Friday Fantasy: The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Still Doesn’t Have The Concept’s Coolest Feature
The Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup has been updated for 2025 with a refreshed face that gives it tougher truck-like look.
But it could’ve been more like a bigger truck, too.
The Santa Cruz was originally previewed by a concept vehicle that debuted at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The silver compact pickup was a head-turner and a huge hit. Fans practically begged Hyundai to build it.
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When it finally did in 2022, the overall style stayed surprisingly true to the concept, with one major change. Instead of rear half-doors, the cabin was expanded to become a true four-door with extra interior space. But the four-foot compact bed remained.
The concept was equipped with a way to make it bigger that didn’t make it to production. Hidden under the floor and bedsides were sections that could slide out like a drawer to increase the length of the bed to five-feet, making more like a midsize pickup’s.
The vehicle could be used like this with either the tailgate up for security or down to carry motorcycles and other long cargo.
It was a complex feature that surely posed some engineering challenges, but Hyundai came up with something to take its place.
Unlike most pickups, other than the Honda Ridgeline, the Santa Cruz has a waterproof and lockable trunk under the floor of the bed.
And with the tailgate open, the floor is more than six-feet long, so it can still haul large things as long as they’re strapped in good.
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