2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT review: Not a truck, but better for it

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT review by The Road Beat

Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman

This is not a truck for everyone, and to many, they won’t even consider it a truck at all. Yet, oddly enough, that’s precisely the defining feature and strongest trait of the Santa Cruz. Rather than chasing unreasonable payload and tow ratings, Hyundai focused on crafting an everyday crossover that just happens to have a truck bed out back. Think of this as less of a truck and more of a South Korean cyberpunk El Camino, and you’re on the right path, and it's a good path at that. Mass appeal won’t be in the cards, but the niche this fills is one it absolutely nails.

Picks

Viewed through the right lens, this isn’t an alternative to a traditional pickup; it’s an alternative to a mainstream crossover or even a stand-in for the modern wagon’s absence. The reality is simple: not every driver who owns a truck truly needs one. In my corner of Northern California, light duty and consumer heavy duty trucks make up about half the traffic, yet only a tiny fraction are ever being used as trucks. That’s where the Santa Cruz, Honda Ridgeline, and Ford Maverick crossover-trucks thrive—offering an easier, more approachable gateway into truck ownership that prioritizes versatility rather than sheer capability. Hyundai and others have carved out a smart niche here, and although the Maverick currently leads in popularity in California (among these three - the Tacoma still wins the non full-size truck department), the Santa Cruz presents a compelling argument of its own.

Hyundai’s progress in cabin refinement and build quality the past decade borders on staggering, and the Santa Cruz continues the streak even in midrange XRT trim. No rattles to speak of, tight and consistent fitment, and materials that exceed expectations for the brand—all rivaling or surpassing direct competitors. Having spent time in a Ford Maverick recently, this simply stands as the nicer, more refined vehicle. Highway manners are pleasantly quiet, seats are comfortable and spacious, and the overall vibe leans more near-luxury than bargain-budget-friendly.

Power comes from a turbocharged four-cylinder in this example, producing 280 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. Real-world performance leaves nothing to be desired; expect easy sub-seven-second 0–60 runs and effortless midrange shove courtesy of the readily available boost and a smart eight-speed automatic. Better yet, Hyundai’s four-cylinder avoids the grating, coarse soundtrack that plagues four-cylinder engines from other makes. Fuel economy isn’t half bad either, delivering an honest 24 MPG combined—comfortably ahead of a Honda Ridgeline or even the last Toyota Tacoma I tried which had a new turbo 'four of its own.

Driving dynamics, though, stand as the most impressive aspect yet. Apart from glimpsing the bed in the rearview or climbing into the cab, you’d scarcely realize you’re in a truck-ish vehicle. Steering feels tight and precise, backroad pace borders on genuinely quick, and the real-world mechanical grip inspires confidence. On my usual El Dorado County country routes, this thing can keep up with nearly any reasonable sedan, let alone a crossover, and dispatches twisty asphalt with ease. Ride quality impresses, too, avoiding the overly firm, borderline pointless stiffness plaguing the latest Tacoma. Offering another strong perspective: if you want a truck bed in a vehicle, but not comfortable with driving a large full-size pickup, the Santa Cruz is a viable antidote.

Also worth noting is how the XRT has some midly beefier tires and ground clearance raised to nine inches, allowing this little 'ute to veer off the asphalt with comfortable ease in modest use cases.

Looks like be love-it-or-hate-it, but the styling lands firmly in the “rad” category for me. Truck purists will dismiss it on principle, but the look channels a moon-buggy vibe—and that’s high praise for a small adventure-oriented truck, no doubt helped by the orange paint and XRT-specific cladding. The extra utility versus a conventional compact SUV sweetens the deal: toss a washing machine in the back, haul appliances, plants, or tackle dump runs—tasks you’d never want to subject your RAV4 to.

Nicks

Positives aside, certain drawbacks do surface depending on what buyers want and expect. Personally, nothing about the Santa Cruz jumps out as inherently dislikeable, nor does anything stand as fundamentally flawed. Rather, where it falls short is mostly in the categories where Hyundai (wisely in my view) chose not to participate.

Unlike the Ford Maverick, no hybrid powertrain exists—for now—which is a shame, since the Maverick’s base hybrid delivers comfortably over 30 MPG. While I enjoy the punch of Hyundai’s turbo engine, a more relaxed hybrid would appeal to a wider audience chasing fuel savings. Because let’s be honest: at 24 MPG, this isn’t dramatically more efficient than a new Ram 1500 with its 400-plus-horsepower Hurricane straight-six.

Choosing to pursue practicality has impacted towing, one of the top reasons people who need trucks buy trucks. With a maximum rating of 5,000 pounds, the Santa Cruz does keep pace with the Honda Ridgeline and bests the Maverick, but sits far behind what “real” midsize trucks like the GMC Canyon, Chevy Colorado, or Toyota Tacoma can handle. Choosing the non-turbo Santa Cruz drops the rating further to 3,500 pounds, or what the incoming 2026 RAV4 hybrid can tow. Still, it's enough for some lake toys.

Payload performance stands at an oddly specific 1,411 pounds—several hundred below a Canyon or Tacoma and a hair behind the Ridgeline. It doesn’t outperform most Mavericks either, but over a half ton of whatever in the bed will be tough to breach in the small truck bed.

Speaking of the Hyundai's payload, the biggest disappointment to some will come from the diminutive bed size, measuring only 52 inches long with the tailgate up and only able to completely withhold 27 cubic feet of volume within its confines. With no other way of saying it, that's kind of tiny and pretty comparable to the cargo volume of a RAV4. However, of course you can put tall items back there in the bed as long you as secure them so they don't tip out and over onto the road.

How to make the Santa Cruz make sense

Evidence provides proves the Santa Cruz clearly won’t suit every prospect. Plenty of genuine strengths exist, but a week behind the wheel underscores just how specific the target audience is. Compared directly against traditional half-tons or even midsize body-on-frame trucks, it barely registers as a truck.

The key realization is reframing the comparison entirely: this shouldn’t be cross-shopped against bigger trucks, but rather against the mainstream and ever-popular RAV4 and CRV-class of crossovers. Pricing aligns closely, driving characteristics match (albeit with more power), and its bed volume approximates what many crossovers offer—just in an open format. Instead of stuffing a Japanese maple or dishwasher inside an enclosed cargo area, you simply drop it in the bed, strap it down, and go.

A real personality shines through here, and for anyone stuck in the monotony of yet another anonymous crossover, the Santa Cruz might be the answer—an ideal partner for regular Harbor Freight runs, Green Acres visits, and everything in between. Don't think of it as a truck, but as a competent and nice, cool-looking crossover that happens to boast a truck bed behind.

Hyundai Santa Cruz photo gallery

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT — Key Specifications

• Price as-tested: $42,425

• Engine: 2.5L turbocharged inline-4

• Horsepower: 281 hp

• Torque: 311 lb-ft

• Transmission: 8-speed automatic

• Drivetrain: All-wheel drive

• 245/60 R18 all-terrain tires

• Fuel Economy (EPA): 18 mpg city / 26 mpg highway / 21 mpg combined

• Road Beat real world: 24 MPG

• Fuel Capacity: 18 gallons

• Towing Capacity: Up to 5,000 lbs

• Payload Capacity: 1,411 lbs

• Curb Weight: ~4,250 lbs

• GVWR: 5,798 lbs

• Bed Length: 52 in (tailgate up)

• Bed Depth: 19 in

• Bed Width: 54 in max / 43 in between wheel wells

• Bed Volume: 27 cu ft

• Overall Length: 196 in

• Wheelbase: 118 in

• Width: 75 in (without mirrors)

• Height: 67 in

• Ground Clearance: 9 in

• Seating Capacity: 5

• 12.3-inch touchscreen display with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto

• Warranty: 5-yr/60k-mi basic; 10-yr/100k-mi powertrain

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