Hey There.. I am Santa Cruz.
I am Hyundai Tucson but transformed into a pickup truck. With Identical face , this is actually based on the current 4th generation Tucson crossover. If you like Tucson but want an open bed, this is for you. Hyundai calls it a Sports Adventure Vehicle / SAV. By the way, BMW also calls their X line of vehicles as SAV , short for SPORTS ACTIVITY VEHICLE.
If you want to read about the new 4th generation Tucson, you can read it here > https://www.facebook.com/groups/PakWheelsOfficial/permalink/3397241413724491/
Dimensions wise, the Unibody Santa Cruz pickup is smaller than any mid size pickup truck in the market. The bed is around 4 feet long and 6 feet if you open the bed tailgate.
Although it's based on Tucson, the wheelbase and total length has been extended for Santa Cruz. Here it is 9.8 inches longer while wheelbase is stretched by 12.4 inches over Tucson.
For comparison, length wise, it is around 17 inches shorter than Toyota Tacoma, while have a wheelbase around 9 inches smaller that of Tacoma.
Available with two engine options. 2.5L Naturally aspirated with 190HP and 244NM of torque and there is an 8 speed automatic.
The other engine is 2.5L Turbo with 275HP and 420NM of torque. This engines comes with a 8 speed Dual Clutch and steering mounted paddle shifter.
Both engines will be available with Hyundai HTRAC AWD system same as in Hyundai Tucson. The system has variable torque split clutch with active control between front and rear axles. The system also helps in improved dynamic handling on high speed cornering, straight line acceleration by distributing torque between front and rear.
The NA engine can tow 1.5 Tons while the Turbocharged can upto 2.2 Tons of cargo trailer. The bed can carry around 300kgs. The truck comes with Macpherson strut front while multilink rear suspension. The rear suspension also have self leveling shock absorbers which keep the truck leveled even when there is weight in the bed or if there is a cargo trailer hitched.
As of Interior, it is all similar to the new current generation of Hyundai Tucson with minor changes. Standard 8 inch infotainment system while there is an option of 10.25" digital cluster and 10.25" of infotainment system. Wireless charger, heated steering wheel, heated and cooled seats also available as well as a premium Bose sound system.
As of safety, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, forward collision warning, auto emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, 360 camera are standard features beside front and side curtain airbags.
Pricing not yet known but it will be available in limited markets like US as of now. There is a possibility for certain European countries and Australia. Santa Cruz is designed and developed by Hyundai design studio in California and will be made exclusively at Hyundai Alabama, US.
Santa Cruz is a city on a California coastline with famous beaches and a tourist destination.
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