2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz is available in five trims: SE, SEL, Night, SEL Premium, and Limited. Hyundai added the Night trim for the 2023 model year. Regardless of the trim, the four-door truck has a crew cab and the same 4-foot bed with a lockable under-bed storage compartment. Most trims include an integrated cover to make the bed work more like a trunk.

Under the hood of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz is one of two engines. The standard four-cylinder 2.5-liter engine on the lower two trims produces 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. The other option is a turbocharged four-cylinder 2.5-liter engine that gets 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. Both engines pair with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base engine comes with either front- or all-wheel drive, but the turbocharged engine features all-wheel drive.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz is one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles in its class. The SE and SEL with front-wheel drive get an EPA-estimated 22 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. Choose the all-wheel-drive configuration for those models to get about 21 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. Turbocharged models achieve around 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

When you equip your Santa Cruz with the turbocharged and all-wheel powertrain, the truck has a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. Other models can tow up to 3,500 pounds. The Santa Cruz's payload capacity, which ranges between 1,521 to 1,753 pounds, varies depending on the trim and drivetrain.

Since the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz is such a new vehicle, its interior is modern and full of high-quality materials. It seats five people comfortably, and riders in the front enjoy plenty of legroom and headroom. The driver experiences a commanding view of the road.

The Santa Cruz includes an 8- or 10.25-inch touchscreen display with the vehicle's infotainment system, which has a straightforward layout. Standard technology features include HD radio, Bluetooth, front dual USB ports, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. Some add-ons include satellite radio, wireless device charging, and second-row USB ports.

Hyundai is known for having numerous standard safety features, so you'll find more than a dozen driver-assistance features in the Santa Cruz. Standard safety features include forward automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, and driver-attention monitoring. For the 2023 model year, Hyundai includes blind-spot monitoring, vehicle exit warning, and rear cross-traffic alert as standard features. The Limited adds several safety features, including a surround-view parking camera system and highway driving assist. Traffic sign recognition is available for the SEL Premium and Limited trims.