HYUNDAI’S SANTA CRUZ XRT AWD – SANTA CRUZ IS COMING TO TOWN

HYUNDAI’S SANTA CRUZ XRT AWD

SANTA CRUZ IS COMING TO TOWN 

In considering 50 years of adulthood, that consideration will necessarily include what I’ve done and not done, whom I’ve known and not known, and not incidentally, what’s I’ve owned and not owned. In that last category I’ll happily include a three-stall garage, and unhappily admit that the ownership was limited to the two years of living at that address. In it I housed only two cars, an older Grand Cherokee and a pre-owned Porsche, which morphed into a brand-new Miata. And if given the opportunity, I’d have replaced the old Jeep with Hyundai’s Santa Cruz XRT, ‘cuz a compact 4-door pickup makes more sense (I think!) than a midsize SUV; two cars, as it were, in one.

The recipe is simple enough: Take the platform of Hyundai’s well-received Tucson, open the unibody up behind the rear doors, and with that now-open space create a 4-foot bed. For those thinking four feet isn’t much for a pickup, know that it’s more-than-enough for mulch at the garden center, the upholstered chair from Crate & Barrel, or the mountain bike at the trailhead. You know, the goddamn-it-got-muddy! mountain bike…that you don’t really want to shove into the back of your Grand Cherokee Summit.

To Hyundai’s credit, the execution of this recipe is nearly flawless. The Tucson-based platform, boasting a unit body, an all-independent suspension, and – in our test XRT trim – 18-inch mud and snows, will run circles around those body-on-frame designs in the midsize pickup category. To be sure, those beds are longer, and towing capabilities – our XRT was rated at 5,000 pounds – are higher, but they also weigh more and ride, well…you know, like trucks. 

Hyundai’s Santa Cruz is about as car-like as your dad’s old El Camino – but don’t go confusin’ it with an El Camino. On a longish wheelbase of almost ten feet the Santa Cruz stretches 195 inches and, in all-wheel drive spec, weighs just over two tons. The footprint remains tight, and bodes well for those without their own driveway – or three-stall garage. I’m thinking specifically of those below-grade garages that are inevitably part of apartment complexes. Most of those parking spaces are drawn for Fiat 500s, and anything larger is a squeeze. Midsize pickups take all of that space, while the Santa Cruz won’t.

That 4’ bed comes with a tailgate, retractable tonneau cover and – thankfully – a relatively low (32 inches) liftover height. That four feet swallows more than you might think, and its load space can be supplemented by the standard roof side rails. Thankfully, the XRT-specific cladding is tasteful, and might actually be useful. The front tow hooks, however, beg the obvious: Why are you taking what is essentially a car-based crossover on any path where you’ll need to be towed out? If that’s your plan, either get off the meds or change the meds. This remains a soft-roader – if you want to go stupid in the wilderness spend $10K on a used Tacoma or Wrangler.

Inside, there’s space for broad shoulders in front, and while you’ll find the rear seat more constricted it remains comfortable for two adults; kids can be sheltered by that retractable tonneau cover! The seats are covered with what Hyundai calls H-Tex, which impresses as both comfortable and durable. I’m not a fan of the dash architecture, where your vehicle’s info and infotainment converge into one long, uninterrupted panel – but I’ll assume the target demographic won’t mind. But then, how does the product team know I’m not the target demographic?

On the road, the 2.5 turbo’s 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque is immediately evident, supplying strong acceleration and effortless passing capability, helped in no small way by Hyundai’s 8-speed dual-clutch automatic. The powertrain does, at certain engine speeds, seem slightly agricultural, but then, you didn’t buy a 3 Series…you bought a Santa Cruz.

If there’s a mathematical disconnect between the Hyundai’s capability and day-to-day viability, it’s in its EPA estimates. Getting just 18 City/26 Highway and 21 Combined reads like a much larger truck when (again) this isn’t. And given the presence of both hybrid and plug-in variants of the donor Tucson, I’m not sure why Hyundai can’t give customers a 1.6 liter turbo with electric assist – and 35 miles per gallon.

The other mathematical disconnect is in the Santa Cruz price sheet. With base trims priced closer to $30K (a great deal), I’m baffled why adding a turbo engine and a smattering of niceties should cost you TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE! As a value-oriented brand, I’d think ‘value’ stops at about $35,000 – and that, in my underpaid view, is where the Santa Cruz price pyramid should stop.

At its current price point the Santa Cruz XRT is a viable buy, while at something closer to that $35K…well, it’d be like Christmas.