You can’t have everything in one person, right? Some may disagree, but I’d say it’s much the same with a car. You can’t drive a sedan and expect the space of an SUV. You can’t drive a three-row SUV and expect the cargo space of a minivan. You can’t drive a minivan and look cool. And while the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a pickup, you can’t really have your pickup and pick up, too. I mean, the Santa Cruz can tow up to 5,000 pounds, but a bigger pickup can tow double that. However, you can’t drive a full-size pickup and expect it to fit into your townhouse garage. And the Santa Cruz does, in fact, fit quite nicely into my snug townhouse garage.
One of the benefits of recently doing a long-term test in another recently updated Hyundai is that everything, including all the technological features, are super similar. As much as I do not like the shifter being by the steering wheel, I’ve been in the Santa Fe for quite some time and keep finding myself reaching to that spot instead of the traditional shifter located in the centre console area, which is, fortunately, where it still is in the Santa Cruz.
I’ve been waiting for a while to get into the Santa Cruz, but there hasn’t been a tester on the fleet for quite some time. I’m really glad we finally had the chance to test what’s basically a Tucson with a bigger trunk. I just don’t quite understand the Santa Cruz’s demographics. It’s not a bad car, it’s just an odd choice.
How big is the Hyundai Santa Cruz?
- The Hyundai Santa Cruz is 4,975 mm (196 in) long, 1,905 mm (75 in) wide and 1,695 mm (67 in) tall
- Headroom front/rear: 975 mm (38.4 in)/1006 mm (39.6 in); legroom front/rear: 1052 mm (41.4 in)/926 mm (36.5 in)
It’s pretty small, actually. It’s compact, like the Tucson. As previously mentioned, a Tucson with a bed. Despite my research telling me the Santa Cruz is a bit longer and wider than the Santa Fe, the pickup felt much easier to park and back into my small townhouse garage than the three-row SUV. The only issue I had with parking the Santa Cruz was that it felt like it had a much larger turning radius, and the turning circle measurement of 12 metres (39.4 ft) for the Santa Cruz compared to 11.56 m (37.9 ft) for the Santa Fe confirms that. Making it even tougher to back in, alI I saw out the rearview mirror was the window directly behind the rear seats, and not the bed.
Inside, my three kids fit nice and snug, especially with all the backpacks and winter gear shoved in back there with them. We no longer have to fit three different car seats into the rear seats anymore, but having siblings sit beside each other with shoulders touching, well, that’s a phase of parenting no one warned me about. If it’s any consolation, yes, they fit, but no, I will not be buying anything with less than three rows of seating in the near future. That said, there is adequate legroom in the rear seats for young children, but note that the Tucson has a bit more rear legroom (926 mm in the Cruz, 1,055 mm in the Tucson). You’ll really notice cramped legroom if there’s a taller person in either of the front seats. If you’re going to make a compact pickup, what’s another couple inches off the bed to be added to the rear legroom?
For reference, let’s compare the Santa Cruz’s bed to one of the smaller Ford F-150 beds:
| Hyundai Santa Cruz | Ford F-150 | |
| Bed length | 1,323 mm (52.1 in) | 1,704 mm (67.1 in) |
| Bed height | 488 mm (19.2 in) | 544 mm (21.4 in) |
| Bed width | 1,369 mm (53.9 in) | 1,298 mm (51.1 in) |
| Bed volume | 765 L (27 ft³) | 1,495 L (52.8 ft³) |
What stands out the most to me is that the F-150 holds nearly double what the Santa Cruz can hold. I know it’s not really meant to be compared, but I did anyway. One more cargo comparison that may or may not be relevant but I’m putting it out there anyway: the Tucson has 1,095 litres of cargo space. The Santa’s 765 L — with a standard roll-up, lockable hard tonneau cover — isn’t bad but it’s mostly horizontal space, which may work for larger items, but if you’re just doing a ton of weekly groceries at Costco, unless you’re tall enough to reach into the bed from the sides, you’ll be climbing in to grab that watermelon that rolled to the front. Sure, there are most definitely ways to avoid that, like a cargo net — or as one Reddit user pointed out, you could get creative by using a curtain rod and sliding bags through it. There are ways to work around this issue, but it’s also a lot simpler to just throw everything into the trunk of a Tucson. That said, I’d take the Santa Cruz’s bed over the 413 L of cargo space behind the Santa Fe’s third row of seats.
What powers the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
- 2.5L I-4 making 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque
- 8-speed automatic transmission and standard AWD
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz houses a 2.5L turbocharged inline-four engine that makes 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT) and all-wheel drive is standard across the Santa Cruz lineup. We tested the XRT trim, a mid-level trim that is meant to be a bit more off-roady than the others.
I didn’t put it through any off-road treks but we did have a massive dump of snow (causing two snow days) during my time with the Santa Cruz. The pickup drove well through whatever I decided to drive it through, and while I couldn’t really tell you how the base model or top trim would feel, I think this supposed off-road vehicle felt fairly normal in the snow.
The XRT trim has some exclusive exterior features including front tow hooks, in addition to a new tow mode, as well as an increased approach angle. It also gets all-terrain tires, but even those wouldn’t make me brave enough to weather the worst of the snowstorm. The XRT also gets a surround view monitor that really helps with backing up into small spaces (like my garage).
Is the Hyundai Santa Cruz fuel efficient?
- Fuel consumption (City/hwy/combined): 12.8 / 8.9 / 11.1 L/100 km
It’s not as fuel efficient as the hybrid Ford Maverick, but I guess that’s pretty obvious since there’s no form of electrification here. During two weeks of predominantly driving the Santa Cruz on local roads (back and forth to school pick-ups and drop-offs, groceries, etc.), my fuel numbers weren’t that great, but they were pretty on point with NRCan’s ratings. I was seeing low-12s, which is close enough to the XRT’s city rating of 12.8 L/100 km. On the highway, it should get 8.9 L/100 km but during a roughly 50-km highway drive, I saw low-7s, which is even better than its rating. Overall, it should have a combined average of 11.1 L/100 km. (The Tucson, which the Santa Cruz is based on, is rated at a combined average of 8.8 L/100 km.) Obviously, you won’t always see numbers as low as seven, but it is possible.
How much is the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz in Canada?
- The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz starts at $41,999 plus $1,950 destination fee
Price-wise, if you’re looking for a relatively affordable pickup, I guess this could be the one. It starts at $41,999 before taxes and the $1,950 freight and PDI fee. The whole lineup now includes a standard 12.3 inch infotainment centre that can connect wirelessly to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The XRT trim has some exclusive features mentioned above and starts at $47,499 while the top Ultimate trim rings in at $50,499. The top two trims get a curved panel that houses that 12.3 inch infotainment screen as well as another 12.3 inches for the digital gauge cluster.
I found the safety system features to work surprisingly well. Lane keep assist works like a charm on local roads and highways, unless you get into a fast curve or the lanes split and the system gets confused — at which point a light on the dash will disappear so you know you’re back in complete control. It’s not quite as advanced as GM’s Super Cruise or Ford’s BlueCruise, but at this price point, it’s an awesome feature!
Hyundai’s infotainment setup and climate controls
I’ve always appreciated how simple Hyundai’s infotainment is to use. As mentioned, it can wirelessly connect to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, as well as wirelessly charge in the centre console, where it’s also out of the way. I also liked all the physical touch buttons still available in this vehicle, such as a Home button that will simply take you out of the connected phone’s screen and right to the default home screen. You don’t have to dig through layers of screens. And don’t worry, there is a volume knob.
The climate controls are touch icons, but at least they have their own area and are pretty standard aside from not being actual buttons. There are also knobs beside the touchscreen that quickly control the temperature.
What competes with the Hyundai Santa Cruz?
- The Ford Maverick is the only other compact pickup truck in the Canadian market
If you nix the bed, the Tucson has a starting price below $35k (before delivery fees and taxes), and you can hop into a hybrid Tucson for less than the XRT trim we tested. The Santa Cruz isn’t available (yet?) as a hybrid. If you’re in the market for a small pickup, the Ford Maverick is the only other compact truck available in the Canadian market, and while I haven’t tested the Maverick, it seems quite different from the Santa Cruz, starting with a lower base price ($35,000 before fees), as well as an available hybrid variant. Where the two small pickups also differ are in looks and available technology. The Ford is a much more traditional pickup in its rugged styling, but you may not get as many interesting features in the Maverick, as Hyundai usually goes above and beyond when it comes to value and tech.
Final thoughts
The Hyundai Santa Cruz has an interesting look, it’s got a little more flair than the average pickup, though one could argue a pickup is made to work and fashion choices have little merit on a car like this. And all that begs the question, what really is the point of a small pickup? It’s not a family car, and it likely isn’t the option you’d choose if you’re in the market for your first car, regardless of age. The only reason I can think of is a small business owner who maybe frequently travels with unstackable and messy equipment.
At the end of the day, it’s a cheaper and smaller version of a full-size pickup and I can’t help but wonder if people in regular-sized trucks were looking down on me, both literally and figuratively, judging this small pickup for its bold looks and smaller stature.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments what you think of a small compact pickup and why someone would want one?
Check out the latest Hyundai Santa Cruz model. Click here for more Millennial Mom’s Reviews.
Pros
✔ Decent fuel consumption on the highway
✔ Simple and easy-to-use infotainment
✔ Standard cargo cover
Cons
✘ Odd styling for a pickup, especially if you prefer something more traditional and practical
✘ Less rear legroom than in the Tucson
✘ No hybrid options available
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