2022 GMC Sierra 1500 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 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 that filled the arches nicely, Hyundai also offered 18-inch wheels for off-roading. Inside, the design was more conventional, with materials appropriate for its price range and mission as a rugged “adventure vehicle.”

The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 introduced the Denali Ultimate and AT4X variants, expanding on the premium Denali and AT4 trims. With eight trim levels, the Sierra was available in Pro, SLE, Elevation, SLT, AT4, Denali, AT4X, and Denali Ultimate. Despite unchanged dimensions, the Sierra appeared larger and more aggressive due to an updated grille, front fascia, and headlight design. The new split-C headlights integrated within the grille accentuated its width, creating a seamless and precise look.

The Denali’s grille transitioned from a mesh pattern to a “tri-linear” theme with thicker chrome inserts, giving it a tough yet extravagant appearance. The Denali Ultimate featured dark-colored “Vader bars” inserts, while the SLT, AT4, and AT4X trims had less showy but equally intimidating grille designs. New 22-inch wheel designs were introduced for the Denali and Denali Ultimate, with bright-polished chrome for the former and low-gloss black for the latter. The Sierra’s exterior design remained unchanged, offering standard, double, or crew cab options with various bed lengths. The interior saw significant updates, with new materials and a redesigned dash, enhancing the cabin’s spaciousness and luxury.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz came equipped 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 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 towing capabilities were not tested. 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 it offered 8.6 inches of ground clearance and AWD, it lacked serious off-road capabilities due to the absence of low range, locking differentials, and underbody protection.

The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 offered four engine options, two transmissions, and both rear-wheel-drive (RWD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) configurations. The standard 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine produced 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, with an eight-speed automatic transmission featuring revised gear ratios for smoother shifts. The 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel inline-six engine delivered 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, with a maximum trailering rating of 13,200 pounds for 2WD models and 13,000 pounds for 4WD models.

Other engine options included a 5.3-liter V8 producing 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque, and a 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission was standard for the diesel and V8 engines. The Sierra Denali Ultimate 4WD offered a smooth and comfortable ride, while the Sierra AT4X impressed with its off-road capabilities, featuring Multimatic DSSV dampers, unique springs, and front and rear e-locking differentials. The AT4X handled the challenging terrain of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park with ease, showcasing its off-road readiness.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz boasted an impressive maximum payload capacity, but its small truck bed limited utility. At 52.1 inches long, it was much shorter than the short bed available on the Toyota Tacoma, making it difficult to fit typical cargo like bicycles or a 4x8 sheet of plywood. Hyundai suggested strapping bikes with a wheel hanging over the edge or carrying plywood with the tailgate down, but these solutions seemed suboptimal.

However, Hyundai included several 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 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 the controls for heated and ventilated seats were conveniently placed.

The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 offered best-in-class cargo capacity even with its short bed. The interior was spacious, with front headroom of about 43 inches and rear headroom averaging 40 inches. Front-seat legroom was 44.5 inches, while double-cab rear-seat passengers had 35.2 inches of legroom, and crew cab passengers enjoyed 43.4 inches. The Sierra featured numerous storage compartments, though the gloveboxes were on the smaller side.

Ergonomics were somewhat perplexing, with the driver-oriented cockpit’s centerline positioned low, making it harder to quickly glance at screens and buttons. The Sierra had an abundance of knobs and buttons, which could be overwhelming. The AT4X’s off-road controls were split between the left of the steering wheel and the center console. Massaging seats were a welcome feature, though operating them was not intuitive. Despite these quirks, the Sierra’s interior was a sanctuary, offering comfort and luxury for long drives.

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 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 performed 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 allowed the use of a smartphone instead of a key fob, were also available, though the digital key only worked with Android phones.

The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 came standard with larger display screens, including a 12.3-inch digital driver information display and a 13.4-inch touchscreen with Google built-in. Compatible with Android and Apple devices, the system included three years of complimentary service for Sierra AT4 and Denali trims. The Denali models featured an interactive start-up screen with topographical maps.

The infotainment screen offered a clean display with large icons and was fast and responsive. However, distinguishing between the in-car Google-based navigation and smartphone-projected Google Maps could be confusing. The larger touchscreen allowed for personalization and dual modes, such as displaying navigation and trailering details simultaneously. Wireless device charging was standard, and available options included a 15-inch multicolor head-up display and a 12-speaker Bose premium surround-sound system.

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, Hyundai 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, which combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering.

The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 featured GM’s Super Cruise, a Level 2 semi-autonomous driving system. Super Cruise was intuitive and smooth, handling automatic lane changes and trailering capability. It was standard on the Sierra Denali Ultimate and included 14 camera views for trailering assistance, a GCW Alert feature, and Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert. Adaptive cruise control was also updated for trailering.

GMC Pro Safety, the automaker’s suite of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), included forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane-keep assist, a following distance indicator, and IntelliBeam automatic headlights. The 2022 GMC Sierra received mostly “Good” crash safety ratings from the IIHS but earned a “Marginal” grade in the front-passenger small overlap test and a “Poor” grade for headlights. The NHTSA awarded four out of five stars for crashworthiness to 2WD models, while 4WD variants had not yet been rated.