The Santa Cruz defies pigeonholing by blending crossover-like personality and interior with a surprisingly versatile pickup bed it creates it’s own definition of utility. At least at the base level ($26,745, including destination), as the more desirable turbo models jump by over $10,000 to start. Pricewise, the Hyundai is right in the middle between the cheaper Maverick and the costlier Frontier, Outback and Ridgeline. The larger Honda Ridgeline is also a worthy rival (read our head-to-head comparison here), but it’s the Maverick that truly stands toe-to-toe with the Santa Cruz. Three of the Santa Cruz’s closest competitors are the Ford Maverick, Nissan’s Frontier, and, in spirit if not sheet metal similarity, the Subaru Outback all scrappy, useful vehicles in their own right. Notably, blind-spot collision-warning assist, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist and safe exit warning are now standard across the board. A few welcome upgrades shift the 2023 lineup slightly the 10.25-inch touchscreen, formerly only on the Limited trim, is now extended to SEL Premium, as are dynamic voice recognition, adaptive cruise control and navigation-based cruise control that adapts to curves in the road. New for 2023 is the Night trim, with blacked-out features, the turbocharged engine and other specific amenities. The Santa Cruz retains the same four trim levels for 2023: SE, SEL, SEL Premium and Limited. Set proper expectations, and you’ll find that Santa Cruz can do it all. The Santa Cruz is a chameleon, able to adapt to various needs, and it can also be a disappointment for those who expect it to be solidly one or the other. It’s not an SUV, and it’s not a truck pinning it down is an amusing exercise, and that nebulous identity presents a pro and a con. Now in the third year of its first generation, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz strikes a pose all its own.
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