2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Review: Picking Up the Slack

For the North American market, the compact truck is dead. At least, that’s how it looked after the once compact pickups from Ford, Chevrolet and others moved to their current, larger directions. That left folks relying on their aging compact trucks, moving to a larger vehicle or switching out of a truck in general. Well, Hyundai saw a space for compact trucks when it showed off the Santa Cruz concept at the 2015 Detroit auto show. Despite doubts of the truck actually making it to the assembly line, Hyundai pushed forward with the Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz launched in 2021 as a 2022 model year. Powering the Santa Cruz is either a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder that makes 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque, or a turbocharged 2.5-liter I4 that makes 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. This power travels through an eight-speed automatic before hitting the front wheels or all four wheels by way of the all-wheel-drive system. On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz and puts it through its paces. Wren guides you around the Hyundai Santa Cruz to highlight its styling and features and then takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to those segments, Wren chats with Mark Vaughn about the Santa Cruz, the market for compact trucks and if the Santa Cruz is a pickup. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes this Hyundai special.