2023 Nissan Frontier vs 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, with its smaller footprint compared to current midsize pickups, evoked memories of the 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 a design that didn’t scream “truck.” The materials were appropriate for its price range and its mission as a rugged “adventure vehicle.”

The 2023 Nissan Frontier was offered in four trim levels: S, SV, Pro-X, and Pro-4X. The exterior redesign, inspired by the 1986 Nissan Hardbody, and the all-new-for-2022 interior were well-received, so little changed for the new model year. Updates included a Midnight Edition for the SV trim, which blacked out various exterior and interior elements. Pro-X and Pro-4X trims received Lava Red interior accents in the stitching, steering-wheel badge, and inserts lining the grab handles and door-mounted speakers.

Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel were available on both Pro grades, which also featured a six-way power adjustable driver’s seat, a four-way manually adjustable passenger’s seat, and a 60/40-split flip-up rear bench seat. The nine exterior color options included “Baja Storm” tan, Tactical Green, Blue Pearl, and two shades of red, in addition to the standard grayscale offerings.

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 driving experience was far from truck-like. Its standard multi-link suspension made it fun in corners, and it included a self-leveling feature 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 towing and testing the base engine were not part of our experience. The Santa Cruz had a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds with the base engine and 5,000 pounds with the turbo engine, along with a maximum payload capacity of 1,906 pounds. Its 8.6 inches of ground clearance and AWD system offered some off-road capability, but it lacked low range, locking differentials, and underbody protection.

The 2023 Nissan Frontier featured a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) was standard, with a shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive (4WD) system available. The 4WD models could operate in either RWD or 4WD, with the driver able to shift to 4HI at speeds under 70 mph and to 4LO when stopped. Pro-X models shared the Bilstein shocks and special styling of the Pro-4X but were not offered in 4WD.

Hill-start assist was standard across the lineup, while hill-descent control was standard with 4WD. The Pro-4X trim balanced off-road capability with comfortable on-road manners, featuring a more progressive suspension and a new urethane jounce bumper for a softer feel. Nissan used 41 new parts to reduce engine, road, and wind noise. The Frontier retained hydraulic steering, with an increased steering gear ratio for better maneuverability. It had a towing capacity of up to 6,720 pounds and a maximum payload of 1,610 pounds. The EPA rated its fuel economy at up to 20 mpg combined for RWD and 19 mpg combined for 4WD.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz’s small truck bed, at 52.1 inches long, limited its utility. Typical cargo like bicycles or a 4x8 sheet 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. However, the Santa Cruz included features to maximize space, such as a standard lockable tonneau cover, a height-adjustable tailgate, tie-down points, in-bed LED lighting, and a 115-volt power outlet. It also had storage compartments under the bed and rear seats, and corner steps for easier access.

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 center console offered decent storage space, and controls for optional heated and ventilated seats were well-placed. However, touch pads for audio volume and climate control were harder to use while driving.

The 2023 Nissan Frontier was available in two cab configurations. The larger Crew Cab, standard on Pro-X and Pro-4X trims, offered four full-sized doors and a larger interior space, with a 5-foot bed by default and an optional 6-foot bed for the SV Crew Cab. The King Cab, standard for S and SV trims, had two full-sized doors and two rear access doors, with a 6-foot bed standard.

LED under-rail bed lighting was newly available on Pro-X and Pro-4X trims, joining the available spray-in bedliner. The 5-foot bed offered 40.1 cubic feet of volume, and the 6-foot bed offered 46.4 cubic feet. The hydraulically assisted tailgate opened slowly and could be closed with one hand, though it was a bit tough on the wrist. The Pro-4X trim included an aluminum front skid plate and three steel under-body skid plates.

Inside, the standard Zero Gravity seats kept occupants planted during off-roading or spirited driving. The interior offered 4 liters of storage in the center console, 5.7 liters in the rear door pockets, and 6.5 liters in the front door pockets. All but the base S trim had under-seat storage in the second row.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz featured a standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims 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.

In the Santa Cruz Limited test vehicle, the 10.25-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster looked great and worked well. The instrument cluster was glare-resistant, and the touchscreen had attractive graphics and quick response times. Wireless device charging and Hyundai’s digital-key feature, which worked only with Android phones, were also available.

For the 2023 model year, Nissan made wireless Apple CarPlay standard on Pro-X and Pro-4X trims. A wired connection was still required for S and SV trims and for Android Auto users. The Pro trims had two USB-A and two USB-C ports each, and a wireless charging pad was available. The two available 120-volt power outlets generated 400 watts when parked and 50 watts when in motion.

Infotainment was hosted through an 8-inch touchscreen for S and SV trims, while Pro-X and Pro-4X got a 9-inch touchscreen. A four-speaker audio system was standard on S and SV trims, and a six-speaker system was standard on Pro-X and Pro-4X trims. The available 10-speaker Fender premium sound system on the Pro trims delivered impressive bass. The 7-inch digital gauge cluster was standard across the lineup, with an off-road gauge cluster showing the truck’s angles in real time when 4WD was engaged. Nissan’s Intelligent Around-View Monitor (AVM) was available on Pro-X and included an off-road mode on Pro-4X.

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 trims had blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit assist, a surround-view camera system, and Highway Driving Assist, which combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering.

The 2023 Nissan Frontier had standard forward-collision warning, trailer sway control, a driver-attention monitor, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and rear-door alert. Lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control were available but not standard. Traffic-sign recognition and intelligent cruise control were standard on Pro-4X. The NHTSA gave the 2023 Frontier a four-star overall safety rating, with five stars for the side crash test, four stars for the frontal crash test, and three stars for the rollover test. The IIHS rated the 2022 model Superior for daytime front vehicle-to-pedestrian crash prevention, Advanced for nighttime front vehicle-to-pedestrian crash prevention, and Acceptable for seat belt reminders.