2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz has quickly carved out a unique space in the automotive landscape. Combining elements of a pickup truck with the comfort and style of an SUV, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT is a versatile and rugged option for buyers looking for an adventure-ready vehicle that can also serve as a daily driver.

With its bold new design, enhanced features, and expanded capabilities, the Santa Cruz XRT continues to set itself apart in a growing segment of compact pickups. Let's explore what's new, what's improved, and why the 2025 Santa Cruz XRT should be on your radar.

What's New for 2025?

For the 2025 model year, Hyundai has made several exciting updates to the Santa Cruz XRT. The biggest change comes in the form of the XRT trim, which is designed to give the Santa Cruz an off-road edge.

This trim introduces enhanced suspension components, rugged styling elements, and improved ground clearance, all of which contribute to a more capable off-road driving experience. The XRT also gets a refreshed front end, with a more aggressive grille and updated lighting, giving it a stronger presence on the road.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

Inside the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT, comfort and utility meet in a thoughtful and practical layout. The cabin is designed to be both spacious and durable, offering high-quality materials that can withstand the elements while still delivering a premium feel. The XRT trim features ruggedized elements like water-resistant seat coverings and durable, easy-to-clean materials, which make it well-suited for outdoor enthusiasts.

The front seats are both supportive and comfortable, ideal for long drives or off-road excursions. While the backseat isn't as spacious as larger trucks, it's still comfortable for adult passengers, offering ample legroom and a pleasant ride. One of the standout features of the Santa Cruz is its innovative trunk and cargo bed combination. The bed is equipped with a lockable in-bed trunk that provides additional secure storage, and it's perfect for storing smaller items that you don't want exposed in the open bed.

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT Exterior

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT boasts a bold, rugged exterior that underscores its off-road capabilities. The front end has been redesigned with a more aggressive grille, giving the Santa Cruz a more muscular look. The grille is flanked by sharp, LED headlights that not only enhance its aesthetics but also improve visibility on dark or remote trails.

The XRT trim is distinguished by its unique rugged styling, including black cladding around the wheel arches and side sills. This is not just for looks; it also adds protection from debris when traversing off-road terrain. The body sits higher than lower trims, offering better ground clearance, which makes it better equipped to tackle rocky or uneven paths. The 2025 Santa Cruz XRT also rides on 18-inch alloy wheels that are designed for off-road durability, while its wider stance gives it a more confident presence on the road.

Performance and Powertrain

The 2025 Santa Cruz XRT continues to offer two engine options, both of which are well-suited for a variety of driving conditions. The base engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 191 horsepower and 182 lb-ft of torque. This engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and can be had with front-wheel drive or HTRAC AWD, depending on your preference.

For those seeking more power, the Santa Cruz XRT is also available with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which delivers a robust 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. This engine comes exclusively with all-wheel drive and is paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission for quick, responsive shifts. The turbocharged engine provides ample power for both towing and off-roading, making it the ideal choice for buyers who need the performance to handle heavy loads and rough terrain.

Santa Cruz XRT Towing and Payload Capacity

One of the most important aspects of any pickup truck is its towing and payload capacity, and the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT does not disappoint. When properly equipped, the Santa Cruz XRT can tow up to 5,000 pounds, making it more than capable of hauling small to medium-sized trailers, boats, or ATVs. This is a competitive towing capacity within the compact pickup class, and it positions the Santa Cruz XRT as a practical choice for those who need both a work truck and a vehicle for recreational activities.

In terms of payload, the Santa Cruz XRT has a maximum capacity of 1,500 pounds, which allows it to carry heavy loads in the bed, whether that's construction materials, camping gear, or other equipment. This makes the Santa Cruz XRT a capable truck for light-duty tasks, as well as for those who enjoy weekend projects and outdoor adventures.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT is equipped with a comprehensive suite of standard and available safety features to keep you and your passengers protected. Standard safety features include forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

The Santa Cruz XRT also comes with Hyundai's SmartSense suite of driver-assistance technologies, which includes advanced features like adaptive cruise control, parking sensors, and a surround-view camera system. For 2025, the Santa Cruz XRT also gains enhanced safety tech, including improved automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and a more refined lane-centering system.

Hyundai SmartSense

Hyundai's SmartSense is a cutting-edge package of driver-assistance features that comes standard or as an option on many of its vehicles, including the Santa Cruz XRT. This suite includes both passive and active safety systems that help prevent accidents, protect occupants, and make driving more convenient.

SmartSense features include lane-keeping assist, forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Additionally, the SmartSense package includes more advanced systems, such as adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, and the innovative Highway Driving Assist, which helps the vehicle maintain speed and stay centered in its lane during highway driving.

Infotainment and Connectivity

The 2025 Santa Cruz XRT comes with a robust infotainment system that's designed to keep you connected and entertained, whether you're navigating the city or exploring the great outdoors. The centerpiece is an 8-inch or available 10.25-inch touchscreen, which supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This means that you can seamlessly integrate your smartphone with the vehicle, giving you access to navigation, music, and other apps directly on the screen.

The system also includes built-in navigation and an available 12-speaker premium audio system for those who want an enhanced in-cabin experience. For 2025, Hyundai has also made improvements to the voice recognition system, which now allows for more natural and accurate voice commands. Whether you're adjusting the climate control, changing the music, or setting up navigation, the infotainment system is intuitive and user-friendly.

Fuel Economy and MPG

Despite its rugged capabilities, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT offers competitive MPG ratings for its class. The base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine achieves an estimated 22 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on the highway, while the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine provides 19 MPG city and 27 MPG highway.

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT Pricing

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT is available in several trim levels, each offering its own set of features and performance capabilities.

Starting at $40,000, the XRT trim offers enhanced off-road capabilities, including black exterior accents, a lifted suspension, and the option for the more powerful turbocharged engine.

SE vs. SEL vs. SEL Activity vs. XRT vs. Limited

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT stands out as the off-road ready trim with the rugged design and enhanced suspension for tougher terrain. However, if you're choosing between trim levels, here's a quick comparison:

SE
Starting at $28,500, the SE trim is the base model and includes standard features like a 7-inch touchscreen, forward-collision warning, and a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with front-wheel drive.

SEL
Starting at $30,200, the SEL trim adds features like a larger 8-inch touchscreen, blind-spot monitoring, and an upgraded interior.

SEL Activity
Starting at $33,200, the SEL Activity trim offers enhanced outdoor features like roof rails, additional storage space, and more rugged styling elements.

XRT
Starting at $40,000, the XRT trim offers enhanced off-road capabilities, including black exterior accents, a lifted suspension, and the option for the more powerful turbocharged engine.

Limited
Starting at $42,500, the Limited trim is the fully loaded version, with premium features like a 10.25-inch touchscreen, leather upholstery, and a Harman Kardon audio system.

Get Your Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT at Granite Hyundai

Hyundai offers a wide selection of trims, including the rugged XRT, ready to handle any adventure you throw at it. With our competitive pricing and exceptional customer service, getting behind the wheel of your new Santa Cruz XRT has never been easier. Visit us today to test drive the 2025 Santa Cruz XRT and experience it for yourself.