Built on a unibody platform, the Santa Cruz is designed to be perfectly at home in both urban and adventure-related settings. The pickup bed is flexible in that it comes with a lockable tonneau cover, a hidden compartment, and versatile bed extension accessories.

At the front, it sticks close to the Tucson’s design language with its hidden lighting signature, parametric jewel-design daytime running lights, and highly angular shape. Compared to other pickup trucks, the Santa Cruz’s A- and C-pillars feature more forward and rearward rakes, while large 20-inch alloy wheels with an armor-like pattern signify capability. At the back, the lighting takes on a “T” lighting signature with a “Designed in California” embossing in them.

Going for maneuverability than anything else, the Santa Cruz is small. It measures 4,970 mm in length, 1,927 mm in width, and 1,714 mm in height. It’s wheelbase at is 3,007 mm. Its bed length isn’t squared off being 1,229 mm at its shortest and 1,323 mm at its longest.

Inside, it sticks to the same Tucson influences. The dual-cockpit design provides an ergonomic experience even for long rides, while the instrument panel and infotainment system both measure 10 inches in size. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard, while options include wireless charging and a a Bose audio system.

Standard power for the Santa Cruz is a 2.5-liter normally-aspirated 4-cylinder engine with 190 horsepower and 244 Nm of torque. This engine is coupled to an 8-speed automatic. Meanwhile, for those who want something faster, the optional turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine makes 275 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque coupled with an 8-speed dual clutch automatic.

Both models offer Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel drive system. This multi-mode AWD provides an electronic, variable-torque-split clutch that can freely distribute power to front and rear wheels as necessary. In Sport mode, it defaults to sending more power to the rear wheels.

The 2022 Santa Cruz will be built in Hyundai’s assembly plant in Montgomery, Alabama and will be (for now) exclusive to the North American market.