2023 GMC Sierra 1500 vs 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, with its smaller footprint, 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 its compact size, the Santa Cruz was slightly larger than the 2022 Hyundai Tucson compact crossover SUV.

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 truck's only nods to traditional styling were the "Santa Cruz" name stamped into the tailgate, plastic body cladding, and some chrome accents. Available with 20-inch wheels or 18-inch wheels for off-roading, the Santa Cruz's interior was more conventional, with a straightforward design that avoided faux ruggedness. The materials, while not luxurious, were appropriate for its price range and intended use as a rugged adventure vehicle.

The 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 received a styling update for the 2022 model year, enhancing its already impressive design. The wider, more imposing grille and updated headlights gave the Sierra a sharp look, though it felt like a lateral move. The interior, however, marked a significant departure from the previous model, aligning more with the trend of making truck cabins resemble daily driver cars and SUVs. The new dash featured a large screen, moving away from the simple layout of its predecessor. While the updated infotainment system was more complex, it retained traditional climate controls, a volume dial, and a home button.

The Sierra 1500 offered various trims, including Pro, SLE, Elevation, SLT, AT4, AT4X, Denali, and Denali Ultimate. The base Pro trim retained the simpler infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen, while higher trims featured a fully digital instrument panel, larger touchscreen, and additional amenities. The AT4 and AT4X trims catered to off-road enthusiasts, with features like skid plates, lifted suspension, and upgraded air filters. The Denali Ultimate trim, which we tested, included nearly every optional feature, such as a Kicker sound system in the Multi-Pro tailgate, massaging front seats, and a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system.

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 version offered standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD), whereas the turbocharged engine was AWD only. The Santa Cruz's multi-link suspension made it enjoyable to drive, with impressive ride quality and low cabin noise, even on 20-inch wheels. The turbo engine provided ample power, though we didn't test its towing capabilities.

The Santa Cruz had a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds with the naturally aspirated engine and 5,000 pounds with the turbo engine, along with a maximum payload capacity of 1,906 pounds. While its off-road capabilities were limited, with 8.6 inches of ground clearance and an AWD system lacking low range and locking differentials, it was adequate for light off-roading. The Santa Cruz was designed more for recreation than heavy-duty work, with tow ratings more in line with midsize SUVs than traditional pickup trucks.

The 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 offered four powertrain options. The base model featured a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. We tested the 3.0-liter Duramax turbocharged inline-six diesel engine, which delivered 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft of torque. The diesel engine received a boost in power for 2023, while the gas turbo-four saw increased torque. Buyers could also choose between two gas V8 engines: a 5.3-liter V8 with 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque, or a 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque.

The gas four-cylinder engine came with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while all other engines were paired with a 10-speed automatic. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) was standard, with 4WD optional. The Sierra's towing capacity reached up to 13,200 pounds with the diesel engine and RWD, and it had a maximum payload capacity of 2,240 pounds with the turbo-four and 5.3-liter V8 engines. The diesel engine provided a heavy-duty truck presence and lively performance, aided by the 10-speed automatic transmission. The Sierra Denali Ultimate offered smooth and composed handling, though maneuverability in tight spaces was challenging due to its size.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz's small truck bed limited its utility, measuring just 52.1 inches long. This meant typical cargo like bicycles or 4x8 sheets of plywood wouldn't fit completely in the bed. Hyundai suggested strapping bikes with a wheel hanging over the edge or carrying plywood with the tailgate down, but these solutions seemed suboptimal. However, the Santa Cruz included features to maximize the available space, such as a standard 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.

The Santa Cruz was available only in a four-door crew-cab configuration with seating for five. Rear-seat passengers had limited legroom, similar to some larger midsize trucks, while front-seat space was more generous. Outward visibility was good for a pickup, thanks to a low hood and stubby front end. The center console offered decent storage space, and controls for optional heated and ventilated seats were conveniently placed. However, touch pads for functions like audio volume and climate control were harder to use while driving.

The 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 offered various cab and bed configurations, including a regular cab with a standard-size bed, single cab with a long bed, double cab with a standard bed, full four-door crew cab with a short bed, and crew cab with a standard bed. Trim availability depended on the bed/cab configuration. Our test model featured the crew cab/short-bed setup, providing ample cabin space. The doors had large storage trays and spots for water bottles, while the center console included two large cup holders, a tray ahead of the shifter, and a deep storage compartment with an organizer. The rear bench folded up for additional storage space.

The Denali Ultimate trim came with GMC's MultiPro tailgate, offering multiple configurations, including a bed step-up, fold-out workstation, and a passage for longer items. All Sierra 1500 trims featured bed steps cut into the rear bumper corners for easy access. The Sierra's interior was spacious and well-organized, with plenty of storage options and thoughtful design elements.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, including 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 of blind spots from the optional surround-view camera system. Hyundai's Blue Link telematics service included smartwatch and Google Assistant connectivity. The 10.25-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster in our test vehicle looked great and worked well, with quick boot-up times and responsive inputs. Wireless device charging and Hyundai's digital-key feature, compatible only with Android phones, were also available.

The 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen and a carryover infotainment system with a more intuitive layout. Higher trims featured a 13.4-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The updated infotainment system had a logical layout, large icons, and a home button, though it lacked a tuning knob. It also included Google-connected apps, which could be intrusive but offered helpful features like trailering status apps. The Sierra Denali Ultimate included a wireless charging pad, USB-A and USB-C ports, and a wall-style power outlet, though the outlet's placement in the center console was less ideal.

All trims except the base Pro featured a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel, which was easy to read and worked well with the head-up display. The head-up display provided critical information like vehicle speed and navigation prompts, enhancing the driving experience.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz had not yet been rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, it offered standard safety features like 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.

The 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 came standard with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and GM's Teen Driver system, which allowed owners to set speed and audio-volume limits for a second set of keys. Higher trims and optional packages added features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera system, and GM's Safety Alert seat. The Denali Ultimate trim included GM's Super Cruise driver assist system, enabling hands-free highway driving and hands-free lane changes. The Sierra also featured rear headrests that flipped down for improved rearward visibility and a rear-vision camera mirror for enhanced visibility in various conditions.