Report: Hyundai to Discontinue Santa Cruz Compact Pickup Truck
Key Points
- Sources say Hyundai will soon end production of the Santa Cruz pickup truck.
- Low demand, slow sales force move
- Reports indicate Hyundai isn’t giving up on pickups.
It was a bold move, but it hasn’t panned out as Hyundai had hoped. The South Korean automaker launched the Santa Cruz compact pickup for the 2022 model year, but a new report says the truck’s first generation will be its last.
Related: How Much Is the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
According to industry outlet Automotive News, Hyundai’s official line is that the Santa Cruz’s “life-cycle plans remain unchanged.” But sources told the outlet the little pickup’s end date is being moved up from the originally planned second quarter of 2027.
The Santa Cruz debuted in 2021, with the concurrent launch of its sole direct competitor, the Ford Maverick, suggesting there was an untapped market for trucks smaller than mid-size pickups like the Toyota Tacoma. Hyundai sold just over 10,000 Santa Cruzes that first year against some 13,000 Mavericks, but the Hyundai then plateaued in the mid- to low-30,000s while the Ford rocketed to more than 155,000 sales in 2025 — more than six times the number of trucks Hyundai sold. AN counts more than 467,000 sales to date for the Maverick versus just 140,000 Santa Cruzes.
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Shop the 2026 Hyundai SANTA CRUZ near you
Bigger and (Hopefully) Better
However, Hyundai will only be walking away from this pickup specifically rather than pickups in general. Plans remain on track for a mid-size pickup that is expected to arrive in the summer of 2029. A body-on-frame design, the yet-unnamed truck will compete directly with the Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twins, and the Ford Ranger. Speculation suggests the pickup’s frame could also underpin an SUV to take on the Toyota 4Runner.
Hyundai would do well to note that the Santa Cruz’s problem was not its segment, but the product itself. In 2025, the Maverick not only outperformed its Hyundai competition; it handily outsold every mid-size pickup except the Tacoma.
Read More About the Hyundai Santa Cruz on Cars.com:
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- Research the Hyundai Santa Cruz
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