Small pickup was accepted well by truckers in the US. Alongside Ford Maverick, Santa Cruz is a pioneer of this segment. However, other companies are already working on their compact trucks. Toyota seems to be the most serious with their Stout. The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz will have a kick-start, although we don’t expect big changes. A hybrid system might be added to the lineup. Currently, you can choose between a naturally aspirated and a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.
Towing capacity is not the most important thing about compact trucks. The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz can’t tow too much, but it is more suitable if your cargo is not too heavy, but oversized, so it can’t fit inside an SUV and it is not enough for a larger truck. The company might add another trim level, or refresh the color palette for the upcoming season.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Specs
There are two drivetrains for the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz. The base one is a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder mill with 190 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. The system sends power through an 8-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels. Eventually, buyers can select an AWD. The truck is pretty efficient, returning 24 mpg combined. The towing capacity of the entry-level configuration is 3,500 pounds.
An optional drivetrain is a turbocharged version of a 2.5-l mill. Engineers boosted the system to deliver 280 horsepower and the towing capacity is maximized to 5,000 lbs. The Santa Cruz Turbo also bursts 311 lb-ft of torque and returns 19/27 mpg. The same transmission is a power router, but engineers implemented a dual-clutch system. This time, AWD is standard.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Hybrid
One of the main upgrades for the new season might be a hybrid engine. However, we still don’t have an official confirmation, nor the achievements the company wants to achieve. One thing is sure – the efficiency boost is the key. The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz needs to catch up Ford Maverick, and we assume Toyota will use a hybrid engine for its Stout.
Here, we can assume the truck will borrow the powertrain from the Tucson crossover. A 1.6-liter petrol engine is the main source of power, while an electric battery helps the system get 225 horsepower. The gas mileage of the Tucson is 38 mpg, and you can expect the 2025 Santa Cruz Hybrid to get around 35 mpg, which is not bad. For example, the Ford Maverick hybrid can do 36 mpg, 190 hp and tows 2,000 pounds.
Trim Levels
Five models will be carried over for the 2025 season. Those are SE, SEL, Night, XRT and Limited. A hybrid version will use different packages if the company follows the same pattern as with Tucson. Anyway, the standard lineup will also get refreshments with another trim, or new colors.
The SE offers the base engine, LED headlights, multimedia with an 8-inch touchscreen and 6-speaker audio. Smartphone connectivity to Android and Apple devices is standard. The safety package includes blind-spot intervention and rear cross-traffic alert. The SEL adds heated seats, lockable storage bins in the bed, and keyless entry. Activity package is optional.
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Night will be a more serious upgrade. The first thing it brings is a turbo engine. Special wheels are ready for this model. Of course, everything is darkened and unique parts make this model eye-catching. The XRT is another cool option thanks to wide fenders, bed cargo rails, side steps, and a digital key which allows you to make some controls through a smartphone app. Adaptive cruise control is also part of the XRT package. The most prestigious features are brought by Santa Cruz Limited. Some of the notable upgrades are leather seats, extra USB ports for passengers in the back, ventilated front buckets, navigation, Bose audio, and a blind-spot camera.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Colors
Six colors are available for the base SE model. Phantom Black, Blue Stone, Atlas White, California Sand and Hampton Gray are standard, while the Sage Gray costs $450. Night model offers only two options, and upper trims are not offering special paintjobs.
Pricing
Since there are no changes, we expect prices to stay put. The entry-level truck will cost $28,000. The SEL is already above $30k and the XRT is close to $40k thanks to the turbo engine. XRT and Night are premium options that can get the price to $45,000.
The only rival for now is the Ford Maverick. We’ll see who else is going to introduce a small pickup. Toyota filed the trademark registration for the Stout. It was a pickup truck which might be back as a compact model. Spy photos are also showing RAM 1200. Some say it will be called Dakota.
