By Hyundai’s pickup has finally arrived and according to most reviews, it has definitely met the expectations. It offers a nice combination of pickup’s versatility and crossovers ride quality. If we add a quite competitive price tag to this, there is no doubt that the new Santa Cruz has a big chance for commercial success. However, the Korean manufacturer won’t stop on that. If we can trust the latest reports, the company also prepares a performance version of the pickup, which would come as the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz N.
The officials are still quiet on this one, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make some predictions. We believe that this version, if it arrives, would bring several mechanical upgrades, starting from a new suspension setup, bigger brakes etc. Also, we would expect to see a couple of styling upgrades, which would provide a more aggressive look that suits a performance version. On the other hand, we wouldn’t expect to see upgrades under the hood.
At this point, it’s still early to talk about the launch date but we believe the new version could arrive sometime in the second half of the next year.
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz N Design
As we’ve just mentioned, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz N would come with a couple of upgrades over the standard version. While the overall layout would remain the same, we would definitely expect to see novelties regarding chassis and suspension setup. The most important thing would be a new suspension, with new dampers and other components, which would get this pickup closer to the ground and offers a little bit stiffer ride, which would result in less body roll and more engaging handling. Also, we would expect to see upgraded brakes.
Besides mechanical upgrades, we would also expect to see a couple of styling changes. This refers to things like upgraded front fascia, more aggressive bumpers, new wheels and similar things that would accentuate the model’s performance character.
Interior
A few upgrades would be expected on the inside as well. This refers to things like unique color schemes, contrast stitching etc. Also, as we are talking about possibly the most expensive version of the pickup, there is no doubt it would come with a long list of standard equipment. For example, we are pretty sure that things like a 10.2-inch touch screen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster, navigation, satellite radio, an eight-speaker stereo and wireless device charging would be added to the list of standard equipment, as well as goodies like dual-zone automatic climate control, a digital key, push-button start, remote start, a sunroof, and ambient lighting.
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz N Engine
Despite various upgrades, we probably wouldn’t see such a thing under the hood. Instead, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz N would probably come equipped with the optional 2.5-liter turbo-four, which already has everything a performance truck of this size needs. It features a max output of 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque and also comes with a dual-clutch transmission. All-wheel drive would be standard, as well as steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
When it comes to fuel economy, we expect that the 2023 Santa Cruz N would be good for about 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz N Release Date and Price
The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz N could arrive already in the second half of the next year. However, the officials are still quiet on this matter, so take this with a big reserve. If it arrives one day, we estimate that the starting price would go around 45.000 dollars.
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