The 2024 New York Auto Show starts next week and Hyundai will be there with something new. The 2025 Santa Cruz will make its global debut alongside the recently refreshed Tucson, updated with new styling and “enhanced capabilities.”
This is exactly what Hyundai says in a short press release announcing its presence at the big show in the Big Apple. Details of these capabilities are still unknown, although Hyundai’s announcement mentions a revamped interior with better ergonomics and a new infotainment system. On the outside, the Santa Cruz will lose some of its street truck character with rugged-themed design changes. You can also expect more standard driver assistance systems.
Two teaser images accompany Hyundai’s announcement. A sketch featured at the top of this article shows the pickup seen from the rear, wearing a new rear fascia with larger corner cutouts and trim extending farther out to the sides. It looks quite large, although it is a sketch the proportions are probably exaggerated.
A second image (also above) is a close-up of the Santa Cruz’s new grille, where we see the previous model’s slat designs replaced with rectangular cutouts. This looks similar to the recently updated Tucson, bringing the models more in line with Hyundai’s current design direction.
It’s worth noting that Hyundai specifically identifies the two teaser images of the 2025 Santa Cruz as the rugged-themed XRT version. Launched last July, the XRT adds bold plastic fender flares, side steps, door trims and a blackout treatment to the truck. The mechanics remain the same, namely the 281-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine connected to an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox driving all four wheels.
2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Could Hyundai’s mention of additional capabilities indicate that the new XRT version will get proper off-road upgrades? It’s no secret that the Ford Maverick, Santa Cruz’s only competitor in the small truck segment, is positively killing it in sales. The Maverick sports a more traditional truck shape with an available FX4 package that adds functional items like skid plates and all-terrain tires. Assembling a few more components to a Santa Cruz XRT seems like a logical step, but alas, we won’t know for sure until the lids are lifted in New York.
This will take place on March 27. We’ll have details on the new Santa Cruz and all the 2024 New York Auto Show debut right here at Engine1.
