2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Not the Update We Were Looking For
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Small pickups with unibody construction are nothing new—think of the Volkswagen Caddy, Dodge Rampage or Subaru Brat/Baja—but the segment enjoyed a renaissance four years ago when Ford and Hyundai simultaneously launched the Maverick and Santa Cruz in North America. These are two highly distinctive products full of innovations, but more importantly they attract many people who don't need an excessively large and fuel-thirsty vehicle.
While the Maverick is the more conventional one, the Santa Cruz features bold styling inspired by the original concept from the 2015 Detroit Auto Show as well as the Tucson compact SUV it’s based on.
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Both have received a mid-cycle update for 2025. As is often the case, the changes include new wheels, grille, lights and exterior trim. Hyundai has also expanded the Santa Cruz lineup with a more muscular, adventure-minded XRT model sporting an exclusive front end, colour-matched tow hooks and more aggressive tires. Too bad it doesn’t come with additional capabilities.
A Miniature Ridgeline?
The reason why the Honda Ridgeline excels as a unibody pickup is because it offers a multitude of convenient features and solutions not even found in larger, body-on-frame trucks. One of them is an in-bed trunk, which the Santa Cruz also has but the Maverick doesn’t.
Of course, the Ridgeline offers much more space and versatility than Hyundai’s so-called “Sport Adventure Vehicle.” This becomes apparent when you climb into the back, where space is tight. And with a shallow cargo bed that’s only 52 inches long, you can't realistically use the Santa Cruz as a work truck. Be that as it may, this smaller footprint will suit those who don't want a cumbersome vehicle. What’s more, with under-seat storage and a rear bench that flips up, designers have made optimum use of the available space here.
Curiously, the Santa Cruz doesn’t get the revised dashboard found in the similarly updated Tucson. The automaker has retained the old console with a traditional shifter instead of moving the latter to the steering column and freeing up space between the front seats.
That being said, Hyundai now offers dual 12.3-inch displays, making the Santa Cruz’s cabin look more technologically advanced than the Maverick’s. The driving position and overall comfort levels are also superior, resulting in a much more welcoming cabin.
No Hybrid
In addition to offering a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 lbs, all Canadian-spec Hyundai Santa Cruz models come standard with a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine generating 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque (a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre mill, shared with the Tucson Preferred, is also available in the U.S.). It delivers good performance but consumes nearly as much fuel as a midsize pickup. The dual-clutch transmission is an odd choice and not ideal for this type of vehicle, in our opinion.
Borrowing the Tucson Hybrid’s system would definitely help the Santa Cruz, which is currently being outsold by the Maverick some four to one in North America (32,066 units in the U.S. last year vs. the Maverick’s 131,142).
Since Canadian customers are denied the entry-level models, the Santa Cruz is only moderately successful north of the border. Company officials hope to gain ground with the new-for-2025 XRT, which is likely to become the most popular model in the lineup despite a $50,000+ price tag. A Maverick Tremor will cost you just as much but won’t offer the same bang for your buck.
Which One Should You Buy?
We can totally see the appeal of the Santa Cruz. It’s more comfortable, more refined and less of a toolbox on wheels than the Maverick. Other than a disappointing transmission, driving dynamics are commendable, too. The ride is more stable, the cabin is quieter, and on top of all that Hyundai’s limited vehicle warranty far exceeds Ford's (5 years/100,000 km vs. 3 years/60,000 km).
Of course, the Trump-sized elephant in the room is the 25-percent Canadian counter-tariff on U.S.-built vehicles, which the Santa Cruz will be hit with when new shipments arrive from the Montgomery, Alabama plant. The Mexican-made Maverick doesn’t have that problem. Will Hyundai Canada raise prices as a result? We’ll see. For the record, the company sold just 2,574 units of the Santa Cruz across the country in 2024.
