2022 Nissan Frontier vs 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The 2022 Nissan Frontier represented a significant step in Nissan’s “Nissan Next” strategy, which aimed to deliver 10 refreshed, redesigned, or debuting vehicles over 20 months. Following updates to the Kicks and Armada and redesigns for the Rogue and Pathfinder, the Frontier arrived as a dramatically new midsize pickup truck. With its blocky, rugged styling, the Frontier’s design echoed the old Nissan Hardbody pickups from the 1980s and 1990s. The design process, led by Hiren Patel, involved machining a solid block of metal to create the truck’s shape. Available in nine exterior colors and two interior shades, the Frontier offered a variety of customization options. The test model featured Baja Storm paint and charcoal leather seating, exclusive to the off-road PRO-4X and 2WD PRO-X trims.

The 2022 Frontier was slightly longer than its predecessor, particularly in the nose, but the overall growth was not dramatic. It fit well in garages and parking spots, positioning itself between compact pickups like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz and larger midsize pickups like the Jeep Gladiator and Honda Ridgeline. The Frontier’s closest competitors were the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, GMC Canyon, and Toyota Tacoma. Available in King Cab and Crew Cab configurations, the Frontier offered a 6-foot bed with the King Cab and a 5-foot or optional 6-foot bed with the Crew Cab. The truck featured an available spray-in bedliner, optional LED bed lighting, and a three-channel tie-down system. Inside, the Frontier boasted Nissan’s Zero Gravity front seats, improved insulation, and a new center console with ample storage.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, with its smaller footprint compared to current midsize pickups, initially seemed like a throwback to 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 long, 75.0 inches wide, and 66.7 inches tall, 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. The Santa Cruz’s design resembled an SUV with a bed, featuring a toothy grille and blended headlights similar to the Tucson. Available with 20-inch wheels or 18-inch wheels for off-roading, the Santa Cruz stood out on the road.

Inside, the Santa Cruz’s design was more conventional, with materials appropriate for its price range and mission as a rugged “adventure vehicle.” The air vents were integrated with a ring of trim encircling the dashboard, and the top Limited trim featured materials that, while not fancy, were suitable for the vehicle’s purpose. The Santa Cruz’s interior did not scream “truck,” but its honest design was preferable to faux ruggedness seen in some current truck interiors.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier’s powertrain was highlighted by its 3.8-liter V6 engine, which had been retuned for the heavier 2022 model. This engine produced a class-leading 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque. The Frontier offered strong acceleration and ample passing power at highway speeds. It featured a tow mode that remapped shift points for improved performance under load, with a maximum payload of 1,610 pounds and a towing capacity of 6,720 pounds. The nine-speed automatic transmission, controlled via a traditional center-mounted shifter, managed power to either rear-wheel drive (RWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD) with 4-Hi and 4-Lo modes. The transmission shifted eagerly uphill and maximized fuel economy on level or downhill terrain. Fuel economy for the Frontier was 18 mpg city, 24 highway, 20 combined for RWD models, and 17/22/19 for 4WD models.

The Frontier’s hydraulic rack and pinion steering system provided a heavier steering feel compared to the electric steering system in the Toyota Tacoma. The PRO-4X trim offered a capable off-road kit, including hill-start assist, hill-descent control, an electronic locking rear differential, Bilstein shock absorbers, steel underbody skid plates, and an aluminum front skid plate. The PRO-4X also featured a surround-view monitor with an off-road mode and a best-in-class approach angle of 32.3 degrees. For those who didn’t need 4WD or off-roading capabilities but liked the PRO-4X’s look, the 2WD PRO-X trim was available, minus the locking diff and skid plates.

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 came with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD), while the turbocharged version was AWD only. The Santa Cruz’s standard multi-link suspension made it fun to drive in corners, and it included a self-leveling feature for a loaded bed. Ride quality was impressive, even on 20-inch wheels, and cabin noise was fairly low. The turbo engine provided ample thrust when driving unloaded, though towing and testing the base engine were not part of the review.

The Santa Cruz offered 8.6 inches of ground clearance and four driven wheels, but it was not ideal for serious off-roading due to the lack of low range, locking differentials, and underbody protection. 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. These tow ratings were more in line with midsize SUVs than current pickup trucks but were adequate for a vehicle designed more for recreation than work.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier combined comfort and capability exceptionally well. The front seats, featuring Nissan’s Zero Gravity technology, were incredibly comfortable, a rarity in the midsize pickup segment. The Frontier offered convenient storage options, surpassing the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, and felt spacious behind the wheel compared to the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma. However, the backseat space was less generous. The Crew Cab provided manageable headroom and legroom, but the King Cab’s rear seats were essentially jump seats, suitable only for small items. The Frontier’s Crew Cab had eight cupholders, four large enough for 32-ounce bottles, and additional storage beneath the rear seat.

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, 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 bed access 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 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 2022 Nissan Frontier saw significant advancements in technology from 2020 to 2021. A standard 8-inch touchscreen was available on the S and SV trims, while the PRO-4X featured a 9-inch screen. Both screens were sharp and clear, with physical knobs for volume and tuning, hard buttons for audio source, map, and camera, and a dedicated menu button. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard but required a wired connection. Optional features included a wireless phone charger and a Kicker tailgate audio system. The Crew Cab had four USB ports, and the optional 10-speaker Fender stereo sounded great, though it was part of an expensive Premium Package.

The Premium Package also included leather and a moonroof. The Technology Package added safety features like blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. The Convenience Package included a spray-in bedliner, bed lighting, a trailer hitch, two 120-volt outlets, and heated mirrors, seats, and steering wheel.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz came with a standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that included 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 blind-spot images 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 the Limited trim looked great and worked well, with the instrument cluster impervious to glare and the touchscreen featuring nice 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. However, the digital key only worked with Android phones.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier had not yet been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but it was expected to perform better than the previous generation. The new Frontier offered a range of standard advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) under Nissan Safety Shield 360, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a driver attention monitor, intelligent forward collision warning, trailer sway control, rear-door alert, and an easy-fill tire alert. Eight airbags were standard, and optional safety features included traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and rear sonar.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, also a new model, had not yet been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA. Hyundai offered standard forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, lane-follow assist, rear-seat reminder, and a driver-attention monitor. Higher trims 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, which combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering. Hyundai’s system performed comparably to others in its price range, handling acceleration and deceleration well but struggling with highway curves.