Hyundai doesn’t want you to call the Santa Cruz a pickup “truck.”
The make has released a preview video of its first pickup for the U.S. ahead of its full reveal on April 15.
(Hyundai)
In it, Design Manager Brad Arnold said the premise behind the crossover-based vehicle was that it is “not a traditional truck.”
“Everything, from its proportions to its lighting conveys that it’s not a truck, it’s a Santa Cruz,” he said.
(Hyundai)
The compact, four-door model is expected to share much of its underpinnings with the Tucson SUV, similar to how the larger Honda Ridgeline is built on the same platform as the Pilot.
The Santa Cruz was previewed by a concept revealed at the 2015 North American International Auto Show
(Hyundai)
Details on the drivetrain have not yet been released, but Hyundai is pitching it as a daily driver for urban dwellers who also like to engage in a little adventure now and then.
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Arnold also said that it provides open and closed storage, suggesting it may have a truck under the bed floor like the Ridgeline does.
(Hyundai)
The Santa Cruz is set to be built at Hyundai’s Alabama manufacturing facility, and while there’s nothing quite like it on the road today, there will be soon.
Ford is expected to reveal an Escape-based Maverick pickup in the coming months that slots in under the Ranger in the lineup and should closely compete with the Santa Cruz.