- The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz offers two engine choices, a 191-hp base engine and a 281-hp turbocharged option with up to 5,000 pounds of towing capacity.
- Interior materials scale from cloth on the SE trim to genuine leather with ventilated seats on the Limited trim.
- Every Santa Cruz includes Hyundai’s strong warranty coverage, with a 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty for original owners.
If you’ve been cross-shopping trucks and SUVs without finding anything that quite fits, the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz is worth a serious look. It blends the ride quality and cabin comfort of a Tucson-based SUV with genuine pickup bed utility, and Hyundai has refined it further for the 2026 model year.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Overview
The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a crew cab pickup built on the same platform as the Hyundai Tucson, which gives it car-like handling most trucks can’t match. It comes in five trim levels (SE, SEL, SEL Activity, XRT, and Limited), each seating five passengers and pairing an open bed with a surprisingly upscale interior.
For 2026, the Hyundai Santa Cruz remains largely unchanged from its recent refresh last year but with one notable update. The turbocharged trims now use a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission in place of the old dual-clutch unit. This means smoother low-speed shifting for XRT and Limited model buyers. There are other minor updates that we will explain.
Extra Performance Options For Confidence
Every 2026 Santa Cruz starts with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. This engine is paired with front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic. All-wheel drive is available as an option on the SE, SEL, and SEL Activity trims for drivers who want extra confidence in rain or snow.
Step up to the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT or Limited trims and you get a turbocharged version of that same 2.5-liter engine. It now produces 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque with standard all-wheel drive. The base engine can tow up to 3,500 pounds, while the turbocharged setup bumps that to 5,000 pounds, giving buyers real flexibility depending on what they plan to haul.
An MPG That Varies
Fuel economy varies noticeably in the 2026 Santa Cruz between the two engine choices. The naturally aspirated engine returns an EPA-estimated 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway, landing around 24 mpg combined.
The turbocharged engine trades some of that efficiency for power, coming in around 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. It’s a fair tradeoff for buyers who prioritize towing capacity and quicker acceleration over maximum fuel economy.
0-60 MPH
Acceleration is one of the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz quiet strengths in this segment. With the turbocharged engine, the 2026 Santa Cruz has been clocked at roughly 6 seconds from 0 to 60 mph. That kind of performance means merging onto the highway or passing on a two-lane road never feels like a struggle. It’s part of why reviewers keep pointing out that the 2026 Santa Cruz drives more like an SUV than a traditional truck.
A Generous Interior
Materials and comfort features in the 2026 Santa Cruz scale up as you move through the trim lineup. SE trims start with cloth seating, while the SEL through XRT trims use H-Tex leatherette upholstery. The Limited trim gets genuine leather with ventilated front seats for added comfort on long drives.
Space is generous too, with around 101.8 cubic feet of passenger volume and roughly 27 cubic feet of bed volume. The bed itself includes a lockable in-bed trunk with a drain plug, which is a clever touch for keeping gear secure and dry, along with side storage compartments that add extra everyday utility.
Easy-To-Use Technology
Every 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz comes standard with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, giving every trim a modern, easy-to-use infotainment setup. The SE and SEL pair that touchscreen with a 4.2-inch gauge cluster. SEL Activity, XRT, and Limited trims step up to a matching 12.3-inch digital instrument panel for a fully digital dashboard.
Comfort tech is well represented too, with heated front seats and a wireless smartphone charger available starting on the SEL Activity trim. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity come standard across the lineup, so drivers stay connected no matter which trim they choose.
Full of Safety
Hyundai equips every 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz trim with Hyundai SmartSense, its suite of standard driver assistance technology. Higher trims add further conveniences including adaptive cruise control, giving families and daily commuters extra peace of mind on longer drives. Consumer reliability ratings for 2026 Hyundai the Santa Cruz have also been strong, which adds another layer of confidence for buyers researching long-term ownership.
Standard Safety Features Include:
- Forward Collision Avoidance Assist
- Lane Keeping Assist
- Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist
- Rear Cross Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz Price
Pricing for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz starts around $29,750 for the base SE trim with front-wheel drive. This makes it one of the more accessible options in the compact truck segment. From there, pricing climbs to just over $43,000 for a fully loaded Limited trim with all-wheel drive. All in all, you can expect the price of a 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz to cost anywhere between $30,000-$45,000.
2026 Santa Cruz Price by Trim
Each 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz trim is built around a distinct type of buyer, so understanding what separates them makes it easier to choose the right fit. It’s important to note that the prices listed below are strictly estimates. We highly recommend visiting your local Hyundai dealer in person to determine 100% accurate prices.
SE: $29,750 – Serves as the value-focused entry point, with cloth seating and the standard 4.2-inch gauge cluster alongside the 12.3-inch touchscreen.
SEL: $31,400 – adds a step up in comfort with H-Tex leatherette upholstery.
SEL Activity: $34,450 – often considered the sweet spot of the lineup since it adds a factory tonneau cover, bed cargo rails with anchor points, a household-style power outlet, and the full digital instrument cluster.
XRT: $41,350 – moves to the turbocharged engine with standard all-wheel drive and adds a Terrain mode with mud, snow, and sand settings for a more rugged, adventure-ready personality.
Limited: $43,700 – tops the lineup with genuine leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, and the most complete feature set Hyundai offers on this model.
Hyundai Warranty
Hyundai backs the 2026 Santa Cruz with one of the strongest warranty packages in the industry. Every new 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz comes with a five-year, 60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty and a 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty for the original owner. On top of that, Hyundai includes a seven-year, unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty against rust, along with five years of unlimited-mile roadside assistance.
It’s worth noting that starting with 2026 models, Hyundai discontinued the complimentary three-year maintenance program that came with earlier model years, so buyers should factor routine maintenance costs into their ownership plans.
Test Drive a 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz at Tulsa Hyundai
The best way to understand what makes the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz different is to get behind the wheel yourself. Whether you’re drawn to the value of the SE, the versatility of the SEL Activity, or the performance of the XRT and Limited, seeing the lineup in person makes it much easier to find the right match.
If you’re not interested in the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, then check out our plethora of other Hyundai vehicles. We carry the Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai Venue, Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Kona, Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and the Hyundai Ioniq 6. We have an extensive certified pre-owned inventory where we’ll help you find something you enjoy.
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Disclaimer last updated: February 25, 2026
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