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Comparing the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs. Nissan Frontier, both vehicles stand out in the midsize pickup segment, offering distinct approaches to utility and comfort.
Hyundai Santa Cruz vs. Nissan Frontier: At a Glance
Both the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz and the 2025 Nissan Frontier have their merits, but they cater to different types of buyers. The Santa Cruz is a more refined, stylish option with modern tech, offering a smooth driving experience that closely mimics an SUV. In contrast, the Nissan Frontier sticks to a more traditional pickup formula with a rugged, no-nonsense design and a focus on durability and utility.
Interior Comparison
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz offers a modern, tech-forward interior with a minimalist design, featuring a large digital display, premium materials, and available leather seating. In contrast, the 2025 Nissan Frontier focuses on practicality, with a straightforward layout and durable materials.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz features a modern, tech-forward interior with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and wireless Apple CarPlay. Its spacious cabin offers seating for five, with available leather upholstery, heated/ventilated seats, and a panoramic sunroof for added comfort.
2025 Nissan Frontier
The 2025 Nissan Frontier offers a functional interior with durable materials and a simple layout, prioritizing practicality over luxury. It comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto but lacks higher-end tech features like a digital display or surround-view camera.
Exterior Comparison
Let's see how the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs. Nissan Frontier compare on the outside. The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz features a sleek, modern design with sharp lines, a bold front grille, and a sporty, SUV-like presence. In contrast, the 2025 Nissan Frontier has a more traditional, rugged truck design with a boxy shape and a strong, angular grille, emphasizing utility over style.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz features a sleek, modern exterior with a bold grille, sharp LED headlights, and sculpted body lines for a sporty yet rugged look. It combines the utility of a truck with an SUV-like design, offering available 20-inch wheels and a compact, functional truck bed.
2025 Nissan Frontier
The 2025 Nissan Frontier embraces a traditional, rugged pickup design with a strong, angular grille, squared wheel arches, and a classic truck bed. Its boxy, durable appearance appeals to truck purists who prioritize toughness over style.
Hyundai Santa Cruz vs. Nissan Frontier Performance
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz offers a smooth, refined driving experience with a focus on comfort and versatility. The 2025 Nissan Frontier, on the other hand, prioritizes rugged performance and towing capability, delivering a more traditional, truck-like ride.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz offers two engine choices: a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with 191 horsepower and a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with 281 horsepower and 422 lb-ft of torque. The turbo engine can tow up to 5,000 pounds and delivers a smooth, car-like ride thanks to its unibody construction and well-tuned suspension, making it one of the most comfortable pickups in its class.
2025 Nissan Frontier
The 2025 Nissan Frontier is powered by a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque, with a towing capacity of up to 6,720 pounds. While it outmatches the Santa Cruz in towing capability, the Frontier's body-on-frame construction leads to a rougher, more rugged ride. It's a tough, traditional truck, but lacks the refined, smooth driving experience of the Santa Cruz.
Fuel Efficiency Comparison
When comparing the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs. 2025 Nissan Frontier on fuel efficiency, both vehicles are great on fuel, especially considering how versatile they are.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz has solid MPG ratings for a pickup, especially considering its available turbocharged engine. The base 2.5-liter engine achieves impressive fuel economy, with an estimated 22 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, while the turbocharged option offers 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.
2025 Nissan Frontier
The 2025 Nissan Frontier, with its V6 engine, offers decent fuel efficiency but lags behind the Santa Cruz. The Frontier achieves an estimated 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, which is typical for a body-on-frame pickup.
Safety and Technology Differences
Comparing the Hyundai Santa Cruz vs. Nissan Frontier, we see that while they both offer a lot of the same tech and safety, there are a few key differences, which are pointed out below.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz is equipped with a wide range of advanced safety and technology features, including standard forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring. It also offers available features like adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera system, and a 12.3-inch digital display.
2025 Nissan Frontier
The 2025 Nissan Frontier comes standard with the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite, which includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning.
Pricing and Value
Comparing the 2025 Santa Cruz and the 2025 Frontier, both offer great value, especially considering what you get, though there are several options to consider.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz offers great value, starting around $28,500 with modern tech, safety features, and a refined interior. Higher trims, like the SEL Premium, add luxury features such as leather upholstery, a larger digital display, and premium audio.
2025 Nissan Frontier
The 2025 Nissan Frontier starts at about $29,000, offering solid performance and utility with its base model. However, higher trims like the Pro-4X reach up to $41,000, adding rugged features and off-road capability, though they lack the same level of luxury and tech as the Santa Cruz.
Choosing the Right Model For You
When choosing between the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs. 2025 Nissan Frontier, it comes down to personal preference. If you're looking for a truck that offers a modern, tech-filled interior, a smooth driving experience, and better fuel efficiency, the Santa Cruz is the clear winner. However, if rugged performance, off-road capability, and a more traditional truck design are what you're after, the Frontier is a solid choice.
Get Your Hyundai Santa Cruz at Granite Hyundai
With its premium features, modern design, and dynamic performance, the Santa Cruz is the perfect choice for those seeking a versatile, stylish, and capable pickup. Our team is here to help you find the perfect model for your needs and get you behind the wheel for a test drive!
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