Glimpse at 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz Shows It's Shaping Up to Be an Attractive Pickup

By Connor Hoffman - Jun 17, 2020

BRIAN WILLIAMS - CAR AND DRIVER

BRIAN WILLIAMS - CAR AND DRIVER

 

 

  • We spied the upcoming 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz unibody pickup testing its towing capabilities.
  • Hyundai's first pickup is expected to use the Santa Fe SUV's 2.4-liter and turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-fours paired with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive.
  • Pricing is expected to start around $25,000, and they should arrive in the U.S sometime next year.

 

The upcoming Santa Cruz was spied testing its towing capabilities, giving us a welcome view of its good looks.

 

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz unibody pickup is coming closer to reality, and it'll arrive next year. After being revealed as a concept at the 2015 Detroit auto show, and announced that it'll be built alongside the Santa Fe mid-size SUV in Alabama, we've been excited to see how the Korean automaker's first foray into the pickup segment will pan out.

 

BRIAN WILLIAMS - CAR AND DRIVER

BRIAN WILLIAMS - CAR AND DRIVER

 

Hyundai is clearly testing the unibody pickup's towing capabilities here. And while we don't know the truck's maximum towing and payload capacities, we expect that it'll be lower than body-on-frame competitors such as the Chevy Colorado and Ford Ranger, but similar to the Honda Ridgeline, which is the only other unibody pickup in the U.S. market and can tow up to 5000 pounds.

As for the Santa Cruz's powertrains, we expect to see the 2.4-liter and turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-fours from the Santa Fe paired with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive.

We're also getting a closer look at the Santa Cruz's demeanor. Up front is a jagged, wide grille pattern that's reminds us of one found on the refreshed 2021 Santa Fe, which features a few different patterns depending on trim level—although it looks a lot wider than what we expected and conjured up in earlier renderings. At the top, the grille narrows out and flushes into some sleek LED headlights. It'll definitely have an attractive face. All in all, the Santa Cruz is shaping up to be an interesting "lifestyle" truck.

The new Hyundai pickup should be available with a single bed length and a four-door crew cab and is expected to reach dealers sometime in 2021 with a starting price around $25,000.

 

SOURCE: CAR AND DRIVER