Hyundai wants us to think of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz not as a pickup truck but as a sport-adventure vehicle. Fine by us. Other than the shifting around of some standard content, the Santa Cruz carries over unchanged from 2022. However, Hyundai did insert the new Night trim level into the mix. It’s essentially an appearance upgrade of the SEL.
Hyundai has aimed the Santa Cruz directly at the American market. It’s designed and built right here in the good old U.S. of A. Its 4-foot cargo box won’t allow you to transport a full sheet of plywood or sheetrock safely. However, it provides cargo space outside the cab for transporting stuff you wouldn’t want mucking up the inside of your SUV.
Most often compared to the Honda Ridgeline, another unit-body pickup, the Santa Cruz is shorter in overall length, narrower in width, and smaller in stature. The Ridgeline cargo box, at just over five feet long, is larger, too.
There are numerous other differences — for example, the Honda powers the Ridgeline with a 280-horsepower V6. Hyundai gives buyers the choice of a 191-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder or a 281-hp turbocharged 4-cylinder engine; both team with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
In our testing, the Hyundai Santa Cruz feels much more carlike than the Honda Ridgeline.
Hyundai sells the 2023 Santa Cruz in the following trim levels: SE, SEL, Night, SEL Premium, and Limited.
We like the Hyundai Santa Cruz for its comfortable cabin, under-floor cargo-box storage, available lockable cargo-box cover, healthy bundle of safety technologies, and bar-setting powertrain warranty.
Let’s see what the trim levels offer.
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE (starting at $25,450)
The Santa Cruz SE base price is up $1,550 over last year, but blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert have been made standard. They weren’t even available as options on the 2022 Santa Cruz SE.
Armed with the non-turbo engine, the SE can tow up to 3,500 pounds. Hill-start assist and hill-descent control are standard. It rides on 18-inch alloy wheels. The cargo-box interior, made of a molded composite material, provides side-wall storage compartments. A rear-bumper sidestep is standard, too.
Other standard features are remote keyless entry, power locks, windows, and outboard mirrors; automatic on/off headlights; and high-beam assist. Hyundai also includes LED taillights, single-zone manual air conditioning, and a tilt/telescope steering wheel (with audio controls).
Cloth covers the seats, and a center console sits between the front bucket seats. The driver’s seat offers 6-way manual adjustment, and a 4.2-inch color LCD driver-information display is standard.
Among the healthy quotient of standard safety and driver-aid technologies are forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection. Other standard safety tech includes blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, safe-exit warning, and driver-alert warning.
An 8-inch touchscreen oversees the infotainment system, including two USB ports, a 6-speaker audio system, and Bluetooth. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, too.
Hyundai doesn’t offer any options for the SE other than all-wheel drive (AWD). On both the SE and SEL, AWD adds $1,500. Hyundai makes AWD standard on the upper trims.
Adding the $1,295 destination fee to the Santa Cruz SE base price brings the total to $26,745. With no money down, financing for 60 months at 3% interest works out to about $481 per month. See 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz models for sale
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE includes:
Remote keyless entry – You can unlock and lock the Santa Cruz remotely with the fob.
Tilt/telescope steering wheel – This allows the Santa Cruz driver to set the steering wheel’s height and distance.
Hill-start assist – Using sensors to determine when your vehicle stops on an incline, the system maintains the brake pressure for a predetermined time. This interval allows you to shift your right foot from the brake to the accelerator without the vehicle rolling back.
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL (starting at $27,790)
With a base price of $2,340 higher than the SE, the Santa Cruz SEL adds some tempting features. For example, an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, proximity keyless entry with push-button start, and heated front seats.
Other welcome upgrades include heated outboard mirrors with integrated turn signals, satellite-radio capability, and remote engine start.
Another reason to step up to the SEL is its optional Activity Package ($3,270). It gains you an integrated tonneau cover, a sunroof, a sliding-glass rear window, and a 115-volt power outlet. Also in the package are cargo-box utility tracks with cleats, LED bed lighting, a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster, and wireless phone charging.
Adding the destination fee to the SEL base price equals $29,085. Financing for 60 months at 3% interest with no money down works out to a monthly payment of about $523. See 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL models for sale
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL includes:
Proximity keyless entry – If the key fob is on your person, the doors automatically unlock when you approach. Push-button start pairs with proximity keyless entry.
Remote start – When within range, you can start the Santa Cruz SEL from outside the vehicle with the key fob. It’s handy for precooling the interior in summer and preheating it in winter.
Available Activity Package – Its options comprise a locking tonneau cover and C-channel tracks with adjustable tie-down cleats, adding utility to the cargo box. The package includes a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless phone charging, and other goodies.
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Night (starting at $35,810)
Although the Night trim is a blacked-out appearance upgrade to the SEL, it does introduce some crucial components that remain standard in the higher trim levels. They are the 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and AWD. With this combination, maximum towing increases to 5,000 pounds.
The Night grade also includes the SEL Activity Package. Other gains are steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, 20-inch dark alloy wheels, and other dark elements like the grille, tailgate trim, mirror caps, and side steps.
As with all successive grades, Hyundai doesn’t offer any factory-installed options.
Adding the destination fee to the Night’s base price totals $37,105. At 3% interest, financing for 60 months with no money down works out to about $667 per month. See 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Night models for sale
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Night includes:
Turbocharged engine – Beginning with the Night grade, standard propulsion falls to a 281-hp turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that generates 311 lb-ft of torque. It increases the maximum towing capacity to 5,000 pounds.
AWD – This AWD system sends some engine torque to all four wheels in slippery conditions. It’s engineered for dirt and gravel roads, not hardcore off-roading.
Paddle shifters – Mounted on the back of the steering wheel, these levers can upshift or downshift the 8-speed automatic transmission.
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL Premium (starting at $37,350)
With the turbocharged engine and AWD, the Santa Cruz SEL Premium builds on the SEL with its Activity Package. That means paddle shifters, LED headlights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Digital Key, and dual-zone automatic climate control. Also standard are an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, navigation, and adaptive cruise control with Curve Control. Now included in the SEL Premium, Curve Control was only available previously as a standard feature in the Limited version.
Speed-limit assist and Dynamic Voice Recognition round out the upgrades on the SEL Premium.
Adding the $1,295 destination fee to the SEL Premium base price brings the total to $38,645. With no money down, financing for 60 months at 3% interest works out to about $694 per month. See 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL Premium models for sale
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL Premium includes:
Digital Key – Available only with Android devices, it allows you to access your vehicle with your smartphone.
Dual-zone automatic climate control – A set-and-forget system, it divides the vehicle into left and right regions, providing separate temperature settings for each. Once set, it automatically maintains the preset temperatures.
Adaptive cruise control – Once you have engaged the system and set the speed, the Santa Cruz will maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, braking and accelerating as needed. Curve Control is a navigation-based system that anticipates curves and reduces the vehicle speed if necessary.
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited (starting at $40,320)
As the flagship Hyundai Santa Cruz, the Limited adds a boatload of comfort and safety features. For example, leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, and an 8-speaker Bose audio system are all standard.
Other welcome Limited hardware includes 20-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, two additional USB ports, a heated steering wheel, and a HomeLink transceiver. The Limited adds a surround-view camera, a blind-spot view monitor, and Highway Driving Assist on the safety-technology front.
Adding the destination fee to the Limited base price totals $41,615. Our financing model used above equates to a monthly payment of about $748. See 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited models for sale
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited includes:
Highway Driving Assist – A semi-autonomous driver-assistance technology, this system accelerates, brakes, and steers the Santa Cruz Limited under certain conditions. It requires the driver’s hands on the steering wheel.
Surround-view camera – It provides a 360-degree bird’s-eye view around the vehicle. This tech is particularly valuable when parking.
Rain-sensing wipers – When the system senses moisture on the windshield, it automatically engages the wipers. The wiper speed adjusts according to the volume of the rain.
