With its versatile bed, good handling, and high-quality interior, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a worthy competitor to another popular compact pickup truck, the Ford Maverick. Find out what we know so far about the release date, price, specs, and features of the new 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz.

When is the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz coming out?

The new 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz will likely be available in Fall 2022. Customers will be able to get it at Hyundai dealerships throughout the United States and in select international markets. Also, the trims offered for the 2023 Santa Cruz include SE, SEL, Night, SEL Premium, and Limited.

How much does the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz cost?

The starting price of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup truck ranges from $25,450 MSRP for the SE trim up to $40,320 MSRP for the Limited trim. Also, the 2023 Santa Cruz costs $1,010 more than the 2022 version, which has a starting base price of $24,440 MSRP. 

2023 Santa Cruz specs: Engine options, gas mileage, and towing

The new 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz offers two engine options. The standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine for the pickup truck generates 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque, while the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine produces 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque.

Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, but the turbo engine features a dual-clutch version. Also, buyers of the Santa Cruz have a choice of either a front-wheel drive system or a traction-enhancing all-wheel drive system.

While the Santa Cruz won’t be confused for a big rig towing powerhouse, it has a respectable maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. However, that’s for the turbocharged engine. With the weaker base engine, the Santa Cruz can tow only 3,500 pounds. On the efficiency front, the Santa Cruz gets an estimated gas mileage of up to 21 city/27 highway mpg.

What’s new for the 2023 Santa Cruz?

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a carryover model. However, the compact pickup truck has some feature upgrades across the trim lineup. This includes a few driving assistance features that are now standard for all trims — blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, and safe exit warning. Also, the 10.25” navigation touchscreen display, which was previously only for the Limited trim, is now in the SEL Premium trim as well.

Additionally, the 2023 Santa Cruz adds a new NIGHT trim to the lineup. Furthermore, the new Santa Cruz offers two new exterior paint color options: Atlas White and California Sand.

What are the pickup truck competitors of the Hyundai Santa Cruz?

The Hyundai Santa Cruz only has one competitor in the compact pickup truck segment: the Ford Maverick. However, the Santa Cruz also competes with midsize trucks, including the Honda Ridgeline, Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, and Jeep Gladiator.

Also, for warranty coverage, the 2023 Santa Cruz has the backing of a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Additionally, the Santa Cruz has a free maintenance plan, which is good for three years or 36,000 miles. 

As detailed earlier, the release date of the new 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz compact pickup truck will likely be in Fall 2022. Also, with a starting base price of $25,450 MSRP, the 2023 Santa Cruz costs $1,010 more than the 2022 model.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is built at Hyundai’s plant in Montgomery, Alabama.

This article was updated on 10/11/2022 with the latest vehicle information.