The Hyundai Santa Cruz evidently won’t live to see a second generation, according to a new report.
According to sources speaking to Automotive News, Hyundai is about to drive the Santa Cruz from its lineup after five model years. Although the truck did just get an update for the 2025 model year, the plan seems to be to replace its small Ford Maverick rival with a larger truck. Specifically, it plans to build a midsize, body-on-frame truck that would compete in the same segment as the Toyota Tacoma.
For the moment, Hyundai has not outright confirmed that information through official channels. Nevertheless, sources told AutoNews that the time table to phase out the Santa Cruz had been moved up from 2027 to instead cancel the truck this year.
While the automaker has yet to issue a direct statement on the matter, you can get a solid idea why it’s deciding to pull out of the small truck market by looking at the sales numbers. The Ford Maverick, contrary to what many folks believed when it first hit the market, has been a major success. Last year, the Blue Oval sold 155,051 Mavericks to eager buyers, showing at least some hearty demand for a more affordable truck option.
So, how many Santa Cruz trucks did Hyundai sell last year? Dealers managed to shift 25,499 units, meaning Ford outsold its rival by six to one. Weak sales also left those same dealers with five months of unsold inventory at the end of the year (again, according to the AutoNews piece), with the resulting oversupply leading Hyundai to seriously dial back this year’s production output.
What will this newer, larger truck look like?
Hyundai did confirm last fall that it plans to build a Toyota Tacoma fighter in the coming years. On that basis, the reported pivot isn’t too surprising. Now, we just have a fairly clear understanding (just short of Hyundai’s official confirmation) that the company won’t sell both this new truck and the Santa Cruz side-by-side.
We don’t exactly know how Hyundai’s new midsize truck will shape up just yet, other than it will be body-on-frame. It will likely share a platform with the Kia Tasman shown above, though possibly without its controversial styling. I wouldn’t bet on seeing a turbo-diesel powertrain option over here in the U.S. anytime soon, if ever, but the 2.5-liter turbocharged “Smartstream” engine that’s currently in the Santa Cruz could possibly make an appearance in this new model.
Supposedly, Hyundai’s new midsize pickup could debut next year, with plans to get it into full production playing out through the end of the decade. Now that the Santa Cruz is probably on the chopping block, however, it may also move those plans up to fill the resulting void, since dealers would still likely appreciate having a truck to sell.
