Image: Hyundai
After years of anticipation, the wait is almost over for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz truck. Hyundai released the first teaser images of its new “Sport Adventure Vehicle” at the end of March, and a full reveal is scheduled for April 15.
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Image: Hyundai
Hyundai is very pointedly not calling the Santa Cruz a truck, but … it’s definitely a truck, albeit one built on a crossover-like platform with unusual styling.
The Santa Cruz has been in development for years, starting with a concept model that was revealed back in 2015. That version was designed with features like a 190-horsepower turbodiesel engine and an extendable bed. However, it’s not clear how closely the production model will match the original concept beyond overall exterior design.
In Hyundai’s four shadowy sketches, the Santa Cruz shows off a four-door cab, star-patterned wheels, LED headlamps built into the grille, and taillight signatures integrated with the tailgate.
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Image: Hyundai
Details about the Santa Cruz will remain sparse for another week, but we do know it has a unibody frame, a short bed, and AWD. Given Hyundai’s powertrains for the new Santa Fe and Tucson SUVs, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Santa Cruz received gas, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid options.
Santa Cruz could be a Hyundai groundbreaker
The U.S. market lacks small-truck options, so the Santa Cruz will be a good test case for whether that style has room to grow. It could appeal to city dwellers who want a pickup but don’t have room — or the budget — for one of the increasingly enormous midsize and full-size models that dominate here.
Image: Hyundai
“Santa Cruz, with its bold styling, breaks open all-new segment territory, both for Hyundai and the industry as a whole,” said Jose Munoz, the president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America. “Open-bed flexibility coupled with closed-cabin security meets the changing everyday needs of its adventure-oriented buyers, while powerful and efficient engines and superb maneuverability ensure it is a pleasure to drive in urban or off-road environments.”
Production on the Santa Cruz will begin this summer in Alabama. Check The News Wheel for future developments about this model, including details on the April 15 reveal.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.
