Our long-term 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz has been with us for four months, about a third of the way through our loan. How does Roman like it?
In this video, Roman takes us through a tour of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz, a crossover pickup we have on loan. Hyundai gave us a year with the little guy, and we’ve already put it to work. It’s kind of a shame that it’s overshadowed by the wild popularity of the Ford Maverick, because it’s outstanding in its own right. Still, it’s not perfect.
Roman (and the crew) find the eight-speed dual clutch transmission to be the biggest gripe. We suspect that the eight-speed automatic transmission would be less lethargic off the line. You can get that transmission, but only with the non-turbo option.
Our all-new 2021 Santa Cruz AWD is equipped with a 2.5L turbocharged I4 engine and an 8-speed dual-clutch automated transmission. The four-banger is rated at 281 horsepower and 311 lbs-feet of torque. In this configuration, our Santa Cruz AWD turbo tows 5,000 lbs maximum while the non-turbo Santa Cruz is rated to tow 3,500 lbs.
The 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz is an outstanding utility vehicle for the right crowd…
Similar to the MacGyver-like Honda Ridgeline, the Santa Cruz can do so much more than its crossover brethren. It’s a great pickup for the DIY crowd, and it is an excellent daily driver. While the Ridgeline is far more utilitarian (and larger) the Santa Cruz is an outstanding compromise.
Sales numbers are excellent, despite the appeal, and popularity of the Ford Maverick. We’ve said it before, but we consider the Maverick more of a truck, and the Santa Cruz more car-like. In fact, most of us feel the seating comfort and amenities of the Santa Cruz are better than the equivalent Maverick.
There’s a lot more to be said about this little pickup. Check out the video below and tell us what you think!
