LOS ANGELES — Hyundai released the first images of the Santa Cruz compact pickup that goes on sale this year, featuring the brand’s geometric styling language on a platform shared with the new-generation Tucson crossover now in production.
The world premiere of the Santa Cruz is scheduled for April 15, the automaker said Wednesday.
The four-door vehicle with a short cargo bed represents a blending of crossover and truck, with Hyundai calling the Santa Cruz a “sport adventure vehicle” rather than a pickup. Teaser sketches show the Santa Cruz name stamped on the tailgate.
The vehicle was previewed with a concept unveiled at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
“Santa Cruz boasts bold yet sophisticated design, powerful and efficient powertrain options, a flexible open bed for gear, cutting-edge connectivity and a highly maneuverable all-wheel-drive platform that is equally at home in urban and adventure-focused environments,” Hyundai said in a statement.
The Santa Cruz will go into production this summer at the company’s Alabama plant, which was recently expanded to add the Tucson on an assembly line that also produces the Santa Fe midsize crossover and the Elantra and Sonata sedans. The plant also makes four-cylinder engines.
The Santa Cruz is somewhat unique in that it uses a compact, unibody platform, which saves costs compared with a dedicated body-on-frame setup. The truck won’t be entirely unique to the U.S. market since Ford is set to launch a similar pickup, likely called the Maverick.
The difference between the Santa Cruz and the Ford is that Hyundai is not trying as hard to mimic the boxy design of a traditional body-on-frame pickup. Both of the newcomers also contrast with the Honda Ridgeline, which is based on a larger unibody platform and carries a higher price.
“Santa Cruz, with its bold styling, breaks open all-new segment territory, both for Hyundai and the industry as a whole,” said Jose Muñoz, CEO of Hyundai Motor North America. “Our customers will wonder just how they managed before owning one.”