2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Small Pickup Receives Updated Styling, Revamped Interior & New Safety Tech

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Summary Points

• The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz is based on the unibody Tucson crossover and is part of a niche segment with the Ford Maverick and Honda Ridgeline.

• The new Santa Cruz resembles the Tucson’s façade with a similar front grille design, low-set headlights, and daytime running lights.

• “Santa Cruz is a true sport adventure vehicle,” said José Muñoz, president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Company. “Customers will appreciate all the new design details and enhancements inside and out.”

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz: What’s New?

First unveiled in 2021, Hyundai has given the Santa Cruz a comprehensive revamp for a more rugged, go-anywhere vibe. The changes include a new front grille, unique daytime running lights, and updated wheels, all of which make it resemble the 2025 Hyundai Tucson but with a four-foot bed in the back. New paint options for 2025 include Canyon Red and Rockwood Green.

The most noticeable changes are inside the cabin. The 2025 Santa Cruz has a new dashboard with a panoramic curved display that houses dual 12.3-inch screens for the instrument cluster and infotainment display.

There’s also a new steering wheel, redesigned air vents, and a separate HVAC, navigation, and audio panel with physical buttons and switches. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a fingerprint scanner, a digital key, USB-C charging ports, and over-the-air (OTA) updates are standard across the lineup.

Santa Cruz XRT

The 2025 Santa Cruz XRT is the most rugged of the lot, slotting below the range-topping Limited. It has exclusive, trim-specific styling points like a bespoke front grille design, wrench-inspired 18-inch wheels wrapped in chunkier all-terrain rubber, and a unique front and rear bumper.

In addition, Santa Cruz XRT gets front tow hooks, embossed XRT logos on the front upper seatbacks, and an increase in the approach angle to make it more capable in the wild.

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Powertrain

The SE and SEL have a 2.5-liter direct-injected four-cylinder gas engine with 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft. of torque. The engine connects to an eight-speed automatic with a multi-disc torque converter, a downsized oil pump, and double ball