2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz vs 2023 GMC Canyon

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
$24,440MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2023 GMC Canyon
2023 GMC Canyon
$36,900MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
$24,440MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2023 GMC Canyon
$36,900MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
Overview

MSRP

$24,440

MSRP

$36,900

Average price

$36,508

Average price

$53,909

Listings

58

Listings

30
Ratings & Reviews
User Reviews
User Reviews

Expert reviews

8.0 out of 10

Expert reviews

7.3 out of 10
Pros
  • Powerful engine
  • Comfortable
  • Impressive technology
Cons
  • Advanced safety features are not standard
  • Poor value for money
  • Fewer available configurations than before

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Reviews Summary

Being a newbie in a given field means having to catch up to established leaders, but it can also bring a different perspective. Hyundai has never sold a pickup truck in the United States, and its first effort is unlike anything else on the market.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is the first truly compact pickup to be sold in the U.S. in over a decade, and unlike conventional body-on-frame pickups, it features car-like unibody construction. This packaging sacrifices some capability, but that’s beside the point. Hyundai didn’t design the Santa Cruz to compete directly with conventional trucks. It doesn’t even call the Santa Cruz a pickup; it prefers the term “sport adventure vehicle.”

While it may win over some truck buyers who want a pickup that’s easier to park, the new Santa Cruz will appeal mainly to new-car buyers who want to replace a sedan or crossover SUV with something a bit more rugged.

To figure out where the Santa Cruz fits into the current automotive landscape, we spent a day driving it around on roads in and around its namesake California city. The test units were in U.S. specification. In Canada, Hyundai also offers Preferred, Preferred with the Trend Package, and Ultimate trim levels. We sampled the U.S. equivalent of the range-topping Santa Cruz Ultimate model for this test drive.

2023 GMC Canyon Reviews Summary

2023 marks the third generation of GMC's midsize pickup truck. The first-generation Canyon arrived for the 2004 model year as a replacement for the compact GMC Sonoma, and after a short hiatus a second-generation Canyon was introduced as a 2015 model. Throughout, the Canyon has been a twin of the Chevrolet Colorado, with only a few differences to distinguish the ostensibly upscale GMC from its working-class sibling. That changes for 2023.

The new Canyon is once again based on the Colorado, sharing the Chevy's body-on-frame platform, powertrain, and tech features. This time around, though, the Canyon is further distinguished from the Colorado by skipping some of the Chevy's entry-level features. That will raise the out-the-door price of a 2023 Canyon, but it's in keeping with the truck's positioning above the Colorado.

The Canyon is once again available in the base Elevation, luxury Denali, and off-road-oriented AT4 grades familiar to owners of the outgoing model. For 2023, GMC also adds a Canyon AT4X model that dials up the off-road capability. We drove it, as well as the Elevation and AT4 models, to see if this redesign is really an improvement.

No video found
Popular Features & Specs

Engine

2.5L 191 hp I4

Engine

2.7L 310 hp I4

Drive Train

FWD

Drive Train

4X2

Seating Capacity

5

Seating Capacity

5

Horsepower

191 hp @ 6100 rpm

Horsepower

310 hp @ 5600 rpm

MPG City

21

MPG City

18

MPG Highway

26

MPG Highway

23
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
$24,440MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2023 GMC Canyon
2023 GMC Canyon
$36,900MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
$24,440MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
2023 GMC Canyon
$36,900MSRP
Overview
Overview
OverviewShop Now
Overview
MSRP
$24,440
$36,900
Average price
$36,508
$53,909
Listings
Ratings & Reviews
User reviews
4.6
4.8
Expert reviews

8.0 out of 10

Read full review

7.3 out of 10

Read full review
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Powerful engine
  • Comfortable
  • Impressive technology
Cons
  • Advanced safety features are not standard
  • Poor value for money
  • Fewer available configurations than before
Summary

Being a newbie in a given field means having to catch up to established leaders, but it can also bring a different perspective. Hyundai has never sold a pickup truck in the United States, and its first effort is unlike anything else on the market.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is the first truly compact pickup to be sold in the U.S. in over a decade, and unlike conventional body-on-frame pickups, it features car-like unibody construction. This packaging sacrifices some capability, but that’s beside the point. Hyundai didn’t design the Santa Cruz to compete directly with conventional trucks. It doesn’t even call the Santa Cruz a pickup; it prefers the term “sport adventure vehicle.”

While it may win over some truck buyers who want a pickup that’s easier to park, the new Santa Cruz will appeal mainly to new-car buyers who want to replace a sedan or crossover SUV with something a bit more rugged.

To figure out where the Santa Cruz fits into the current automotive landscape, we spent a day driving it around on roads in and around its namesake California city. The test units were in U.S. specification. In Canada, Hyundai also offers Preferred, Preferred with the Trend Package, and Ultimate trim levels. We sampled the U.S. equivalent of the range-topping Santa Cruz Ultimate model for this test drive.

2023 marks the third generation of GMC's midsize pickup truck. The first-generation Canyon arrived for the 2004 model year as a replacement for the compact GMC Sonoma, and after a short hiatus a second-generation Canyon was introduced as a 2015 model. Throughout, the Canyon has been a twin of the Chevrolet Colorado, with only a few differences to distinguish the ostensibly upscale GMC from its working-class sibling. That changes for 2023.

The new Canyon is once again based on the Colorado, sharing the Chevy's body-on-frame platform, powertrain, and tech features. This time around, though, the Canyon is further distinguished from the Colorado by skipping some of the Chevy's entry-level features. That will raise the out-the-door price of a 2023 Canyon, but it's in keeping with the truck's positioning above the Colorado.

The Canyon is once again available in the base Elevation, luxury Denali, and off-road-oriented AT4 grades familiar to owners of the outgoing model. For 2023, GMC also adds a Canyon AT4X model that dials up the off-road capability. We drove it, as well as the Elevation and AT4 models, to see if this redesign is really an improvement.

Video
No video found
Popular Features & Specs
Engine
2.5L 191 hp I4
2.7L 310 hp I4
Drive Train
FWD
4X2
Seating Capacity
5
5
Horsepower
191 hp @ 6100 rpm
310 hp @ 5600 rpm
MPG City
21
18
MPG Highway
26
23
CarGurus logo

By: CarGurus + AI

At CarGurus, our team of experienced automotive writers remain at the heart of our content operation, conducting hands-on car tests and writing insightful guides that are backed by years of industry experience. To complement this, we are harnessing AI to make our content offering more diverse and more helpful to shoppers than ever. To achieve this, our AI systems are based exclusively on CarGurus content, ratings and data, so that what we produce is both unique to CarGurus, and uniquely helpful to car shoppers.

Popular vehicle comparisons

Similar Comparisons

Similar Comparisons by Year