but practical for everyday use, whether you’re headed for a weekly adventure or just running errands.

Interior

The cabin in the 2025 Santa Cruz Limited is where you can find more luxurious touches. Hyundai outfitted the top-trim Santa Cruz with leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, and heated/ventilated front seats that make the longest road trips comfortable. The panoramic sunroof bathes the interior is natural light, creating and open and inviting space.

A 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system sits in the center of dashboard, and ambient lighting options allow personalization of the interior atmosphere. There is plenty of head and legroom for the driver and passenger up front, but the rear-seat occupants may feel a little cramped, especially in the middle seat.

As for storage, there are many cubbies throughout the cabin and the rear seat bottom can be folded up to store taller items. Nonetheless, the Santa Cruz is functional as its Tucson counterpart when it comes to interior comfort.

Drivetrain and Driving Impressions

Under the hood, the 2025 Santa Cruz Limited boasts a turbocharged 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine that delivers 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The engine is attached to an eight-speed automatic transmission that ensures smooth and precise shifts, whether you drive the truck on city streets or winding dirt roads. The Limited trim level is also fitted with the brand’s HTRAV all-wheel-drive system, which offers stability and control over various terrains.

However, it also focuses a lot on comfort as the truck’s ride felt composed over uneven pavement. The suspension is tuned well, so I didn’t detect too much harshness when going over road imperfections or rocky surfaces. I did not take the truck off road, but I did drive it over many speed bumps in the grocery store parking lots, as well as some loose surfaces and it felt very refined for a truck. There’s no doubt that anyone who is need in need of a truck, but doesn’t want the harshness that comes with a body-on-frame architecture would like the Santa Cruz.

As for fuel efficiency, the EPA rates the Santa Cruz 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, with 22 mpg combined. During my week of driving, I averaged 22.6 mpg, which is on par with the EPA’s estimates.

Technology

Hyundai packed the Santa Cruz Limited trim level with an impressive suite of tech features. Some of the standout features include the surround-view camera system, which makes parking and maneuvering the truck in tight spaces effortless, wireless smartphone integration, and a Bose premium audio system, which sounds amazing.

The Santa Cruz also features Hyundai’s digital key, which allows the driver to access the truck using the phone app, in addition to a remote start system.

Safety

Every Santa Cruz comes equipped with Hyundai’s SmartSense safety package, which includes driver-assist features like:

• Forward-collision avoidance
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane-keeping assist
• Rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist
• Driver attention warning

It also includes the blind-spot view monitor that appears on the digital instrument panel, which makes it easy to see the blind spots without turning your head. Lastly, there are many side and curtain airbags to keep all the occupants safe, should the worst happen.

While driving, I noticed that the adaptive cruise control function worked well and kept the car between the lanes and away from the car ahead without any ping-ponging.

Summary

Overall, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited is a triumph in the compact pickup segment. It caters to drivers who want a truck, but need to keep the civilized driving dynamics and easy maneuverability that small SUVs provide.

In terms of pricing, the Santa Cruz starts at a little under $30,000 for the lowest trim level and up to around $45,000 for the highest trim level with no options included. My tester for the week rang in at $44,105, which is a good value for everything it comes with, but just know that it could be a little more than the comparable Ford Maverick.