2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz entered the market at a fair price, with unbeatable quality, and is one of the safer pickups in its class. As both a new and used vehicle, you have plenty of standard and optional upgrades to choose from. Additionally, this particular truck comes in five unique trims: SE, SEL, Night, SEL Premium, and Limited. In this post, we want to delve into the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz in depth, covering its new features, exterior, interior, storage space, MPG, performance, safety, tech, and more. Stick around because we are ready to dive in!

What's New for 2023?

When the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz entered the market, it introduced exciting changes and additions. One of the most noteworthy was the brand-new Night trim with blacked-out exterior accents, dark 20-inch wheels, a dark grille, and gloss black mirror caps. The SE model received Blind-spot warning as a standard feature in 2023, and adaptive cruise control became standard on SEL Premium models. For technology enhancements, 2023 also saw the 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system trickle down from the Limited to the SEL Premium. Besides those things, the Santa Cruz design remained unchanged.

Rugged Exterior

The exterior of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz looks nearly the same as the current 2025 version. It features a distinct chrome grille (black on Night trim models), standard 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, and an almost SUV-style body. The Santa Cruz has continued to be a more spacious and smooth Hyundai truck, and people seem to prefer it over the "traditional" pickups from Chevy or Ford. If you want a truck that doesn't ride rough and has space for five people, the Santa Cruz is the way to go.

2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Dimensions

Here are some of the dimensions of the Santa Cruz that you need to be aware of:

Wheelbase: 118.3 inches
Overall Length: 195.7 inches
Overall Width: 75.0 inches
Overall Height (with roof rails): 66.7 inches
Minimum Ground Clearance (2WD/AWD): 8.6 inches
Bed Length (upper/lower/tailgate open): 48.4 / 52.1 / 74.8 inches
Bed Width (max/between wheelhouse): 53.9 / 42.7 inches
Bed Height: 19.2 inches

Efficient Interior

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz interior is functional yet comfortable. You can expect everything from standard Black or Gray stain-resistant cloth seats, an 8-inch color touchscreen display audio, Wireless Apple CarPlay, Wireless Android Auto, and seating for up to five adults. This is a two-row pickup truck following a more SUV-inspired interior layout, which is why so many people choose it. There's something for everyone!

2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Cabin Space

The cabin space inside a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz is generous, with up to 111.5 cubic feet of passenger volume and 27 cubic feet of cargo space in its bed. Below, we'll show you the front and rear seat dimensions.

Interior dimensions:

Head Room w/o Sunroof (front/rear): 40.7 / 40.1 inches
Leg Room (front/rear): 41.4 / 36.5 inches
Shoulder Room (front/rear): 57.6 / 56.1 inches
Hip Room (front/rear): 54.5 / 53.5 inches

Fuel Economy and MPG

We also want to discuss the fuel economy and MPG estimates for the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Your fuel performance is better because this pickup truck is lighter weight than an F-150 or Silverado. The EPA rates the 2023 Santa Cruz at up to 22 MPG in the city and 26 on the highway (combined 23). AWD (all-wheel drive) drops your fuel estimates by one MPG on the highway and in the city.

The turbocharged engine puts your MPG estimates closer to 19/27/22 city/highway/combined. This is far better than others in its class, even with the faster engine and AWD.

Engine, Drivetrain, and Performance

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz engine options are exciting, with the base engine being a 191 horsepower 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four with front-wheel drive (FWD). You can also choose AWD with the base engine and a 281-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four engine in higher trims.

Engine Options:

Base: 2.5-liter four-cylinder (191 horsepower)
Turbocharged: 2.5-liter four-cylinder (281 horsepower)

2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Towing Capacity

Towing with a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz won't be difficult, as this truck has a total capacity of 5,000 pounds when equipped with AWD and the available trailer brake system. Base towing capacity is 3,500 pounds without the configuration, so that is something else to note.

2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Trim Levels and Pricing

In 2023, the Hyundai Santa Cruz comes in five trims. This year, we have the newly introduced Night trim, which falls into the mid-tier, while the SE is your base, and the Limited is the most expensive. The starting MSRP for the Santa Cruz is ~$25,700 and tops off at $40,570.

2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE

The Santa Cruz SE trim is the entry-level model for this series. You can expect starting prices of $25,700 and features including:

191-horsepower 2.5L GDI-MPI 4-cylinder engine
23 MPG combined, 22 city/26 highway MPG
8-inch color touchscreen display audio
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
18-inch alloy wheels
Black or Gray stain-resistant cloth seats

2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL is the next trim to choose from and will retail for $28,190. Here are some features it offers:

191-horsepower 2.5L GDI-MPI 4-cylinder engine
23 MPG combined, 22 city/26 highway MPG
Bluelink Connected Car System
Remote Start
Proximity Key with push-button start
Power driver seat with power lumbar
Black or Gray stain-resistant cloth seats

2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Night

The Night trim was introduced to Santa Cruz in 2023 and retails for $36,060. It offers these features standard:

281-horsepower 2.5L Turbocharged GDI-MPI 4-cylinder engine
22 MPG combined, 19 city/27 highway MPG
Dark 20-inch alloy wheels
Dark front grille and accents
Dark front and rear lower fascias
Paddle shifters
Black stain-resistant cloth seats

2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL Premium

Entering the higher-end side of the Santa Cruz lineup, you have the SEL Premium for $37,600. It offers these standard features:

281-horsepower 2.5L Turbocharged GDI-MPI 4-cylinder engine
22 MPG combined, 19 city/27 highway MPG
HTRAC All Wheel Drive
10.25-inch touchscreen navigation
Bi-LED projector headlights
Hyundai Digital Key
Black or Gray stain-resistant cloth seats

2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited

The last and most fully loaded Hyundai Santa Cruz in 2023 is the Limited model. It retails for $40,570 and includes the following:

281-horsepower 2.5L Turbocharged GDI-MPI 4-cylinder engine
22 MPG combined, 19 city/27 highway MPG
HTRAC All Wheel Drive
Bose Premium Audio
Surround View Monitor
Blind-Spot View Monitor

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

Hyundai always excels in safety, and the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup is no exception. This truck includes features like:

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA)
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
Rear Occupant Alert
Safe Exit Assist
High Beam Assist
Adaptive Cruise Control
Intelligent Speed Limit Assist

The IIHS rates the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz high in most crash tests and highlights its overall design. Like most pickups, Santa Cruz will not achieve Top Safety Pick status in 2023. However, the 2024 and 2025 models received the Top Safety Pick award, showing Hyundai's improvements.

Infotainment and Connectivity

Your infotainment and connectivity options for the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz are also impressive, at both standard and optional levels. The base model Santa Cruz includes an 8-inch touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Hyundai's Blue Link connected car system.

In higher trims like the SEL Premium and Limited, you have a 10.25-inch touchscreen, digital instrument cluster, and wireless device charging in the front row console area. It feels tech-forward for 2023 and has only improved in recent years.

Is the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz Right for You?

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz is right for anyone seeking a comfortable, fuel-efficient, and affordable pickup truck. Overall, this release continues to be a favorite from Hyundai and remains their staple pickup truck even now in 2025. We have plenty of new and pre-owned Santa Cruz models to choose from and test drive at Colonial Hyundai here in New London, CT, so don't hesitate to come see what everything is all about.

Remember, there might be less tech or standard safety features in 2023 compared to a 2024 or 2025 model, so you can always opt to change the year or trim. We are ready for whatever!

Get Your Hyundai Santa Cruz at Colonial Hyundai

Colonial Hyundai of New London, CT, wants to find you a 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz that meets your budget, needs, and timeline. We are a top-rated dealer in the community and have plenty of cars, trucks, and SUVs you can shop for throughout the week. If you are ready to make the switch to Santa Cruz or even the brand in general, let us get you in and behind the wheel for a test drive.