The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz First Drive Review: Leveling Up The Lifestyle Truck

For 2025, the Hyundai Santa Cruz will get a considerable replace that makes the model’s small truck even simpler to stay with. It begins with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as customary throughout the vary, however it additionally features a new, extra off-road succesful trim referred to as the XRT. Below the pores and skin of the Santa Cruz, nothing modifications for 2025 – it is nonetheless powered by both a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 191 horsepower, or a turbocharged model making significantly extra energy, and all-wheel-drive (non-obligatory on the bottom engine, customary with the turbo model).

Whereas with Hyundai in California to drive the 2025 Tucson, we snuck away with a Santa Cruz XRT to spend a while on and off-road. The XRT is a high trim and brings enhanced off-road functionality, so it comes with a 281 horsepower turbocharged 2.5-liter engine and Hyundai’s HTRAC AWD system as customary.

Exterior: Bolder And Extra Aggressive

On the fee we, as automotive journalists, are informed that the brand new model of a automobile’s design is “bolder” and “extra aggressive,” by round 2050, nicely over half the automobiles on the street will appear like they’re impressed by Mad Max. Hyundai makes use of these phrases, however we’d say the entrance headlights have been simplified with fewer lights making up the cluster design and the entrance fascia buying and selling its angles for vertical strains. The grilles are additionally simplified, utilizing a blockier design, and the XRT’s is coloured black.

The brand new stance, at the very least aesthetically, is extra assured for the 2025 Santa Cruz, however the XRT is probably the most seen at a look. It rides on 18-inch “wrench-inspired” wheels and 245/60 R 18 all-terrain tires with a wholesome quantity of sidewall. The fascia and bumper design enhance its method angle for obstacles and guarantee that you may see the entrance tow hooks with purple paint. The astute observer will discover {that a} increase within the journey top is lacking from the off-road particular trim. We’ll get to that in our drive impressions.

Inside: Massive Modifications And Extra Tech

The bones of the Hyundai Santa Cruz stay the identical inside with snug seating for 4 adults – or 4 adults and one barely squished little one – however quite a lot of the surface-level stuff has modified. This begins with a brand new panoramic curved show with a 12.3-inch touchscreen and, for the XRT and Restricted trim, a 12.3-inch gauge cluster that we discovered to be sharp and simply configurable on the fly. It may additionally present navigation from Apple Maps and Google Maps, which ought to be way more frequent than it’s.

Hyundai pays quite a lot of consideration to suggestions from clients, and it exhibits within the bodily audio, video, navigation, and H-VAC controls. It is considered one of Hyundai’s best strikes by way of ergonomics but, and this extends to the brand new steering wheel. Added to the infotainment system is wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as customary, which we applaud, and Hyundai Pay in-car cost system, which, nicely, we do not applaud out of suspicion primarily based on how badly the automakers on the whole have been behaving about gathering and promoting buyer’s knowledge. USB-C ports are welcome, although, and we’ll see how fingerprint authentication performs out over time by way of reliability.

Below The Hood: Acquainted Enjoyable

The XRT, just like the Restricted model of the Tucson, comes with a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine that matches a dual-clutch transmission. With 281 horsepower and a good larger dose of torque in a small crossover with a truck mattress, it is a vigorous combine. The turbo engine comes with AWD completely. Decrease trims get a 191-hp model of that engine and an eight-speed computerized, with the selection between FWD and AWD.

Energy with the turbocharged engine is plentiful and delivered with fast and easy gear modifications – not sports activities automotive fast, however sufficient to take pleasure in and never have bother becoming a member of a fast-moving freeway or moving into gaps in site visitors from a standing begin. The XRT is down on gasoline financial system in contrast with the remainder of the Santa Cruz vary as a result of its tires, aerodynamics, turbo engine, and all-wheel drive setup. On the plus facet, it does get a better, 5,000-pound towing capability.

On the Street: Little Given Up For Off-Street Skill

With no change within the journey top and utilizing Hyundai’s already confirmed AWD system, there’s not a lot taken away from the Santa Cruz’s on-road dynamics to create the XRT trim. Pushing it round on backroads for half an hour confirmed that it is solely on the extremes the place anybody will discover the distinction in tires — like throughout emergency maneuvers or enjoying race-car driver. Nevertheless, for on a regular basis driving, the variations are negligible. Street noise could also be just a little louder from the extra aggressive tread sample, however it’s not intrusive.

Earlier than we get to driving the Santa Cruz XRT, it is price understanding the AWD system that is fitted. It is made up of a entrance differential and switch case, a torque-controlled AWD coupling (entrance to again), and a rear differential and managed by the HTRAC AWD management unit. The management models makes use of sensors for issues like acceleration place, steering angle, wheel velocity, and yaw to determine the place torque must go to optimize traction. That is all obtainable throughout the Santa Cruz lineup.

Off The Street: A lot Higher than You Would Think about

We have been impressed by Hyundai’s AWD HVAC system for a while now, and its means to hustle by way of a mud monitor or cope with slippery conditions is one thing we reward overtly; the restrict has at all times been the tires. So it was a revelation to see what a set of particular tires might do for the Santa Cruz. We hit the filth monitor behind a ranch Hyundai had picked out, and located it extra like a light-rally stage with its tight turns and elevation phases.

What we weren’t shocked about, having spent fairly a little bit of time in Tucson and Santa Fe fashions on filth roads, is how nicely the suspension offers with a little bit of tough and tumble – particularly as you choose up velocity and the suspension is working at greater frequency. Add that stability and the suspension’s means to manage the physique, and the brand new tires end the equation.

The result’s a steady, assured journey on the filth with the AWD system looking for you, however due to the lively torque management eager to ship extra torque to the rear wheels and that the Santa Cruz is not an enormous truck, it is wickedly agile when the turns begin tightening up. We would not be afraid of getting as much as a few of our native climbing and climbing spots later within the yr with the XRT trim.

Conclusion: However Do You Want The XRT Trim?

Let’s take a look at pricing to get an thought of whether or not the XRT is a worthwhile improve:

* Excludes $1,395 vacation spot price

The XRT trims is a little more costly than the SEL Exercise beneath it – greater than $5k pricier, even with AWD added. That value goes to the turbocharged engine and dual-clutch transmission, in addition to improved towing capability. A handful of inside and exterior enhancements are included, too.

In actuality, should you put a set of all-terrain tires on a daily Santa Cruz, that may be sufficient for almost all of individuals which are going off the pavement to get to these climbing, tenting, fishing, or different exercise spots persons are in search of out. From our expertise, the all-terrain tires would solely make a marked enchancment in slippery situations, which makes for the case of getting a daily Santa Cruz and a set of all-terrains for the wetter or snowy months. The additional method angle and tow hooks are at all times price having in your again pocket for getting off the pavement, but when you don’t need or want the accouterments of the upper trim degree the XRT additionally represents, it is debatable if it is price the associated fee.

With out way more than a set of tires, a modified bumper, and a few entrance tow hooks, it is onerous to name the Santa Cruz XRT a worthwhile off-road improve over getting a second set of wheels and tires – which can fortunately match within the truck mattress to take to the tire store and have another person change for a small price. Nonetheless, it exhibits off the talents of the Santa Cruz very well, it appears to be like the half, and we would not put somebody off if it is precisely what they need. What’s simple, nevertheless, is that the Santa Cruz is a moderately nice little truck.