Hyundai Says The New Santa Cruz Is NOT A Pickup Truck

We are less than one week away from the big reveal for the2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. This tiny pickup truck promises to break new ground, ashinted by Hyundai in recent teasers. Hyundai is building up hype for the April 15 reveal, but before the Santa Cruz arrives, the Korean automaker wants to clarify something. A newly-released development video shows teaser sketches of its eagerly anticipated Santa Cruz, which Hyundai calls a Sport Adventure Vehicle. That's right, this is not a pickup truck; it's an SAV (not to be confused with BMW's Sport Activity Vehicles, a term it uses for its crossovers).

In the video, Hyundai design manager Brad Arnold says "we started designing the Santa Cruz with the idea that this is not a traditional truck. It's something new. It's meant to thrive in dense, urban environments, and the open outdoors."

"It's small in size but big in adventure. It supports your work and play activities with both open and closed storage," Arnold adds. When penning the Santa Cruz, Hyundai's design team followed a "Constructed by Contrast" philosophy. This essentially means that items like the lighting and overall proportions convey that this is not a truck; it's a Santa Cruz.

Clearly, Hyundai wants potential owners to know what to expect from this vehicle. It will have a secure open bed for gear and all-wheel-drive capability, but it won't handle the same tasks as a traditional midsize or full-size truck. Think of it as a Hyundai Tucson but with a pickup bed.