Hyundai Santa Cruz Review: Generations, Specs and Versions (2021–present)
Overview of hyundai santa cruz generations: a double cab pickup built since 2021 with 190–281 hp, covering specs and which version to buy.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a double cab pickup produced from 2021 to the present, with outputs ranging from 190 to 281 hp. If you are comparing hyundai santa cruz specs, the lineup is simple: one generation plus a restyling, a 2.5-liter engine in every version, and a choice of FWD or 4x4. It suits drivers who want pickup practicality in a compact, car-like package.
Hyundai Santa Cruz generations
1 generation (2021–present)
The first generation launched in 2021 as a pickup and remains in production. It spans 190 to 281 hp across 3 modifications, offered with automatic and automated manual gearboxes and with FWD or 4x4. The Hyundai Santa Cruz 2.5 AT (190 hp, FWD, 2497 cc) is the mass-market choice, while the Hyundai Santa Cruz 2.5 T 4WD DCT tops the range with 281 hp from a 2500 cc turbo engine and a dual-clutch automated manual.
1 generation, restyling (2024–present)
The restyled Santa Cruz arrived in 2024 as a pickup double cab with 3 modifications, all rated at 190 hp from a 2497 cc engine and all paired with an automatic gearbox. FWD and 4x4 remain available; the 281 hp turbo option does not appear in this version's data.
Which Hyundai Santa Cruz to buy
- 2.5 AT (1 generation): the mass-market version with 190 hp and 10.2 l/100km, the lowest fuel consumption in the range.
- 2.5 T 4WD DCT (1 generation): the most powerful Santa Cruz at 281 hp, combining 4x4 with a 2500 cc turbo engine at 10.7 l/100km.
- 2.5 4WD AT (1 generation): 4x4 traction while keeping the economical 10.2 l/100km figure of the 190 hp engine.
- 2.5 4WD AT (1 generation, restyling): the freshest take, from 2024 onward, with 190 hp, 4x4 and 10.2 l/100km.
On the used market the picture is straightforward: every Santa Cruz is from 2021 or later, so the fleet is young, and with a single generation and one engine displacement across the board, there are few configuration traps. Pre-restyling cars (2021–2024) are the only source of the 281 hp turbo; restyled cars start in 2024 and are all 190 hp.
Which Hyundai Santa Cruz to avoid
The restyled Hyundai Santa Cruz 2.5 T 4WD DCT (2024–present) is the weakest value on paper: it consumes 10.7 l/100km against 10.2 l/100km for the 2.5 4WD AT, yet both produce the same 190 hp with the same 4x4 drivetrain. The pre-restyling 2.5 T 4WD DCT justified that consumption with 281 hp; this one does not.