Hyundai reveals new Santa Cruz pickup ahead of April 15 launch

The long wait is nearly over: Hyundai’s 2022 Santa Cruz, a combination SUV and pickup truck, will make its debut April 15.

The new Santa Cruz has been rumoured since the early 2010s and has existed in concept form since 2015.

That is more than nine years of speculation and more than six years of a concept version existing before the production vehicle ever makes its debut.

The Acura NSX had a similarly lengthy process from rumor to concept to production; Hyundai is likely hoping the Santa Cruz has better luck when it comes to sales.

The latest images show the grille design is cribbed from the recently redesigned Tucson, with lighting integrated into the grille itself.

Indeed, the production version has taken so long to appear that the last concept seen from 2015 has a grille design that’s now outdated compared with Hyundai’s current design language.

Analysts at the cars.com says the new Santa Cruz looks in profile like it might be closer in size to the Santa Fe — and it seems to share a similar wheel design with the current Santa Fe, too. We can also see that the production version will have four full doors, unlike the concept. If the Santa Cruz is indeed very close to the Santa Fe’s length, it would be significantly shorter than many current traditional mid-size pickups.

Hyundai says, “The 2022 Santa Cruz will break new ground within the SUV, truck and crossover segments by offering a new category of vehicle unlike anything else in the US market.”

Without knowing more details, like just what Hyundai defines as a “flexible open bed,” we can’t be sure how different the Santa Cruz will be from the Honda Ridgeline pickup or past SUV-based offerings from Ford and GM. Depending on its size, the Santa Cruz may also face competition from the rumoured — and more traditional — Ford Maverick compact pickup truck.

-Cars.com