Jump to content
News
Reviews
Discussons
Activity
Create New...
Close

  • 🚗 Your People Are Here. Get In.

    The internet is full of car content. This is the community.

    Cheers & Gears has been bringing enthusiasts together since 2001. Join the conversation, show off your garage, and find your people.

  • Drew Dowdell
    Drew Dowdell

    By Drew Dowdell •

    The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Adds an XRT Trim and Meaner Looks

      Hyundai's compact pickup gets a meaner grille, dual 12.3-inch screens, and a new trail-ready XRT trim with all-terrain tires and 5,000-lb towing.

    2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited front three-quarter viewToday at the New York International Auto Show, Hyundai unveiled an update to its little truck, the Hyundai Santa Cruz.

    Bolder Grille and Updated Interior

    The refresh to the exterior is relatively mild, though it features a more menacing grille with bolder verticle lines. Updated running lights and new wheel designs add to the fresher look.

    Inside, there is a new steering wheel, infotainment system, and instrument panel. on upper trims, an optional panoramic curved display houses dual 12.3-inch displays for driver and entertainment.

    Two Engines, Up to 5,000 Pounds of Towing

    2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT front three-quarter view in olive greenThe plenty-capable powertrains carry over with either a 191-horsepower direct injected 2.5-liter 4-cylinder or a turbo-charged version of of the same engine with 281 horsepower. The transmission for the entry-level engine is a traditional 8-speed automatic, while the turbo-charged model gets an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. Santa Cruzes with the turbo engine gain a new tow mode for enhanced towing control. Both powertrains are towing capable with a 3,500 lb rating for the entry engine and a stout 5,000 lb rating for the turbo models when equipped with all-wheel drive.

    New XRT Trim for the Trail-Minded

    New for 2025 is an XRT trim geared even more towards outdoor adventure. It features a trim-specific front fascia and grille, special 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, an increased approach angle, front tow hooks, and surround-view monitoring.

    Check out the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz photo gallery for a look at the XRT, Limited, and other trims.

    The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz goes on sale this summer.

    • Like 1
    Go to articles

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    G. David Felt

    Decent upgrade to the aging 2024 model. Nice to see they are reducing costs of the curved screen in the EVs by pushing it out across the Hyundai Family and into Kia.

    The one thing I do not like is all the Chrome. ? ?

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    smk4565

    Plastic cladding = off road.  Instead of killing the Sonata, they should just put plastic body cladding down the side and raise the price by $10k and call it the Sonata HD Overlander X.  Instant hit.

    • Haha 2
    • Facepalm 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Drew Dowdell
    20 hours ago, David said:

    Decent upgrade to the aging 2024 model. Nice to see they are reducing costs of the curved screen in the EVs by pushing it out across the Hyundai Family and into Kia.

    The one thing I do not like is all the Chrome. ? ?

    Well, the chrome is the Limited trim.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

    ×



  • Support Independent Automotive Journalism

    25 years of honest automotive coverage — because someone has to do it.

    Cheers & Gears has never been filtered by manufacturer relationships or driven by algorithm. Just real people, real opinions, and a genuine love of cars. Subscribers keep the lights on and get an ad-light experience starting at $2.25/month.*

    View subscription options

    *A small number of ads feature member-exclusive coupon deals and will still appear.

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • G. David Felt
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By G. David Felt · Posted

      Not surprised by this and would not be surprised if folks go over into Mexico and try to buy and drive back their Chinese auto. Texas border city is filling up with sleek Chinese cars that are illegal to buy in the United States What surprises me is I missed that Idiot47 has supposedly said if China wants to come in and setup factories and hire Americans, he is all for it. That is pretty much a death blow to American Auto Companies.
    • G. David Felt
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By G. David Felt · Posted

      This is a 1yr old video I found that shows how much ahead China EVs are over the U.S. and Europe. Korea is the only country that is competitive right now, Japan is so far behind.
    • G. David Felt
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By G. David Felt · Posted

      This is what American Auto Companies fear, quality, feature rich commuter cars for $10k dollars. I Just Drove a $10,000 Chinese EV. No, It Didn’t Suck 170-190 miles per charge, to 80% in 21 minutes, faster than any current Tesla. Weight is only 2,850 pounds, 250 lbs less than a traditional Mini ICE tech. Clearly American Auto industry is living in the past and at their own peril. The death of American auto industry due to NOT ignoring Idiot47 and moving forward with Technology.
    • G. David Felt
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By G. David Felt · Posted

      Yes, you are correct that it is the NOW for EMEA and APJ. BYD breaks down final barriers to electrification with Blade Battery 2.0 and FLASH Charging - BYD BYD has a Battery pack storage system that goes with this for areas that have weak electrical grid system. Clearly, they are not only thinking of Europe, but Africa, South, Central and North America markets long term as well as all over the Asian rim. Clearly, they are so far ahead of America due to incompetent leadership. Yes, Ford says they are still working with CATL and BYD but for products in China and elsewhere, due to Idiot47 the U.S. market will not get this technology at this time. That tends to tell me that he knows it will not come here as long as Idiot47 is in office and then all bets are off, but can Ford and GM stay independent, or will they have to merge with someone? GM Buick EVs have moved to 900V tech for 10 min to 80% charge times using China technology, but will it ever go any other place? EMEA I can see it as those countries have already allowed China in. APJ but outside of China, I am not aware that GM has moved back into any other market than the little bit they have in Korea. Interesting times for sure. Per the press release, the 8th of April 2026 the first Flash Chargers opened in Paris France. DENZA Z9GT to start Europe’s FLASH Charging revolution in April: Ready in 5, Full in 9, Cold Add 3 - BYD
    • ccap41
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By ccap41 · Posted

      You're welcome! Yep, the problem is that it isn't the future for the rest of the world. That's the NOW for China and Europe (if I remember correctly from the video). The US is soooo far behind. It does make me curious about the Ford and CATL and/or BYD partnerships that have been going on. I'm sure Ford isn't getting that technology though. 

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

I've whitelisted
Continue without support

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search