Santa Cruz Facelift: Hyundai’s Masculine Pickup Truck Wows at New York Auto Show

Hyundai’s Newly Revealed Santa Cruz
Pickup Truck Emphasizes Masculinity
Will it Launch in Korea?

Hyundai is set to release the Santa Cruz pickup truck’s facelift model in North America. The vehicle, first unveiled at the 2024 New York Auto Show, has sparked high demand from Korean consumers due to the country’s limited selection of pickup truck models.

This time, the Santa Cruz has sparked mixed reactions domestically and internationally due to its design. While some praise the bolder and more masculine design, others find it too simplistic. What could have triggered such responses?

Changes Mostly in the Front
Rectangular Grill Emphasized

A rectangular pattern grill is placed in the center, starting with the front. Compared to the previous design, which sharply dropped in a wing-like shape, the new design emphasizes angular features.
The thick grill frame comes in a matte black color, with the same-colored Hyundai emblem placed right in the center, creating a robust look.

The daytime running lights connected to the grill also adopt a rectangular design, creating a unified look. Rectangular lamps are arranged vertically and horizontally, forming a ㄱ shape. The overall front shape drops sharply from the hood, giving it a flat and angular look. The off-road style XRT model has an additional red tow hook.

Various Changes Inside
Curved Display Installed

The side has mostly stayed the same. The interior of the rear taillights features a hammer-shaped graphic, maintaining the original design that extends to the side panel. The bumper emphasizes right angles more than the previous design. It restrains the diagonal line as much as possible, emphasizing the pickup truck’s image with an angular reflector.

Various changes have also been made to the interior. A panoramic curved display that connects a 12.3-inch display and a central entertainment screen has been installed. The newly applied steering wheel features a design with four dots. The overall interior emphasizes a horizontal layout. A shelf-style dashboard stretches horizontally, with physical buttons below the air duct.

Latest Convenience Specifications Provided
Off-Road Style XRT

The center console features a boot-type gear lever and an electronic parking brake. In addition, it is equipped with various latest features, such as Digital Key2, an indoor fingerprint authentication system, Hyundai CarPay, a ccNC infotainment system, wireless Android Auto, CarPlay, a head-up display, a forward attention warning, a surround-view, and more.

The powertrain offers a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine with a maximum output of 191 horsepower and a 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with a maximum output of 281 horsepower. These are paired with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. Hyundai plans to release an off-road-style XRT model as well. The Santa Cruz is set to release in the U.S. this summer, but plans for a Korean release have yet to be announced.