2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz: Lakeland Buyers Guide

Why a truck buyer ends up on the Hyundai side of the lot

Lakeland Automall is one of the few places in Central Florida where a shopper can walk out of a Ford showroom still holding a brochure for a compact truck and walk straight into a Hyundai showroom holding a different one — without moving the car. That matters here specifically, because Ford's own unibody compact pickup shares a driveway with the Santa Cruz, and the two trucks answer a nearly identical question: does a household actually need a full-size bed and a body-on-frame chassis, or would a car-based truck cover the job with better manners on the daily commute? Sales staff on this lot field that exact comparison more than almost anywhere else, because they're the ones showing both trucks.

The Santa Cruz's answer leans toward comfort. It shares its underpinnings with the Tucson, so the ride height, the cabin materials, and the way it threads through a parking garage all feel like a crossover right up until the tailgate drops. A sheet-molded composite bed liner, heavy-duty cargo D-rings, and lockable sidewall storage come standard at every trim, and the bed runs 52.1 inches long with 42.7 inches between the wheelwells — enough for a stack of moving boxes or a load of storm-prep plywood to sit flat without hanging over the rails.

Two engines, two very different jobs

SE, SEL, and the new SEL Activity all run the same 191-horsepower 2.5-liter four — the one most buyers on this lot end up choosing, front-wheel drive by default with HTRAC all-wheel drive available as an option. XRT and Limited trade up to a 281-horsepower turbocharged version of that engine with all-wheel drive built in, and towing capacity that climbs to 5,000 pounds. The turbo's biggest change for 2026 isn't the number on the spec sheet, though: Hyundai swapped the old dual-clutch automatic for a conventional 8-speed, which smooths out exactly the low-speed hesitation that owners of prior-year XRT and Limited models used to complain about. It's a real mechanical fix, not a marketing line.

One trap worth flagging before comparing this lineup to the Ford truck parked across the lot: adaptive cruise control, Highway Driving Assist, and Hyundai's full Smart Cruise Control suite are standard only on XRT and Limited here — SE, SEL, and SEL Activity do not get them, even as options. A shopper who assumes every modern truck ships with adaptive cruise should confirm the specific trim before deciding.

Pick your 2026 Santa Cruz

What Lakeland Automall's own reviews say

Lakeland Automall's Google profile runs into the thousands of reviews across all three of its franchises, and the Santa Cruz shows up in that record on its own, not folded into generic truck feedback. Ray Provencal wrote about buying one from Justin Weeks: "We recently purchased a Hyundai Santa Cruz from Justin Weeks. What a pleasure it was working with Justin. He was pleasant, knowledgeable, and courteous. He made sure we got the right deal and also made sure the delivery was uneventful. Justin even made sure that our tire pressure was adjusted before we took delivery because the temperature had dropped overnight. Now that's going above and beyond." Cesar Camacho's review covers a similar experience with a different consultant: "Tim Brester was my salesman and he was amazing! Super helpful, insightful, and made sure I got the truck I wanted (2023 Santa Cruz). I would definitely recommend this dealership and Tim, for your next car purchase!"

Tim Brester is listed on Lakeland Automall's current staff directory for anyone who wants to request him directly; dealership rosters shift over time, so it's worth checking that page before a visit either way.

Owning one on this side of I-4

A truck bed that sits under the Central Florida sun most of the day, then gets a real workload the same afternoon, ages differently than a garage-kept sedan, and the service & repair guide below covers the maintenance rhythm that actually fits it, along with what changed in Hyundai's coverage for the 2026 model year. What one of these actually costs to drive off this specific lot — Florida's state and county tax included — lives in the pricing & leasing guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Hyundai Santa Cruz basically the same as a Ford Maverick?

Not the same truck, but the same idea: both are unibody, car-based compact pickups built for buyers who want truck utility without a full-size chassis. Since Lakeland Automall carries Ford's compact pickup alongside the Santa Cruz on one lot, it's genuinely easy to compare the two back to back in person — cabin materials, bed dimensions, and ride quality differ enough that most buyers land on one or the other after sitting in both, rather than from a spec sheet alone.

Is Hyundai discontinuing the Santa Cruz?

Not for 2026 — it's a current, fully in-production Hyundai with a live configurator on the manufacturer's site and a brand-new SEL Activity trim added this model year. Multiple industry outlets have reported that this generation is expected to wind down after 2026 or early 2027 as Hyundai develops a larger, body-on-frame truck to follow it. For a 2026 buyer, the practical takeaway is that this is likely the final run of this specific truck, still backed by Hyundai's full 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty regardless.

Does every Santa Cruz trim have all-wheel drive?

No. FWD is standard on SE, SEL, and SEL Activity, with HTRAC AWD available as an option on those three. XRT and Limited come with AWD standard, no FWD option.

How many miles per gallon does a Santa Cruz get?

The gas engine on SE, SEL, and SEL Activity is EPA-rated 22 city / 30 highway / 25 combined with FWD (21/29/24 with AWD). The turbocharged XRT and Limited, both standard AWD, land at 18/25/20.

One truck, five ways to spec it, three showrooms to compare it against

The trim guides above break down the equipment differences in detail, but the fastest way to decide between a gas SE and a turbocharged XRT — or between a Santa Cruz and whatever's parked in the Ford building — is still sitting in both. The full Santa Cruz lineup is on the ground at Lakeland Automall on West Memorial Boulevard, alongside certified pre-owned trucks and SUVs across all three of the dealership's franchises.