With its swoopy form, intelligent headlights and the truth that it has a truck mattress, plenty of what makes the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz fascinating is on the skin. However step inside, and you may uncover that, whereas not as unique because the Ford Maverick‘s cabin, the Santa Cruz could be a cozy, trendy and arguably upmarket setting, offered you are keen to pay the worth.
And, boy, did this Santa Cruz include a price: $41,100, together with vacation spot. It’s the range-topping Restricted, although, which implies it not solely comes with the 281-horsepower 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder and all-wheel drive, however an abundance of luxurious tools for that luxurious worth. That features a sunroof, massive screens for devices and infotainment, energy leather-based seats with heating and air flow, heated steering wheel, dual-zone computerized local weather management, adaptive cruise management, lane-centering, blind-spot monitoring, encompass view cameras and extra. It’s all that and a bag of chips (wooden chips, as a result of it is a truck).
It’s not simply these options that assist the Restricted justify that price ticket — whenever you truly do hop in, it makes a powerful first impression. The dashboard is mainly the identical as what you get within the Tucson, which is a swish, architectural design. Two alcoves are shaped by panels with silvery trim that waterfall down the middle stack, which is canted towards the driving force. These even have built-in air vents to scrub up the look. Nestled within the driver’s alcove is a brilliant and crisp 10.25-inch instrument display screen that reveals analog-style dials and presents fluid animations when switching between drive modes that change the dial design. The middle stack options one other sharp 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment that’s pleasingly a part of the stack, reasonably than sitting on it. Different fantastic touches are the fashionable black leather-based, which may be paired with sporty orange accents if desired, in addition to the fabric trim alongside the sprint. The plastics are applicable for the worth level (which implies they’re superb at decrease costs), and all the things matches splendidly, too.
It does have just a few foibles, although. The fancier your Santa Cruz, the less bodily buttons you get. The complete heart stack of the Restricted is all contact “buttons,” together with for adjusting temperature, quantity and different objects. So you may be doing plenty of tapping and probably listening to a bunch of beeps when altering issues (heart stack sound results may be switched off). If this places you off, the bottom, naturally aspirated Santa Cruz supplies good massive temperature knobs and admittedly uncommon scroll wheels for quantity and tuning. Then once more, you additionally get a smaller infotainment display screen and bodily instrument dials (which you’ll want, anyway). Again within the Restricted, buttons for the heated and ventilated seats are oddly positioned, too, at the vanguard of the armrest the place they’re tough to see. However for probably the most half, the cabin is pleasant to have a look at and contact.
As for the seats, these up entrance have thick padding and a gentle quantity of bolstering. The decrease cushion is brief, so the long-legged would possibly discover themselves wanting extra thigh help, however the seat may be angled to assist make it comfy sufficient. It is fairly simple to discover a comfy driving place, too, however knee room is a bit tight due to the Santa Cruz’s comparatively small dimensions, plus door and sprint elements that intrude on the realm a bit. Talking of the driving place, it’s fairly excessive, however with a tall roof and plenty of headroom, it does not really feel such as you’re teetering atop the truck. Mixed with a low hood and cowl, ahead visibility is great. Rear visibility alternatively is disappointing. The upswept window line and thick rear pillars make for some nasty blind spots, so you may be glad for the Restricted’s array of blind-spot warning features.
Those self same components make the rear seat lodging sub-optimal, and it’s the place the Santa Cruz undoubtedly departs from the Tucson. Children will probably have nice problem seeing out over the excessive window sills, and even adults will discover it to be a dim locale. The seats themselves are additionally flat and agency, and the seatbacks extra upright than what you’d discover in a compact SUV. Legroom is tight in comparison with these as nicely, however then it’s additionally about what you’d discover in bigger pickups just like the Ford Ranger and Chevy Colorado. The rear seats do have 60/40-split flip-up backside cushions, so the rear may also be used for added locked and weather-proof storage past the lined mattress and shallow rear trunk that we lined in this Santa Cruz bed review.
General, the Santa Cruz Restricted does again up its massive price ticket with not simply loads of options, however stable inside high quality and luxury. That’s, so long as you are not placing individuals within the again too typically. In order a do-everything machine with a contact of sophistication, it is a good selection.
