Hyundai trucked its 2025 Santa Cruz to this yr’s Latest York Auto Show for debut. With dealer deliveries expected later this summer, it is time to answer the query every dad is programmed to ask at the top of a meal when eating out: “What is the damage?” As with nearly every 2025 light-duty vehicle, the approaching Santa Cruz costs greater than the present Santa Cruz. Let’s recap what the cash pays for. We’re a brand new front grille and fresh front bumper, re-styled daytime running lights, and latest wheel designs. Interior updates are similar in scope to what we saw on the refreshed Tucson, the Santa Cruz’s SUV sibling, meaning the arrival of Hyundai’s panoramic curved screen setup featuring a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system running the newest Hyundai software. It does away with the touch haptic center stack controls in favor of real buttons and switches for easier use, and makes wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard. Hyundai also redesigned the steering wheel, air vents, instrument panel and rear seat armrest.
Also mirroring Tucson tech are various latest systems available on the Santa Cruz, including items like a fingerprint scanner for vehicle startup, Digital Key 2 tech (for phone-as-key use), over-the-air updates for the infotainment system, more powerful USB-C ports, and a brand new driver attention monitoring system.
And Hyundai made the XRT off-roading trim a more robust off-roader after introducing it as an appearance package in 2024. The XRT is thought by an exclusive grille, red tow hooks poking through a redrawn front bumper that gives a greater approach angle, a brand new rear bumper, and 245/60R all-terrain tires wrapping trim-specific 18-inch “wrench-inspired” wheels. The cabin features XRT logos and the Surround View Monitor comes standard to enhance visibility in off-road situations.
Powertrains powertrains carry over unchanged. Which means a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, shifting through an eight-speed automatic transmission to either the front or each axles, or a turbocharged variant of the identical engine making 281 hp and 311 lb-ft, shifting through an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox to each axles. Nevertheless, the two.5 turbo adds a tow mode to its drive mode selection for each the Limited and XRT trims, though maximum capability holds pat at 5,000 kilos; the non-turbo can pull 3,500 kilos.
Finally, the Night trim is not any more. The ultra dark stepping stone filling the $10,000 gap between the SEL and XRT is now the SEL with the Activity Package.
Okay, to the MSRPs then. Prices for 2025 after the $1,395 destination charge and their differences from 2024 launch pricing are:
- SE: $29,895 ($1,910)
- SEL: $31,595 ($1,220)
- SEL Activity: $34,595 (Latest trim)
- XRT: $41,395 ($210)
- Limited: $43,895 ($1,490)
As we have seen with another vehicles for the 2025 model yr, Hyundai raised prices in the course of the 2024 model yr. We’ve got a sense automakers are doing this for 2 reasons: 1. They will; 2. So stories about latest pricing don’t seem so bad when comparing the newest pricing to what’s ahead. As an illustration, the 2023 Santa Cruz SE began at $26,745 after a $1,010 destination charge. When announced for 2024, the little hauler began at $27,985 after a $1,335 destination charge. Based on a Hyundai price sheet, in June of this yr, the SE’s MSRP rose to $26,900 plus a $1,395 destination charge, for a base price of $28,295. So what looks like a $1,600 premium over the 2024 Santa Cruz is simply valid if going back to June, and doesn’t count the cumulative $310 bump in MSRP and destination before then.
As for the putative competition, the 2025 Honda Ridgeline starts at $41,545, the still-hot-selling Ford Maverick will start at $27,890 for 2025.
This Article First Appeared At www.autoblog.com
