Hyundai wants you to think you can go off-road with its compact truck.
Hyundai has updated the Santa Cruz for 2024, adding a new XRT trim that offers a more rugged look to the compact pickup truck. The XRT badge has also been applied to the Santa Fe and Palisade and is available on the closely related Hyundai Tucson.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT has various exterior enhancements contributing to its bolder and more aggressive appearance. It has different fender flares, side steps, bed rails, and lower door garnishes. Hyundai has equipped the XRT with trim-exclusive orange wheel center caps, black door handles, mirror caps, and an XRT tailgate emblem to accentuate its rugged style.
Meanwhile, further design changes include a dark chrome grille, tailgate handle trim, and a matte black “Santa Cruz” tailgate lettering to complete its visual upgrade. While it may not look as badass as the Santa Cruz that will join the Rebelle Rally in October, the updates are a step up to amplify the active aura of the unibody pickup truck.
Essentially replacing the SEL Premium trim, the Santa Cruz XRT option comes with Hyundai’s Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, black H-Tex seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel & shift knob, Hyundai’s digital key, and auto-dimming rearview mirror. It also offers dual-zone automatic temperature control and auto defogger, a 10.25-inch infotainment system with navigation, and steering wheel haptic feedback for lane keeping assist and blind-spot collision avoidance features.
Powering the Santa Cruz XRT is a turbocharged 2.5-liter gasoline engine, producing an impressive 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. It's coupled to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters and Hyundai's HTRAC all-wheel-drive system. An electrified option isn't available yet, though Hyundai told CarBuzz that it would consider adding a hybrid variant to the lineup if there's a demand.
The Santa Cruz XRT will retain the six color options from the previous model year: Sage Gray, Phantom Black, Blue Stone, Atlas White, Hampton Gray, and California Sand. Pricing wasn't announced, though it's expected to trump the SEL Premium grade, which starts at $38,935.
Will adding the XRT trim help Santa Cruz finally beat the Ford Maverick in terms of sales? We have until the end of the year to find out.
Keyword: 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz Gets New Rugged XRT Trim