2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT: Reports of its death are greatly exaggerated
The small pickup has had a hard time connecting with buyers, and was doomed in early 2026 reports. It carries on for 2027, but with only a four-foot bed, it doesn’t carry much.
2026 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Pro-X V-6 vs. 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT AWD vs. 2026 Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss Stars and Steel: Smallish truck smackdown.
This week: 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Price: $43,335 as tested, saving you $5,000 off last week’s Frontier.
What others are saying: “Highs: Carlike ride and handling, user-friendly infotainment, upscale interior design. Lows: Four-foot cargo bed has its limits, big upcharge for the turbo engine, limited off-road capability,” says Car and Driver.
What Hyundai is saying: “Our one-of-a-kind Sport Adventure Vehicle.”
Reality: The smallest of the three trucks tested, the Santa Cruz performs like it.
What’s new: KBB said it was a goner. So did Car and Driver.
It’s been unclear since early 2026 whether the Santa Cruz is still being sold in the U.S., but Hyundai confirms the model is on for 2027.
Which such a cloudy future, it’s no surprise the Santa Cruz is a carry-over from 2025, though it gets a new transmission on the 2026 XRT and Limited models.
Competition: Real comparisons with last week’s Frontier and next week’s Colorado are limited to the box in the back; the other two are bigger and truckier than the Santa Cruz. Still, you may find it useful to compare these, as well as the Ford Maverick and Honda Ridgeline, which are set up more like the Santa Cruz. Also, consider Ford Ranger, GMC Canyon, Jeep Gladiator, Honda Ridgeline, and Toyota Tacoma.
Up to speed: When I first got the Santa Cruz rolling, I was struck by how much it seemed like an Elantra. And not a fun, new Elantra; a boring old one from 2013 or so. Its acceleration was dull, its handling was dull, even its sound made me feel a man in his mid-50s. I mean, I am a man in his mid-50s (well, late-50s now, I guess), but you don’t have to make me feel like one. My self-destructing body has that handled.
So let’s try this in Sport mode, hahaha, I thought to myself.
Lo and behold, the acceleration from the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine pepped right up. That’s where Motor Trend must have been when it got a 6.5 second 0-60 time. It’s not super fast, but the 281 horses aren’t exactly asleep either. In any case, it beats last week’s Frontier by almost a second.
Shifty: A new 8-speed automatic transmission replaces the dual-clutch unit for 2026. This new unit handled smoothly and without much interference, something dual-clutch models here in the cheap seats don’t usually offer. Only in Sport mode did the gears stay low a little longer than I’d like.
Shiftability comes from the paddles or the shifter. Feel in the console shifter is pretty slushy, a sad Hyundai tradition.
On the road: The Sport mode also takes the handling from the 2013 Elantra level to a sporty feel. Like most small pickups, the Santa Cruz is a nice ride, smooth where it needs to be with a bit of fun added on the curves. Advantage, Santa Cruz.
Driver’s Seat: A comfortable and roomy perch awaits those getting to the Santa Cruz. It’s not the best at grip but it felt pretty nice overall.
The gauges are standard Hyundai, clear and easy to set up with the information you’re looking for. I’d give the Frontier the higher marks in this segment, though.
Friends and stuff: The rear seat is a snug fit, with my legs cramped like in a coach airplane seat. Foot room is good and so is head room. The seat back sits up fairly straight, though. Still, surprisingly, it’s better than the Frontier.
Cargo space is nice as a trunk — ours came with a locking cover — but pitiful as a pickup. I loaded some branches from an overgrown butterfly bush and the four-foot bed was overflowing in no time at all. The prize to the Frontier.
Towing: The Santa Cruz XRT can tow up to 5,000 pounds, and pales in comparison to last week’s Frontier, which pulls nearly 7,000. Other Frontiers pull even more.
In and out: The Santa Cruz sits at a nice height for an all-wheel-drive pickup, easy to get in and out, making it the winner in the hearts and hips of grandparents (yes, there are a Granddaughter 1.0 and Grandson 1.0).
Play some tunes: The stereo in the test model offered some fairly nice playback, certainly an A- and maybe an A.
Operation is simple, with knobs for volume and tuning, buttons for some selections, and the touchscreen handles the rest.
Keeping warm and cool: An ebony touchpad controls every move except temperature, which involves two big knobs. Of course the knobs are simple and the touchpad is not quite so. There’s not a lot of feedback as you make your selection. Go, Nissan!
Fuel economy: I averaged around 20 mpg, which is far better than most full- or even midsized pickups, including the Frontier.
Where it’s built: Montgomery, Ala., with 54% of parts from the U.S. and Canada and 31% from Korea.
How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the Santa Cruz reliability matches the Frontier’s, at 4 out of 5.
Next week: We take a ride in the Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss.
