2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs 2022 GMC Sierra 1500

Being a newbie in a given field means having to catch up to established leaders, but it can also bring a different perspective. Hyundai has never sold a pickup truck in the United States, and its first effort is unlike anything else on the market.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is the first truly compact pickup to be sold in the U.S. in over a decade, and unlike conventional body-on-frame pickups, it features car-like unibody construction. This packaging sacrifices some capability, but that’s beside the point. Hyundai didn’t design the Santa Cruz to compete directly with conventional trucks. It doesn’t even call the Santa Cruz a pickup; it prefers the term “sport adventure vehicle.”

While it may win over some truck buyers who want a pickup that’s easier to park, the Santa Cruz will appeal mainly to new-car buyers who want to replace a sedan or crossover SUV with something a bit more rugged.

To figure out where the Santa Cruz fits into the current automotive landscape, we spent a day driving it around on roads in and around its namesake California city. Hyundai also offers base SE, SEL Activity Package, and SEL Premium trim levels, but we sampled a range-topping Santa Cruz Limited model for this test drive.

The GMC Sierra 1500 light-duty pickup has been around since 1999 but has seemingly lived in the shadow of its identical twin, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ever since. This is despite the fact that GMC is marketed as the premium alternative. Sales tell a different story, though, with the everyman Silverado moving twice as many units last year as the Sierra.

The GMC Sierra receives a significant makeover for 2022. With a bolder exterior design, a more lavish interior, standard high-end technology, and increased utility, the new Sierra also further elevates the GMC brand with its new high-grade Denali Ultimate and off-road-tuned AT4X models.