2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Truck · 2.5L Turbo GDI I4 · AWD

79/100

AutoVault's overall score, weighted for what a truck is actually for — performance, technology, comfort, reliability, safety and value.

Specifications

Engine	2.5L Turbo GDI I4
Horsepower	281 hp
Torque	311 lb-ft
0–60 mph	6.1 sec
Top speed	120 mph
Drivetrain	AWD
Seats	5
Combined MPG	22 mpg (19 city / 26 hwy)
Range	371 miles
MSRP	$31,600
Body style	Truck

The verdict

What's good

Crossover-based ride quality is far more comfortable than body-on-frame trucks
Lockable underbed storage compartment is genuinely clever for securing valuables
AWD Turbo version outaccelerates most midsize truck competitors significantly
Fits in standard parking spots that full-size or even midsize pickups cannot

What's not

Short bed limits payload usefulness for serious hauling or building materials
Towing capacity well below what buyers upgrading from a midsize truck would expect
Bed is not wide enough to fit a standard 4x8 sheet of plywood flat
Rear seats fold but don't create a fully flat floor for sleeping or cargo

The engine

Smartstream

2.5L Turbo I4

A muscular turbo-four that delivers a broad, flat wave of torque from just off idle, giving compact trucks and sedans genuinely quick, effortless thrust.

Hyundai Motor Group's Smartstream G2.5 T-GDI is built on the Theta III architecture and is shared across the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis lineups, from the Sonata N Line to the Genesis GV80.

It uses a dual-injection setup combining direct and port injection, a layout that helps avoid the intake-valve carbon buildup that plagues many direct-injection engines.
The same engine family underpins Genesis luxury and sport models, where it has been tuned to around 300 horsepower.

See the rest in AutoVault

The six sub-scores behind the 79 — performance, tech, comfort, reliability, safety and value
Market value today and year-by-year value history
All 5 trims with pricing
Studio photography — exterior, rear and interior
Side-by-side comparison with up to four cars

Open in AutoVault