The base SE model’s price rises to $26,745, and the $37,105 Night model is now the cheapest way to get the turbo engine.
- Hyundai has announced some updates for the Santa Cruz compact pickup for 2023.
- The base price is up $1010, but there are newly standard driver-assistance features.
- A Night model with black trim joins the lineup and starts at $37,105.
Hyundai‘s compact pickup truck, the Santa Cruz, is entering its second model year with a few updates and new, higher pricing. The base SE model rises $1010 and now starts at $26,745, but benefits from some newly standard driver-assistance features. And a Night trim level joins the lineup with a blacked-out appearance, starting at $37,105.
Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are now included on the base SE; these features were previously available only on the SEL and above. The 2023 Santa Cruz SEL ($29,085) trim is up by just $150, while the SEL Premium ($37,425) is up by $1220 and the top Limited ($41,615) is up $150.
The Night trim level is new and, at $37,105, is now the cheapest version of the Santa Cruz with the optional 281-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four. The SEL Premium and Limited models also have this engine, and all turbo models come standard with all-wheel drive. As we’ve come to expect from these sorts of blacked-out appearance packages, the Night trim also includes tweaks such as dark grille trim, black 20-inch wheels, black mirror caps and door handles, and side steps.
With its unibody platform shared with the Tucson crossover, the Santa Cruz entered into a new segment of compact pickups when it launched last year alongside its closest rival, the Ford Maverick. So far, the Ford is beating the Hyundai in the sales race, with the Maverick moving 38,753 units through the first half of 2022 and the Santa Cruz selling 18,203 units through the same time period. We’ll see how this rivalry continues to play out as both enter the 2023 model year; for its part, the Maverick also added a new trim for the new model year, the off-road-oriented Tremor.
Author: Joey Capparella
Source: CarandDriver.com