The battle for the resurgent mini-truck market is on!
The all-new 2022 Ford Maverick just made its debut Tuesday, and you know what that means. With the new Hyundai Santa Cruz also arriving on the scene this summer, it’s officially a competition for the newest generation of small trucks. It’s been quite awhile since we’ve had smaller options on the market, so we thought it best to see just how these two stack up — at least by the stats. Bear in mind we have yet to drive either truck, but that will change later this year as they move closer to hitting dealer lots later this year.
In the chart and video below, Andre delves into each small truck by the numbers. On wheelbase, length, width and bed lengths, both Ford and Hyundai come within a few inches of each other, with each pulling out a lead depending on which dimensions are important to you. Both are crossover-based pickups — the Maverick shares some of its underpinnings with the Escape, while the Santa Cruz is closely related to the compact Tucson — and both pack four-cylinder engine options.
However, while these two offer four-pot powertrains, Ford and Hyundai took slightly different approaches. The base Maverick actually incorporates a 2.5-liter hybrid system, akin to what’s available in the Escape Hybrid. For now, at least, the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz kicks off with a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter gasoline engine on its own. Hyundai’s small pickup also offers a more powerful 2.5-liter turbocharged unit as an option, giving it a horsepower and torque advantage over the 2.0-liter turbo in the Ford Maverick.
The Maverick and Santa Cruz are still missing some key figures (for now)
The chart below is fairly complete, but Ford and Hyundai have yet to reveal a few key numbers in this comparison. For the 2022 Ford Maverick, we do have a starting price at $21,490 (including destination). However, official EPA figures aren’t available just yet, though Ford does estimate up to 37 MPG combined for the FWD hybrid.
We know the fuel economy for the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz — 23 MPG combined. However, at this point Hyundai hasn’t given out pricing for its small crossover-based truck. The general consensus is that it will start somewhere in the mid-$20,000 range, but we’ll have to wait and see. With Ford now throwing down its gauntlet, perhaps Hyundai will shave a bit off the starting MSRP to better compete.
Here is how these two compare on specs:
2022 Ford Maverick | 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz | |
Length | 199.7 in | 195.7 in |
Wheelbase | 121.1 in | 118.3 in |
Width | 72.6 in | 75.0 in |
Height | 68.7 in | 66.7 in |
Bed Length | 54 in | 52.1 in (max.) |
Base Power | 2.5L Hybrid I4 | 2.5L I4 |
Transmission | eCVT | 8-speed Auto |
Drivetrain | FWD only | FWD or AWD |
Power | 191 hp | 190 hp |
Torque | 155 lb-ft | 180 lb-ft |
Fuel Econ. (EPA) | 37 MPG (est.) | 23 MPG |
Base Payload | 1,500 lbs | 1,748 lbs (660 lbs in bed) |
Base Towing | 2,000 lbs | 3,500 lbs |
Optional Power | 2.0L Turbo I4 | 2.5L Turbo I4 |
Transmission | 8-speed Auto | 8-speed DCT Auto |
Drivetrain | FWD or AWD | FWD or AWD |
Power | 250 hp | 275 hp |
Torque | 277 lb-ft | 310 lb-ft |
Fuel Econ. (EPA) | TBA | 22 MPG |
Opt. Towing | 4,000 lbs | 5,000 lbs |
Ground Clearance | 8.6 in | 8.6 in |
Base Price (incl. dest.) | $21,490 | TBA |