LOOKS

The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz that I tested featured a sharp Rockwood Green exterior paint color.

Overall, I find the hybrid SUV/truck look to be very appealing, and a better look than the more traditional design on the Ford Maverick. I can confidently say you won’t see any other vehicle on the road that looks like the Santa Cruz, which is a rare statement these days.

The truck bed is relatively small, measuring at 52 inches long and 53 inches wide, and 27 cubic feet of cargo volume. These numbers are slightly less than the Maverick’s, so know your limits in terms of what you can carry.

Other features on the bed include under-bed storage that can double as a cooler, lockable tonneau cover, side-mounted LED bed lights, and a corner bumper step.

Other exterior features include:
— 18-inch alloy wheels with all-terrain tires
— Front recovery hooks
— Automatic LED headlights, LED taillights
— Roof side rails
— Rear sliding glass

Moving inside the Santa Cruz, you’ll find seating for five people, but it’s pretty tight in the back seat so keep that in mind if you regularly have passengers in back.

The Santa Cruz features dual automatic temperature control, rear air vents, H-Tex trimmed seats, power driver’s seat with lumbar support, heated front seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

All together, that leads to a pretty upscale setup for a nonluxury vehicle, and it’s part of the reason that some buyers may prefer the Santa Cruz to its chief rival the Maverick.

HOW’S THE RIDE?

There are two engine offerings on the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz.

A base model comes with a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine delivering 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive are both offered.

The upgraded engine, which I would recommend, is a turbocharged 2.5-liter, four-cylinder option with 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet, and comes standard with all-wheel drive.

Both options are paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

I tested the turbo engine, and was thoroughly impressed with the drive quality. It featured a strong 6-second 0-to-60 time (base engine is mid 8-second range), maneuvered itself easily through traffic, and proved quite agile on twisty roads. It drives smooth like an SUV, not rough a truck.

Compared to other vehicles you might cross-shop like the Maverick, Ridgeline or Gladiator, this is going to offer the smoothest ride of the bunch. You won’t even realize it’s a truck most of the time you’re driving based on how the drive feels.

The Santa Cruz is made to handle some very limited off-roading like dirt roads, but nothing too crazy. Drive modes include Sport, Smart and Normal, plus Terrain modes on the XRT model (Snow, Mud, Sand). 

Towing tops out at 5,000 pounds, which is better than the Ford Maverick and equals the Ridgeline.

TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY

The 2026 Santa Cruz includes the usual strong tech setup from Hyundai. You get helpful physical controls for climate, and a customizable touchscreen and voice commands that are easy to use.

The touchscreen measures at a solid 12.3 inches, and you can opt for a powerful Bose sound system. Other tech features include wireless phone charging, Bluetooth for streaming music and phone calls, multiple USB ports, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity for phone mirroring.

There’s also Blue Link services to do things like lock and unlock the car via an app, a three-month trial of satellite radio, and even a 115V outlet in the truck bed.

In terms of safety, the Santa Cruz gets a 5-star overall government safety score.

Helping achieve that ranking are a full array of airbags, plus:
— Forward Collision Avoidance Assist
— Lane Keeping Assist
— Driver Attention Warning
— Blind-Spot Collision Warning, Blind-Spot View Monitor
— Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist
— Safe Exit Warning
— Adaptive Cruise Control

I especially liked the Surround View Monitor, which helps when maneuvering in tight spaces, and the reliable Highway Driving Assist system which can help steer the vehicle.

MPG

The official numbers on the XRT I tested with the turbo engine are 18 city/25 highway/20 combined. The base engine will get you 22 city/30 highway/25 combined.

Compared to its main rival the Ford Maverick, the Santa Cruz falls short — as the Maverick tops out at a combined 38 mpg, which is a significant leap. So if you want a smaller truck setup, and fuel mileage is a main concern, the Ford offering will draw your attention more than the Santa Cruz.

Of course, the drive will be more enjoyable in the Santa Cruz, so you’ll need to judge whether the promise of fewer trips to the gas station is more important than power, or vice versa.

Compared to the Honda Ridgeline and the Jeep Gladiator, the Santa Cruz does win the fuel mileage battle.


PRICE

The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz that tested was priced at $42,940. Its base price starts around $31K and it tops out around $45K.

For the utility you get, the lower end of that spectrum is quite attractive, but you’ll pay a bit more for the higher trims with the turbo engine.
Trim levels include: SE, SEL, SEL Activity, XRT and Limited.

Compared to its rivals, the Santa Cruz starts a bit higher than its main rival the Ford Maverick, but the difference is negligible and the Santa Cruz is arguably the better vehicle. Other semi-competitors include the more expensive Honda Ridgeline and Jeep Gladiator, but the pricing of these vehicles starts much higher so it’s not truly in the same category.

Helping Hyundai’s case is the excellent warranty coverage including:
— 5 year/60,000 mile basic warranty
— 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty
— 5 years/unlimited mileage of roadside assistance
— 3 years/36,000 miles of free maintenance

BOTTOM LINE

The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz is one of the most unique offerings in the current automotive landscape and a strong option for buyers looking for an alternative to SUVs.
It offers a rare combination of pickup truck benefits with the comfort and feel of an SUV.

It won’t fit everyone’s needs, but it definitely spices up the automotive space with its standout approach.

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