2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Brings Subtle Flair, Off-Road Chops
Pickup trucks are undoubtedly growing by the year (even if the functional bed size isn't), but there's also a downsizing trend for certain pickups. Ford's utilitarian Maverick truck launched in 2022, largely creating a category of its own inside a saturated pickup market. But the folks in Dearborn can't claim full responsibility for the resurgence of truly small trucks. Hyundai jumped into the compact segment as well. After launching its quirky, pseudo-truck-crossover Santa Cruz in 2022, Hyundai and Ford began competing for the same set of buyers. As it turns out, four doors, five seats, and the ability to put something (albeit small) in the bed every once in a while is quite appealing. As the 2025 model year approaches, Hyundai is subtly revamping its adventure-ready Santa Cruz, which is based on the Tucson crossover, but with a bed. The Korean automaker is not doing so through sub