Car Review: Santa Cruz

Hyundai made a truck?

Back in 2021, Hyundai came out with the Santa Cruz, they wanted to have a truck like vehicle but still wanted the luxury and comfortable aspect of their brand. So they made an SUV into a truck by putting a four foot bed on the back. 

The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz HTRAC AWD is powered by a 2.5 liter turbocharged inline 4 cylinder with 281 HP and 311 LB-FT or torque and is AWD. The turbo gives you better fuel economy by upping it up to 10%. The Santa Cruz has a 0-60 of six seconds and an estimated 133 MPH from the manufacturer, and that is wild because it weighs 5,000 LB.

“It looks like something a mom would drive, but it’s super reliable,” said Rydge Hesse sophomore at Lakeland High School.

The stock tires that come on it are Kumho Crugen HP71 with 18” Hyundai Alloy wheels. As seen in the video.

The Santa Cruz has the same size interior as a mid-size SUV and has cloth or leather seats that are heated and ventilated. The steering wheels and shift knob are also heated. The instrument cluster is a big screen in front of the wheel and an even bigger screen in the middle for your android auto and apple car play. The center console is a decent size and has a wireless charger near the front. 

The bed of the truck is a 4 foot and 3 inches bed with a little built-in cooler in the back of it, the cooler even has a drain, the bed also has little compartments on each side of the bed so you can have bigger items that you do not want to be jared around in there.

The outside aesthetic is really unique. At the back of the truck, there are big tail lights with our tailgate and tonneau cover. Going to the cab there is a little roof spoiler with a roof rack for a ski box, luggage carrier, etc. It has a body line that comes to a Y towards the front and has wheel well protectors on all four corners. The grill has a cool pattern and some of the grill pieces are a part of the headlight/ running lights. And all the lights are LED.

“It’s like a Honda Ridgeline but better and cooler,” Said Hunter Cluster, Sophomore at Lakeland High School.

Thank you to Midway Hyundai for letting us use your stock. They have great owners and a great team. They have great salesmen and the best warranties you can find. If you’re looking for a nice new or used car go take a look at what Midway has to offer.