Look at that huge grille.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup is now revealed in a new batch of spy photos. The camouflage wrap on the front exposes the grille and the rear conceals it more.
Santa Cruz has a large, distinctive grille. The Santa Cruz’s grille features thick, horizontal sections that connect to narrower uprights. There is also a large Hyundai logo in its center. Split headlights are also available in low-mounted configurations, similar to those on the Palisade and Santa Fe. The lower fascia has a trapezoidal inlet.
It is possible to see the Santa Cruz’s windowline rising at the rear. This keeps it from appearing too boxy. It appears that the bed is quite small. The covering blocks us from seeing the rear of the bed, but we can see the taillights.
Rumours claim that the Santa Cruz would use the Palisades’s V6 engine of 3.8-liters, which produces 291 horsepower as well as 262 lb-ft. It is likely that the power would be transmitted through an all-wheel drive system. The Santa Cruz seems to be riding on a unibody chassis. This makes it more similar to the Honda Ridgeline than traditional body-on frame trucks.
The Santa Cruz is towing the trailer. The engineers made sure the truck could pull a trailer. This is a common task for pickup trucks. Although Ford F450 should not be expected to pull a load, Hyundai’s truck should be able to handle lighter jobs.
Hyundai will construct the Santa Cruz in Montgomery (Alabama), from which it also assembles its Santa Fe, Sonata and Elantra. A full debut is expected before the end.