Hyundai is making a handful of small changes to the Santa Cruz, the only pickup in its portfolio, for the 2024 model year. The lineup loses a trim level, gains another, and gets additional standard features across the board, though pricing increases compared to the 2023 model.
The SEL Premium trim level that was positioned below the range-topping Limited model through 2023 is gone. It’s been replaced by a new trim called XRT, a name already used in the Tucson, Santa Fe and Palisade lines. Building on the SEL with Activity Package, the XRT model comes standard with trim-specific orange center caps on the wheels, a trim-specific emblem on the tailgate, wider wheel arch flares, black door mirror caps, side steps, dark chrome interior trim, black H-Tex upholstery and adaptive cruise control, among other features.
Power for the XRT trim comes from a turbocharged, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. It spins the four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This is the same drivetrain that powered the SEL Premium.
Hyundai is also making bi-LED projector headlights standard across the Santa Cruz range for 2024. An automatic defogger and a dual-zone climate control system come standard on SEL models and above, SEL with Activity Package models and above gain a standard 10.25-inch touchscreen with a navigation system, and the Night trim receives black H-Tex upholstery. Finally, the steering wheel in every Santa Cruz regardless of trim level gets a haptic feedback function for the lane-keeping assist and blind-spot collision-avoidance assist functions.
Pricing starts at $27,985 including a $1,335 destination charge, up from $27,035 in 2023. Pricing for the full range is as follows:
- Santa Cruz SE (front-wheel-drive): $27,985
- Santa Cruz SEL (front-wheel-drive): $30735
- Santa Cruz SE (all-wheel-drive): $29,485
- Santa Cruz SEL (all-wheel-drive): $32,235
- Santa Cruz Night (all-wheel-drive): $39,545
- Santa Cruz XRT (all-wheel-drive): $41,185
- Santa Cruz Limited (all-wheel-drive): $42,405
Hyundai dealers across the nation will begin receiving the 2024 Santa Cruz in the coming weeks.
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