The Smallest Pickup Trucks Made Today: Judge Me By My Size, Do You?
Have you ever wondered which is the smallest pickup truck made today? There used to be a lot of smaller pickups, but many have gone by the wayside. Trucks are synonymous with capability and power, so most people want big ones. Lifted, powerful, and long-bed trucks are top-rated, but so are small ones. Here are the smallest pickup trucks and if they’re worth your money.
The 2022 Nissan Frontier is one of the smallest pickup trucks
The 2022 Nissan Frontier is completely redesigned for the new model year, but it didn’t grow. Though it isn’t the smallest pickup truck made today, it’s a small and capable pickup truck. The new Frontier is 210.2 inches long and 73 inches wide at its smallest. It can be a tiny bit bigger in the Crew Cab Pro-4X variant.
Despite its small stature, the Frontier can tow up to 6,720 pounds. It’s also capable of holding a total curb weight of 4,343 pounds. That’s not enough to compete with massive pickup trucks like the Ram 1500 or Ford F-150, but it’s more than most people will ever need. The Frontier is a small, versatile, and competent pickup truck.
The 2022 Ford Maverick hybrid is small, its gas mileage is not
Chances are if you’re buying a 2022 Ford Maverick, it’s partially due to its hybrid powertrain. An average city mpg of 42 makes this truck the most fuel economic pickup truck of all time, partly because it isn’t huge—the Maverick slots in slightly smaller than its bigger brother, the Ford Ranger.
The 2022 Ford Maverick is 199.7 inches long and 72.6 inches wide. Its width is almost identical to the Nissan Frontier, but it falls far under it in length. Worry not; even the tiny pickup with a hybrid powertrain is surprisingly capable. The Maverick can tow 4,000 pounds with the 4K Tow Package and has a maximum curb weight of 3,674 pounds.
The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is the smallest pickup truck made today
The Santa Cruz is brand new, like the Maverick for the new model year. Hyundai calls it its first “Sport Adventure Vehicle,” It looks like a crossover SUV with a truck bed. Though it is the smallest pickup truck you can buy new today, it’s still a versatile and robust option. The Santa Cruz is highly rated, as critics struggle to find anything they don’t like about it.
According to Hyundai, the Santa Cruz is 195.7 inches long and 75 inches wide without counting the side view mirrors. Though the length is much shorter than the Maverick, the Santa Cruz is the wider of the two. However, the Santa Cruz is a measly 66.7 inches high, compared to the Maverick at 68.7 inches. The Santa Cruz is broader, but the 2022 Ford Maverick is both longer and taller.
Is the Santa Cruz capable despite its size?
The maximum amount the Santa Cruz can tow when adequately equipped is 5,000 pounds. The maximum curb weight is 4,101 pounds in the SEL Premium trim with all-wheel drive. That gives it more towing capacity and curb weight than the larger Maverick and nearly the same curb weight as the even larger Frontier. The Hyundai Santa Cruz proves that size does not matter.
The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is the smallest pickup truck made today. It’s new to the Hyundai lineup and is an incredibly high-quality and versatile machine for its size. When a pickup truck can outperform the significantly larger competition, you know it’s doing something right.
