4X4 Truck Guide
Compact Gas

2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz

1st generation (2022–present)

Spec plateChecked Sep 2026

Starting price
$29,750
AWD/4x4 from
$31,250
Max towing
5,000 lb
Max payload
1,411 lb
Most power
281 hp
Ground clearance
8.6 in
———
Approach · Breakover · Departure
XRT

Our verdict

The Santa Cruz is a Tucson with a bed, and it should be judged that way. HTRAC and Terrain Mode handle snow, sand and graded forest roads, and the XRT's turbo makes it quick, but there's no low range, no locker and nothing underneath that marks it as trail hardware. Buy it for the daily driving and the bed, not for the trail.

Best for

Buyers who want a small, easy-to-park crossover with an open bed for bikes, camping gear and weekend hardware-store runs, plus AWD for snow and dirt roads.

Skip it if

You need real off-road hardware, a long bed or more than 5,000 lb of towing.

Strengths

  • Drives like a crossover: unibody, independent suspension, 118.3-in wheelbase
  • 281-hp turbo on XRT and Limited with a 5,000-lb tow rating
  • Up to 24 mpg combined with AWD on the base engine
  • AWD available from $31,250

Weak spots

  • No low range, no lockers and no published off-road angles
  • 52.1-in bed is the shortest in this group
  • 8.6 in of ground clearance and street-car geometry limit trail use
  • Turbo models drop to 20 mpg combined

Capability vs other compact trucks

Max towing5,000 lb

Class best in our database

Max payload1,411 lb

94% of the class best (1,500 lb)

Ground clearance8.6 in

95% of the class best (9.1 in)

Cabs
Crew Cab
Bed lengths
4.3 ft
Fuel economy
20–24 mpg combined for AWD models (2.5L AWD 24; turbo XRT and Limited 20) per fueleconomy.gov
Pricing notes
Excludes destination. SE FWD starts at $29,750; HTRAC AWD is a $1,500 option on SE, SEL and SEL Activity, making the SE AWD ($31,250) the cheapest AWD Santa Cruz. XRT ($41,350) and Limited ($43,700) come with the turbo engine and AWD standard.
Configurations
Four-door crew cab only with a 52.1-in (about 4.3-ft) bed; unibody construction shared with Hyundai's crossovers.

Off-road hardware

4WD / AWD system

HTRAC on-demand all-wheel drive (optional on SE/SEL/SEL Activity, standard on XRT and Limited). It is a front-biased system that sends torque to the rear axle as conditions require; there is no transfer case, no low range and no locking differential listed. Terrain Mode Select (standard) provides terrain-specific settings.

Locking differentials

None listed on any trim. HTRAC is a clutch-controlled on-demand AWD system; Hyundai does not list a locking center, front or rear differential in the 2026 spec sheet.

Off-road geometry — XRT
Approach angleNot published
Breakover angleNot published
Departure angleNot published
Ground clearance8.6 in
Water fordingNot published

Off-road tech

  • HTRAC AWD
  • Terrain Mode Select (all trims; XRT adds modes)
  • Tow Mode (XRT, Limited)

Engines & transmissions

EnginePowerTorqueTransmission
2.5L I-4SE, SEL, SEL Activity; FWD or AWD. 191 hp at 6,100 rpm, 181 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm. 191 hp 181 lb-ft 8-speed automatic
2.5L turbo I-4XRT and Limited, AWD only. 281 hp at 5,800 rpm, 311 lb-ft from 1,700–4,000 rpm. 281 hp 311 lb-ft 8-speed automatic

The off-road trims

XRT

Turbo 2.5L with standard HTRAC AWD, a 5,000-lb tow rating with Tow Mode, and XRT styling (dark grille, fender flares); it is the trim marketed for dirt-road use, but Hyundai lists no off-road-specific suspension, lockers or skid plates.

What's new for 2026

No significant 2026 changes could be confirmed from Hyundai's media site (its newsroom did not load). The 2026 lineup is SE, SEL, SEL Activity, XRT and Limited, all with 8-speed automatics.

Rivals worth a look

Ford Maverick Santa Cruz vs Maverick
Honda Ridgeline Santa Cruz vs Ridgeline

Sources & data notes

These specs were checked on September 24, 2026 against the sources below, starting with the manufacturer's own material. When a figure isn't published, we leave it blank instead of estimating. Ratings are maximums for the best-equipped configuration; confirm yours on the door-jamb labels.

Sources for this page 8
  1. hyundaiusa.comhyundaiusa.com/us/en/vehicles/santa-cruz/compare-specs
  2. hyundaiusa.comhyundaiusa.com/us/en/vehicles/santa-cruz
  3. edmunds.comedmunds.com/hyundai/santa-cruz/2026/features-specs/
  4. kbb.comkbb.com/hyundai/santa-cruz/2026/specs/
  5. fueleconomy.govfueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle/49493
  6. fueleconomy.govfueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle/49494
  7. fueleconomy.govfueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle/49497
  8. fueleconomy.govfueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle/menu/model?year=2027&make=Hyundai

Understand the hardware