Automotive Engineering - October 2021 - 15

ROAD READY
There are myriad tie-downs and cargobox
features to facilitate multiple configurations
and the clever rollaway
hard tonneau cover imparts the potential
to make the entire bed a lockable
storage area.
Power enough, price is right?
The 2022 Santa Cruz powertrain lineup
consists of a normally-aspirated 2.5-L
4-cyl. that develops a claimed 191 hp
and 181 lb-ft (245 Nm) for the SE and
SEL trims. An 8-speed automatic transmission
is standard and this engine can
be mated to Hyundai's HTRAC allwheel-drive
(AWD) as an upgrade over
the base front-wheel-drive layout.
The upgrade for SEL Premium and
Limited trims is a turbocharged variant
of the 2.5 L that generates a grunty 281
hp and 311 lb-ft (422 Nm), channeling
exclusively through an 8-speed dualclutch
automated manual transmission
and AWD. This was the only powertrain
we were able to try at the media launch
and it's certainly enough to shove the
unladen Santa Cruz with aplomb. This
configuration brings midsize-pickup
power to towing, which Bautista said
Hyundai's research showed is a " niceto-have "
feature for about 25-30% of
potential buyers. He also confirmed
there will be a FWD/turbo-engine layout
available in later production from
Hyundai's assembly plant in
Montgomery, AL.
A standout dynamic feature is the
brilliantly tuned damping for the Santa
Cruz's independent front and rear (selfleveling)
suspension. We pounded the
Santa Cruz over every rough-pavement
surface available and hit some washboarded
dirt roads for added measure
and the truck glided over it all with firm
and supple absorbency, precisely how
most would like an unladen pickup to
ride. The Santa Fe's only chassis bugaboo
seems to be the brakes, 12.8-in
(325-mm) front rotors borrowed
straight off the Tucson apart from a
slight upgrade for the rear discs from
12-in (305-mm) diameter to the same
12.8 in. as the front. It's not enough.
The Santa Cruz's cabin has a wide
and roomy feel in the front-seat space
and comes fitted with a solid dose of
comfort and convenience, including
plenty of standard and available electronic
active-safety features still unavailable
in pickups a segment above
the new Hyundai. The rear seat feels
slightly closed-in, perhaps partly because
of the upright and non-adjustable
seatback.
Viewed through the prism of realistic
With a truncated bed
length come limitations.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
buyer expectations, the Santa Cruz
seems to hit all the buttons, but pricing
might get in the way. A FWD model
with the base engine starts at a reasonable-enough
$25,175 (including $1,185
destination) and the first step into AWD
comes for $26,675. But plumping for
turbocharged power brings a whopping
jump to $36,685 and our top-trim
Limited test vehicle rung in at a stinging
$41,500. It's already known that Ford's
Maverick will cost thousands less and
also offers a hybrid variant (which
Bautista confirmed Hyundai is studying
for Santa Cruz). Although new-vehicle
pricing has hit record highs, $35,000plus
stickers could inject complications
for what some buyers may perceive as
an " entry-level " segment.
Bill Visnic
October 2021 15
Hyundai believes one reason
crossover buyers may prefer
an open cargo area is for
hauling grubby gear.
Automotive Engineering - October 2021

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