2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Pictures, Engine, Release Date
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Pictures, Engine, Release Date – So while traditional truck enthusiasts – not to mention the very brand that builds it – refuse to call the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz one, this vehicle can definitely be classified as a pickup truck. This pickup’s non-conformity and non-traditional approach is a fresh take on trucks, and its biggest strength. 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Pictures
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior and Interior
As far as trucks go, the Santa Cruz is as user-friendly as it gets, as it requires almost no learning curve even if you’ve never driven a truck before. There are no tricks or previous truck experience needed to feel comfortable, and even the AWD system is fully automated and requires no driver input.
The infotainment system also has logical menus and is easy to navigate, so it’s never a chore to find what you’re looking for. I also appreciate the simple user-friendliness of the now old-school T-handle gear selector. While using buttons and knobs for gear selection clears up room around the centre console, they’re just never as intuitive to use as a lever.
Where the Santa Cruz suffers in the user-friendliness department is its lack of analogue buttons, however. Nearly all the functions are controlled via touch-sensitive buttons, which also means there’s no volume knob or hard controls for tuning, temperature, or fan speed. I can appreciate the slicker look, but having a few analogue buttons in the mix makes it safer and easier to find what you’re looking for while on the move, especially if it’s to make a quick change.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Specs
In the top Ultimate trim I tested, this little truck offers all the features you want at this price point except for a head-up display, heated rear seats, and wireless phone mirroring. The last one is odd because the base Santa Cruz has a smaller eight-inch infotainment screen and offers wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but once you upgrade to the larger 10.25-inch screen, you’ll need to use a wired connection to access them.
This means drivers who get the Ultimate trim won’t get much use of the wireless phone charger, so this packaging doesn’t make a lot of sense. Besides that, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay don’t use the whole screen, so there’s a dead zone that seems like a waste of valuable screen real estate.
Some of the standout features in the top-trim model include heated and ventilated front seats, 64 colours of ambient lighting, as well as that long list of excellent driver assistance and safety features. The base Preferred model is decently featured, but the mid-range Preferred with Trend or this Ultimate model are the ones I’d go with.
Engine and Performance
The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz comes standard with front-biased all-wheel drive (AWD) and is powered by a turbocharged 2.5L four-cylinder that outputs 281 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. It gets to all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Pictures
This truck has more than enough power and even feels quick when you need it to, helping you get to highway speeds and pass people with no drama at all. The engine does sound a bit harsh when you stomp on the pedal or you’re trying to climb up a hill, but it feels peppy and responsive in most situations. The transmission might act a little choppy at low speeds, but most of the time it’s relatively good at knowing where it needs to be and shifts smoothly. This powertrain is a great, capable match for this small truck.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Fuel Economy
The other bonus to its small size is decent fuel economy. Over about 800 km of mixed driving, the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz was returning an average of 10.7 L/100 km – very close to its official combined rating of 10.6 L/100 km. Earlier during my time with the truck, after I had logged about 300 km of mostly city and suburban driving, the economy varied between 11.3 and 12.4 L/100 km. Officially, the Santa Cruz is rated at 12.1 L/100 km in the city and 8.6 on the highway. Hyundai also says the Santa Cruz can run on regular-grade fuel.
By four-cylinder crossover standards, that fuel economy isn’t amazing, but by truck standards, those ratings are excellent. I did hear from two different passers-by that they wished the small truck came as a hybrid or electric, and I loved the idea, but it would have made it even more niche and would have seriously impacted its towing capacity. 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Pictures
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Safety Features
The Santa Cruz comes standard with a long list of safety and driver assistance features even in its entry-level Preferred trim, including forward collision avoidance with camera-based pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-following and lane-keep assist, driver attention warning, automatic high-beam headlights, rear occupant alert system and safe exit warning that warns of vehicles approaching from behind, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.
Adding the Trend package brings a radar-based forward collision avoidance system with junction assistance that can warn of oncoming vehicles when making left-hand turns, and adaptive cruise control that works in stop-and-go traffic. The fully loaded Ultimate model adds intelligent speed limit assist, blind-spot cameras that display live feeds in the instrument screen when the turn signal is activated, surround-view parking cameras, and steering assist for the adaptive cruise control. In practice, all the driver assistance systems aren’t overly sensitive and they feel natural, with the vehicle adapting to changing situations smoothly in a way that isn’t jarring. 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Pictures
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Price and Release Date
The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz starts at $38,499 for the Preferred trim plus a non-negotiable $1,825 destination fee. Adding the Trend package is an additional $2,900, while the fully loaded Ultimate trim starts at $44,799. All things considered, my Ultimate tester rings in at $46,954 before tax, which in Ontario means the final price including tax would be $53,058. While that total might seem like a lot to pay for a small truck, Hyundai makes it work by packing the Santa Cruz full of features and offering excellent build quality and overall packaging that makes it feel worth it.
Hyundai continues to set the bar high for itself and routinely impresses by offering fully featured vehicles that go above and beyond what’s expected, and the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz continues this trend. It’s a unique, practical, stylish, and user-friendly small truck that’s well-suited for a variety of lifestyles. Its excellent driving dynamics and long list of features truly help seal the deal. I am thoroughly impressed by this small truck and love to see something so unique offer so much real-world utility. 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Pictures
