Hyundai Unveils Segment-Shattering Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle

Hyundai today unveiled its highly anticipated Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle. The 2022 Santa Cruz breaks new ground within the SUV, Truck and Crossover segments by offering a true Sport Adventure Vehicle unlike anything else in the North American market. Santa Cruz boasts bold yet sophisticated design, powerful and efficient powertrain options, a flexible open bed for gear, cutting-edge connectivity and a highly manoeuvrable all-wheel drive platform that is equally at home in urban and adventure-focused environments. The Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle begins production in Montgomery, Alabama in June and will be available for sale in summer.

“Santa Cruz, with its bold styling, breaks open all new segment territory, both for Hyundai and the industry as a whole. Open-bed flexibility coupled with closed-cabin security meets the changing everyday needs of its adventure-oriented buyers, while the powerful and efficient engine and superb manoeuvrability ensure it is a pleasure to drive in urban or off-road environments. Our customers will wonder just how they managed before owning one,” said José Muñoz, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America.

Why Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz was developed to be the ultimate Sport Adventure Vehicle, a moniker confirmed in Hyundai’s early consumer research. The research found consumers, often living in urban environments, whose lifestyles include the need to escape to weekend adventures of all kinds. Many of these customers carry various gear and equipment that is better suited to an open bed rather than a typical SUV bodystyle. These buyers want versatile transportation that is equally flexible for urban, adventure, occupational or even home improvement gear. Santa Cruz features a secure, open bed area which includes a lockable, sliding tonneau cover fitted as standard in Canada, hidden bed storage and versatile bed extension accessories. At the same time, these customers still value the secure utility of a compact SUV, with its comfort, passenger space, fuel efficiency and parking ease. Santa Cruz, with its unique, bold design, created an entirely new segment that meets these specific buyer needs like no vehicle before it.

Everything about Santa Cruz reflects a duality of purpose in its design execution. This all-new category-bending vehicle holds a variety of imagery in balanced juxtaposition:

• Urban life connectivity with escape to outdoor adventure
• Work and play flexibility
• Tough yet alluring demeanour
• Roominess with manoeuvrability
• Open cargo area and secured, lockable storage
• Towing capability and fuel efficiency

The forward view of Santa Cruz deploys a hidden lighting signature that becomes visible within the grille only when illuminated. The daytime running lamps (DRLs) present a parametric jewel design with high-tech precision detailing. A bold, cascading grille anchors the front view, supported by a skid plate element in the lower front fascia. Voluminous hood and fenders further communicate an imposing first impression.

In profile, Santa Cruz signals a sporty yet capable spirit. The A- and C-pillars present faster forward and rearward rakes than typical open-bed utility vehicles. Large 20-inch alloy wheels with a multi-faceted, triangular design are surrounded by armour-like wheel arches, conveying both wheel-articulation potential and off-road capability. Powerful body side volumes contrast with precise triangular sheer-edged surfaces and tight radius character lines.

From the rear, a horizontal “T” lighting signature adds visual width and distinguishes Santa Cruz from anything on the road. The functional rear open bed area features secure, lockable in-bed storage, integrated corner bumper steps and a lockable tonneau cover, seamlessly integrated with the overall design. The rear tail lamps are embossed with: “Designed in California” as a testament to the passion of Hyundai’s California-based design team. Small, discrete design details such as this can be found throughout the exterior and interior.

Interior Design
The interior of the Santa Cruz expresses a sophisticated and refined appearance. The contrasting rugged yet refined motif matches the boldness of the exterior, boasting a technical ambience that appeals to those who appreciate cutting-edge technologies in their daily lives. It features an enveloping dual-cockpit design that encapsulates each passenger. Design teams focused on ease of ingress and egress and ergonomic comfort on long drives. The premium centre stack display features an edgeless infotainment screen appearance, with an impressive 10.25 inches of visibility. The optional digital cluster display also measures 10.25 inches. Under the rear seats is convenient, in-cabin storage. Completing the premium ambience is an available Bose® audio system.

Powerful and Efficient Powertrain
Santa Cruz offers one powerful, flexible and efficient powertrain – a 2.5L direct-injected turbocharged engine with an estimated 275+ horsepower and 310+ lb.-ft. of torque linked to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). This DCT includes steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters for manual shifting control by the driver.

Advanced HTRAC® AWD and Towing Capability
The Canadian Santa Cruz’s 2.5L four-cylinder turbo model offers HTRAC® all-wheel drive capability for complete confidence when pursuing adventures of all kinds or for that extra peace of mind when driving in an unexpected snowfall. The HTRAC AWD system was developed as a multi-mode system, providing an electronic, variable-torque-split clutch with active torque control between the front and rear axles. The Sport setting gives a more agile feel by sending more torque to the rear wheels, for a sporty, dynamic experience. This system has a wide range of torque distribution variability, tuned for conditions such as straight-line acceleration, medium- and high-speed cornering, and hill starts. For those customers who like to tow their weekend gear, the 2.5L Turbo AWD boasts a generous 5,000 lbs. of towing capability with Canadian-exclusive Multi Terrain Control modes: Mud, Sand and Snow.

Compact Dimensions Yield Superb Manoeuvrability
Santa Cruz makes efficient use of its compact dimensions by offering high utility with excellent manoeuvrability. Its shorter wheelbase and smaller overall footprint make it a joy to manoeuvre and park in challenging urban parking, with an exceptional curb-to-curb turning radius of only 6.09 meters.

Responsive and Refined Chassis Tuning
Santa Cruz was developed with a focus on enhanced driving dynamics and responsive performance for a wide variety of urban and off-road, multi-surface driving conditions. The shorter wheelbase, short overhangs and wide track create a planted stance that results in exceptional agility in urban environments. These specifications also provide confident agility when traversing off-road terrain. Available 20-inch alloy wheels with wide, all-season, all-terrain tires give surefooted, agile handling character on a variety of road surfaces. Standard 18-inch wheels with more voluminous tire sidewalls for off-road adventures are also available.

Hyundai SmartSense Safety and Convenience
Santa Cruz offers excellent safety and convenience features, with an array of advanced safety technologies as part of the Hyundai SmartSense feature suite.

Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS)
Drivers do not want to compromise when it comes to protecting their passengers, so Hyundai has expanded its available SmartSense technologies on the Santa Cruz. This generous suite of advanced features includes many available driver assistance systems, including:

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (with Pedestrian, Cyclist and Junction-Turning Detection)
If the preceding vehicle suddenly slows down, or if a forward collision risk is detected, such as a stopped vehicle or a pedestrian, FCA provides a warning. After the warning, if the risk of collision increases, FCA can automatically assist with emergency braking. While driving, if there is a risk of collision with a cyclist ahead or an oncoming vehicle while turning left at an intersection, FCA can automatically assist with emergency braking.

Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA)
When operating the turn signal to change lanes, if there is a risk of collision with a rear side vehicle, BCA provides a warning. After the warning, if the risk of collision increases, BCA automatically controls the vehicle to help avoid a collision. If exiting a parallel parking spot and there is a risk of collision with a rear side vehicle, BCA can automatically assist with emergency braking.

Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA)
If there is a risk of collision with an oncoming vehicle on the left or right side while reversing, RCCA provides a warning. After the warning, if the risk of collision increases, RCCA can automatically assist with emergency braking.

Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
If the driver leaves a lane without the turn signal on, LKA provides a warning. When a lane departure is detected, LKA can automatically assist with steering to help prevent leaving the lane.

Highway Driving Assist (HDA)
Highway Driving Assist helps to maintain a prescribed distance from the vehicle ahead when driving on a highway and helps centre the vehicle in the lane while driving, including curves. HDA also can help maintain vehicle speeds according to posted speed limits on federal interstate highways.

Blind View Monitor (BVM)
When operating the turn signal, BVM displays video of the blind-spot view for the respective side of the vehicle in the cluster display.

Surround View Monitor (SVM)
Surround View Monitor displays a view of the space around the vehicle from above to assist with parking.

Safe Exit Warning (SEW)
When an occupant tries to open a door to exit the vehicle at a stop, if an approaching vehicle from the rear side is detected, SEW can provide a warning.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
Adaptive Cruise Control helps maintain distance from the vehicle ahead and maintain the speed selected by the driver. The vehicle can stop and start automatically when the vehicle ahead is stopped for a short period.

Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
DAW displays the driver’s relative attention level while driving and can provide a warning when signs of driver inattentiveness are detected.

Advanced Infotainment, Connectivity and Convenience
Santa Cruz provides seamless connectivity and technology that helps drivers escape from the daily stress of long commutes, heavy traffic, road hazards and distractions. Drivers also expect to stay connected wherever they go, and the Santa Cruz provides this capability.

Santa Cruz offers a standard eight-inch colour touchscreen. Wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto® are also available to make staying connected easier than ever. Wireless pairing automatically connects an Android or Apple smartphone, so the driver can keep their phone in a pocket, backpack or purse. Owners can keep their devices charged on an available Qi wireless charger.

The Santa Cruz navigation system offers split-screen functionality that enables multi-tasking capabilities. Santa Cruz also offers an eight-speaker Bose® Premium sound system.

Bluelink® Connected Car System
The Santa Cruz receives many Bluelink® Connected Car service enhancements. As with most Hyundai models, Bluelink is complimentary for three years and includes features such as Remote Start with Climate Control, Remote Door Lock/Unlock, Find My Vehicle, and others. Bluelink features can be accessed via mybluelink.ca web portal and Bluelink smartphone app.

2022 Santa Cruz key features include:

• Remote Engine Start allows the owner to remotely warm up or cool down the vehicle using the Santa Cruz key fob on models equipped with Proximity Key and Push Button Start.
• Remote profile management—stores select vehicle settings, with the ability to remotely update and push back to the vehicle, personalized to driver preferences
• Remote start enhancements:
  • Remote seat heating and ventilation(on/off for each individual heated/cooled seat)
    Profile selection (preloads individual driver settings for seating position/side mirrors)
• Vehicle Status Notifications—if the vehicle is left with doors unlocked, customers will receive a notification
• Maintenance Alert Enhancement—maintenance interval tracking is now visible in the multimedia system, with ability to reset

More details on specific Bluelink–equipped vehicles available at https://www.hyundaicanada.com/en/mobile-and-audio/blue-link. 

About Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.
Hyundai Auto Canada, established in 1983 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario, is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout Canada by Hyundai Auto Canada and are sold and serviced through more than 221 dealerships nationwide. Hyundai is also the first to offer a second-generation zero-emissions Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle to Canadian customers, called the NEXO. More information about Hyundai and its vehicles can be found at www.HyundaiCanada.com.

SOURCE Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.