Hyundai Santa Cruz compact pickup revealed with clever covered bed

Hyundai is big its new small pickup.

(Hyundai)

The make has taken the wraps off of the upcoming Alabama-built Santa Cruz compact pickup, which goes on sale this summer.

(Hyundai)

The unibody-based model is about a foot shorter than most current small pickups and roughly the same length as a Hyundai Palisade style.

(Hyundai)

The four-door has a four-foot bed that extends to six feet with the tailgate down and features a storage bin under the floor and a built-in lockable tonneau cover.

(Hyundai)

The Santa Cruz comes standard with front-wheel-drive, but all-wheel-drive is available along with the choice of either a 180 hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 180 lb-ft of torque or 275 hp turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 310 lb-ft.

(Hyundai)

Both are matched to eight-speed automatic transmissions and the all-wheel-drive versions have towing capacities of 3,500 pounds and 5,000 pounds, respectively.

(Hyundai)

Automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist are included, while adaptive cruise control, Hyundai’s lane-centering Highway Driving Assist, a blind-spot monitor and a 360-degree camera are among the optional driver aids.

(Hyundai)

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The Santa Cruz will be the smallest pickup in the U.S. when it goes on sale, but will likely be facing close competition soon after when Ford launches a compact model expected to be called the Maverick later in the year.

Hyundai will be launching a reservation system for the Santa Cruz in late April, while official fuel economy and pricing will be announced closer to when production begins in June.

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