2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs 2022 GMC Sierra 2500HD

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, with its smaller footprint compared to midsize pickups, evoked memories of mini trucks from the 1970s to 1990s. However, its unibody construction and unique styling made it more akin to the Subaru Baja or a smaller Honda Ridgeline. Measuring 195.7 inches in length, 75.0 inches in width, and 66.7 inches in height, the Santa Cruz was over a foot shorter than a Toyota Tacoma but nearly as wide. Its 118.3-inch wheelbase was 9.1 inches shorter than the Tacoma’s. Despite being larger than the 2022 Hyundai Tucson compact crossover SUV, the Santa Cruz was not exactly tiny.

The Santa Cruz's design resembled an SUV with a bed rather than a traditional small pickup. Its toothy grille and blended headlights, similar to the Tucson, ensured it stood out on the road. The only nods to traditional truck styling were the “Santa Cruz” name stamped into the tailgate, some plastic body cladding, and a bit of chrome. Available with 20-inch wheels or 18-inch wheels for off-roading, the Santa Cruz's interior was more conventional, with an honest design that avoided faux ruggedness. The materials, while not fancy, were appropriate for its price range and its mission as a rugged “adventure vehicle.”

The 2022 GMC Sierra 2500HD, redesigned for the 2020 model year, featured a bold exterior with a tall hood, squared-off lines, and a massive grille, giving it a commanding presence. While its exterior design was impressive, the interior had some shortcomings. Material quality, especially on top trims, did not match the standards set by competitors from Ram and Ford. The Sierra HD's cabin, while not cramped, was less spacious than the Ram 1500 and Ford Super Duty.

Available in five trim levels and three cab styles, the Sierra 2500HD offered versatility. The Pro trim catered to fleet operators and contractors, while the SLE and SLT added creature comforts for mainstream buyers. The AT4 was designed for off-road enthusiasts, and the Denali targeted those seeking a luxury truck. Our test vehicle, the AT4 trim, featured black chrome accents, C-shaped LED lighting, a hood air-induction system, red recovery hooks, 20-inch wheels, and a high-clearance step. Inside, it boasted Jet Black with Kalahari upholstery, heated and ventilated leather seats, a heated steering wheel, premium floor liners, a GMC infotainment system, wireless charging, and Bose premium audio.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz came with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). The base engine produced 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, while an optional turbocharged engine delivered 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The naturally aspirated engine offered standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD), whereas the turbocharged version was AWD only.

The Santa Cruz's driving experience was far from truck-like. Its standard multi-link suspension made it enjoyable in corners, and the self-leveling feature accounted for a loaded bed. Even with 20-inch wheels, the ride quality was impressive, and cabin noise was minimal. The turbo engine provided ample thrust when driving unloaded, though we did not test its towing capabilities or the base engine. With 8.6 inches of ground clearance and AWD, the Santa Cruz offered some off-road capability but lacked low range and locking differentials. Its maximum towing capacity was 3,500 pounds with the base engine and 5,000 pounds with the turbo engine, with a maximum payload capacity of 1,906 pounds.

The 2022 GMC Sierra 2500HD, with its 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet of torque, had a maximum payload capacity of 3,597 pounds and a maximum trailering weight of 18,500 pounds. While these figures were impressive, they fell short compared to competitors. The Sierra 2500HD's 6.6-liter V8 engines—standard gas and optional turbodiesel—were strong performers, especially when paired with the Allison 10-speed automatic transmission.

Our test truck, equipped with the Duramax diesel/Allison automatic transmission, demonstrated abundant power. The engine's strength required firm braking when shifting out of Park to prevent unintended movement. Unladen, the Sierra 2500HD felt quick for a three-ton truck, with smooth shifts from the Allison 10-speed. However, the ride was jittery over uneven pavement, improving with added weight. The AT4 trim's off-road equipment, including an automatic-locking rear differential, two-speed transfer case, and X31 off-road suspension, handled our off-road course with ease, though we noticed a slight vibration from the steering column.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz's small truck bed limited its utility despite its impressive payload capacity. At 52.1 inches long, the bed was much shorter than the Toyota Tacoma's short bed, making it difficult to fit typical cargo like bicycles or plywood. Hyundai suggested strapping bikes with a wheel hanging over the edge or carrying plywood with the tailgate down, but these solutions seemed suboptimal.

Hyundai included features to maximize the available space, such as a lockable tonneau cover, height-adjustable tailgate, tie-down points, in-bed LED lighting, and a 115-volt power outlet. The bed also had indents for creating a shelf and storage compartments under the bed and rear seats. Corner steps made accessing the bed easier. The Santa Cruz was available only in a four-door crew-cab configuration with seating for five. Rear-seat legroom was tight, but front-seat space was more generous, and outward visibility was good.

The 2022 GMC Sierra 2500HD offered three cab configurations, two bed lengths, and several convenience features. Most versions seated five, but it could accommodate up to six passengers with a front-row bench seat. Passenger space was abundant in both the front and rear seats, with plenty of headroom, legroom, knee room, and hip room.

Getting into the Sierra 2500HD required some effort due to its height, especially with the AT4 package. The best approach was to use the side step and assist handle. The side assist step, coated with a rough texture, provided good traction, especially in the rain. The corner-step rear bumper made accessing the deep cargo box and 12 fixed cargo tie-downs easy. Inside, the wide and deep center console offered ample storage, and dual glove boxes and hidden storage compartments in the rear outboard seats provided additional space. The rear center seat had a fold-down armrest with cupholders, and there was more storage beneath the flip-and-fold back seat.

Our test vehicle had a 120-volt household-style power outlet at the base of the center stack and another outlet in the bed, providing convenient power access. The Sierra 2500HD's MultiPro tailgate, available on the base Pro trim and standard on SLE and above, offered six functions to improve loading, unloading, and accessing the cargo box. The tailgate could be lowered via a switch, remote key fob, or manually, and combined with the rear power outlet, it could serve as a mobile office.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz featured a standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trim levels offered a 10.25-inch touchscreen, wireless phone charging, and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The digital cluster could display images from the optional surround-view camera system, and Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics service included smartwatch and Google Assistant connectivity.

In our Santa Cruz Limited test vehicle, the 10.25-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster looked great and worked well. The instrument cluster was impervious to glare, and the touchscreen had attractive graphics and quick response times. Wireless device charging and Hyundai’s digital-key feature, which allowed the use of a smartphone instead of a key fob, were also available.

The 2022 GMC Sierra 2500HD offered a range of infotainment systems with either a 7-inch or 8-inch color touchscreen, depending on the trim level. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard on SLT and above, and available on SLE. A navigation system was standard on the Denali and available on SLT and AT4 trims. The Sierra 2500HD came with hitch guidance, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, a WiFi hotspot, and OnStar with connected services.

Our test vehicle's Bose premium audio system provided rich sound, and the voice-recognition system, while occasionally delivering odd results, was generally functional. The Sierra's 15 available camera views, including the "transparent trailer" view, made it easier to hook up a trailer and monitor the surroundings. The standard rear camera mirror provided a clear picture of what was behind, especially useful when the rear seats were occupied.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, being a new model, did not have safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, it offered standard forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, lane-follow assist, rear-seat reminder, and a driver-attention monitor. Higher trim levels included blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit assist, a surround-view camera system, and Highway Driving Assist.

Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist performed comparably to other systems at this price point, handling acceleration and deceleration well but struggling with highway curves. This was a common issue among similar systems.

The 2022 GMC Sierra 2500HD featured advanced safety and driver-assistive systems, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic warning, following distance indicator, hill-descent control, and front and rear park assist. Standard items included HD Surround Vision, a rear-seat reminder system, driver Safety Alert Seat, and a Teen Driver system.

The Sierra 2500HD's mass made it both safe and potentially dangerous. Its weight protected passengers in a collision but posed a risk to smaller vehicles and pedestrians. The numerous camera views were essential for safety, and we recommended opting for as many safety systems and cameras as possible for peace of mind. Due to its high gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), the Sierra 2500HD was not rated by NHTSA or IIHS.