Hyundai Santa Cruz debut scheduled for April 15

KUALA LUMPUR: Hyundai in 2019 announced that the Santa Cruz pickup would enter production in 2021, and now we have an official teaser confirming the pickup’s arrival this year. So, what do we know about the upcoming Santa Cruz?

Well, from the teaser image it is clear that it will have four doors, a small bed, and a grille very similar to that found on the 2022 Hyundai Tucson. Also, the vehicle in the image looks more on-road-focused and sportier than any other of its kind in the market. Further, the C-pillar slants toward the bed, giving the pickup’s a sleek appearance. Another major highlight is the embossment of the name ‘SANTA Cruz’ on the tailgate.

Very much clear from the design and form of the pickup, it is targeted to adventure-oriented customers. This unibody pickup will slot into the popular small pickup segment. Another interesting bit about it is that it is among the few pickups that don’t ride on a body-on-frame chassis. We guess that the automaker will now emphasize the pickup’s ability to haul bikes and kayaks and not on its outright towing capacity and payload.

The automaker is numb about upcoming Santa Cruz specs and features, but we know for sure that it will offer amazing on-road comfort and off-road capability. About its powertrain, we expect it to get Santa Fe’s 2.5-litre and 2.5-litre turbo inline-four units coupled with an 8-speed automatic and all-wheel drive.

The upcoming Hyundai Santa Cruz will be assembled in the Alabama factory that same facility where the Santa Fe is built.

Also Read: Hyundai Alcazar teaser released, debut set for next week