2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT

The 2026 Santa Cruz is a compact pickup that blends SUV comfort with a small truck bed, a niche few rivals occupy. Its main competitors are the Ford Maverick and the Honda Ridgeline, though the Santa Cruz leans more toward car-like manners. The Santa Cruz drives more like a crossover than a truck, with responsive steering and a composed ride on pavement. The cabin offers comfortable seating for five and a practical bed with a locking tailgate and under-bed storage. Standard SmartSense safety tech includes forward collision avoidance and lane keeping assist, with an available 10.25-inch touchscreen. The XRT sits above the SEL and below the Limited, adding a tougher look with exclusive front and rear fascias, fender cladding, and all-terrain tires. Under the hood is the turbocharged Smartstream 2.5L Turbocharged 4-Cylinder Engine making 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive that gives it confident all-weather traction. The XRT's standard all-terrain tires and front recovery hooks mean it's the most off-road-ready Santa Cruz, though the ride is firmer than the SEL's on pavement.