Pickup Hyundai Santa Cruz has found an «off-road» version of the XRT in the new model year

The new modification differs from other versions only in decor — there are no technical improvements.

Serial truck Hyundai Santa Cruz with a monocoque debuted in 2021, it is based on the Tucson SUV and is addressed only to North America. The pickup truck is positioned not as a «workhorse», but as a car for lovers of an active lifestyle. In the United States, Santa Cruz generally took root: in 2022, 36,480 units were sold there, the result of six months of this year is 20,050 units. However, the “Korean” is still far from the Ford Maverick: 74,370 units. in 2022 and 21,478 copies in the first quarter of 2023 (Ford has not yet released statistics for six months).

Hyundai Santa Cruz Standard Pickup 1/5 Hyundai Santa Cruz Standard Pickup 2/5 Hyundai Santa Cruz Standard Pickup 3/5 Hyundai Santa Cruz Standard Pickup 4/5 Hyundai Santa Cruz Standard Pickup 5/5

And now Santa Cruz brought to the new model year. The main thing is that the pickup truck received an “off-road” version of the XRT. Recall that a similar performance in the United States also have crossovers Hyundai Santa Fe, Tucson and Palisade. By the way, the aforementioned Ford Maverick also has a “hardcore” version, it is called Tremor. But if the suspension of the Ford truck was modified (in particular, other springs and shock absorbers appeared), then the special Hyundai series differs from the standard cars only in decor.

Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT 1/3 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT 2/3 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT 3/3

So, the Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT gained massive wheel arch extensions and footboards, mirror housings and door handles were painted black, handrails appeared on the sides of the cargo area, and the chrome plates on the radiator grille darkened. The “off-road” pickup also got orange wheel caps, plus an XRT emblem on the stern. The equipment list includes a leather steering wheel, an auto-dimming interior mirror, dual-zone climate control, a 10.25-inch virtual instrument cluster and a multimedia system with a similar-sized display, adaptive cruise control.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT is equipped with a 2.5 T-GDI petrol turbo four with a capacity of 285 hp, which is paired with an eight-speed robotic gearbox with two clutches, such the truck has all-wheel drive by default. The standard pickup truck also comes with aspirated 2.5 GDI (194 hp) and a classic eight-speed automatic, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Prices for the 2024 model year truck have not yet been announced. A typical 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup starts at $25,700 today (excluding taxes and shipping).