The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a compact SUV built from 2022 to 2026. Most were assembled in the United States — 100% of those on record. Engines offered: 4-cyl. Worth buying? It scores near the top of what we track at 4.5/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the Santa Cruz is
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a compact SUV that Hyundai built from 2022 to 2026 — 5 model years. It has been offered with 4-cyl power. Its closest siblings in the Hyundai range: Santa Fe, Tucson, Ioniq 5.
Where the Santa Cruz is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 311 Santa Cruzs on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 5NT | 2022-2026 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Hyundai VIN decide which of these 1 lines your Santa Cruz belongs to. What every character in a Santa Cruz VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Hyundai Santa Cruz adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
Hyundai Santa Cruz tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment Santa Cruz owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Hyundai Santa Cruz have? Power & range
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is offered with 1 powertrain — 2.5L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 1 for the Hyundai Santa Cruz, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-cyl | 2.5L · 4-cyl | Automatic (S8) | FWD | Regular |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
Can a Hyundai Santa Cruz tow? Towing & payload
As an SUV, the Hyundai Santa Cruz is built to tow and haul. The exact maximum towing capacity and payload depend on the engine, drivetrain and whether it has the factory tow package.
What sets your Santa Cruz's tow & payload rating:
- Engine — a larger or turbocharged engine tows more than the base unit.
- Drivetrain & axle — 4WD/AWD and the axle ratio shift the rating.
- Tow package — the factory towing package (hitch, wiring, transmission cooler) raises the max.
- Payload & GVWR — GVWR caps the combined load; more passengers and cargo lower how much you can tow.
Exact towing capacity, payload and GVWR are added per engine, drivetrain and trim — decode your VIN above, or check the driver's door-jamb and hitch labels. Curb weight from vehicle specifications.
The Santa Cruz by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | Santa Cruz | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 16 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 309 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 4.5 / 5 | Best and worst years |
| Crash safety | ★★★★★ NHTSA | Frontal, side, rollover |
| Insurance | $1,415/yr | Estimated full coverage |
| Used value | 93 listings | What it sells for now |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Hyundai Santa Cruz?
The Santa Cruz is a compact SUV, built from 2022 to 2026. Engines offered: 4-cyl.
Where is the Hyundai Santa Cruz made?
Across 311 cars in our records the split is: the United States (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
What is the Hyundai Santa Cruz warranty?
New models carry 5 years / 60,000 miles basic cover and 10 years / 100,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the Santa Cruz reliable?
It scores 4.5/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific Santa Cruz?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Hyundai
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 2001–2026 | 109 | 36 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Hyundai Palisade | 2020–2026 | 33 | 34 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Hyundai Elantra | 1992–2026 | 116 | 54 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 2005–2026 | 89 | 50 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Hyundai Sonata | 1989–2026 | 152 | 52 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Hyundai Kona | 2018–2026 | 29 | 120 mpg | 4.5/5 |
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