Top Safety Pick

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz

small pickup / Crew cab pickup

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Small overlap front
Moderate overlap front: original test
Moderate overlap front: updated test
Side: updated test

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Headlights
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0
Standard system
Front crash prevention: pedestrian
Standard system

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Seat belt reminders
LATCH ease of use

Other available safety features

Standard blind spot detection
Standard lane departure warning & prevention
Standard rear automatic braking

Key

Good
Acceptable
Marginal
Poor

Small overlap front

The small overlap front evaluation consists of a driver-side and a passenger-side component. If the results of the two evaluations differ, then the combined small overlap rating is equal to the lower rating.

Driver-side

Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL crew cab 4-door 4wd

The Hyundai Santa Cruz, the first pickup in Hyundai's lineup, was introduced for the 2022 model year.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall driver-side evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury.

The driver's space was maintained well, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEN2106
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	7
Footrest (cm)	4
Left toepan (cm)	3
Brake pedal (cm)	2
Parking brake (cm)
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	2
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column	0
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	6
Upper dash (cm)	5
Lower instrument panel (cm)	4

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEN2106
Head
HIC-15	72
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.9
Extension bending moment (Nm)	16
Maximum Nij	0.17
Chest maximum compression (mm)	23
Femur (kN)
Left	1.3
Right	0.0
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	2
Right	0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.59
Right	0.51
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	1.2
Right	0.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	34
Right	42

Passenger-side

Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz crew cab 4wd

The Hyundai Santa Cruz, the first pickup in Hyundai's lineup, was introduced for the 2022 model year. Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz conducted by Hyundai/Kia.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall passenger-side evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2115
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	9
Footrest (cm)	7
Right toepan (cm)	4
Center toepan (cm)	2
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	5
Upper occupant compartment
Center dash (cm)	2
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	5
Upper dash (cm)	3
Right lower dash (cm)	3

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2115
Head
HIC-15	72
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm)	18
Maximum Nij	0.25
Chest maximum compression (mm)	32
Femur (kN)
Left	0.1
Right	0.5
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	0
Right	0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.30
Right	0.78
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	0.3
Right	0.7
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	30
Right	25

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2115
Head
HIC-15	43
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.7
Extension bending moment (Nm)	8
Maximum Nij	0.18
Chest maximum compression (mm)	23
Femur (kN)
Left	0.1
Right	0.1
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	0
Right	0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.30
Right	0.21
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	0.4
Right	0.6
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	34
Right	29

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE crew cab 4wd

The Hyundai Santa Cruz, the first pickup in Hyundai's lineup, was introduced for the 2022 model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2022 Santa Cruz conducted by Hyundai/Kia.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF2112
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	3
Left (cm)	5
Center (cm)	7
Right (cm)	7
Brake pedal (cm)	8
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	0
Right (cm)	1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	0
Rearward (cm)	-4
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	0

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF2112
Head
HIC-15	150
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.9
Extension bending moment (Nm)	11
Maximum Nij	0.16
Chest maximum compression (mm)	27
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	0.3
Femur force - right (kN)	0.7
Knee displacement - left (mm)	0
Knee displacement - right (mm)	1
Maximum tibia index - left	0.32
Maximum tibia index - right	0.52
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	1.8
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	2.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	53
Right	59

About the original moderate overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: updated test

Rating applies to 2024-25 models built after December 2023

Tested vehicle: 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE 4-door 4wd

The Hyundai Santa Cruz, the first pickup in Hyundai's lineup, was introduced for the 2022 model year. Beginning with 2024 models built after December 2023, rear seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters were implemented to improve occupant protection in moderate overlap crashes. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Thigh/hip
Leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Thigh
Rear passenger restraints and dummy kinematics

View of the vehicle after the crash showing the airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

The rear passenger dummy's head came close to contacting the front seatback, which increases the risk of head injuries.

Rear passenger dummy injury values indicate a low risk of injury to the chest and a moderate risk of injury to the head or neck. During the crash, the shoulder belt moved too far upward toward the dummy’s neck, compromising the effectiveness of the rear restraint system.

The rear passenger dummy's lap belt remained in the ideal position on the pelvis.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF2428
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	6
Left (cm)	9
Center (cm)	10
Right (cm)	10
Brake pedal (cm)	14
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	1
Right (cm)	4
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	3
Rearward (cm)	-3
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	0

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF2428
Head
HIC-15	283
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.7
Extension bending moment (Nm)	20
Maximum Nij	0.23
Chest maximum compression (mm)	21
Femur (kN)
Left	0.2
Right	1.9
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	0
Right	1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.22
Right	0.36
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	1.3
Right	2.2
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	87
Right	55

Test ID	CEF2428
Head
HIC-15 for head contact during forward excursion	no contact
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	2.1
Compression (kN)	0.1
Maximum Nij for head contact during forward excursion	no contact
Chest
Chest index	33
Shoulder belt tension (kN)	4.4
Thigh (kN)
Left femur compression	0.1
Right femur compression	0.2

About the moderate overlap front test

February 2024 adjustment to rating criteria

Side: updated test

Rating applies to 2024-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL crew cab 4wd

The Hyundai Santa Cruz, the first pickup in Hyundai's lineup, was introduced for the 2022 model year. Beginning with 2024 models, improvements were made to the B-pillar and door reinforcements were applied to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes. Side 2.0 ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2024 Santa Cruz conducted by Hyundai/Kia.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis
Rear passenger head protection

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS2401
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-17.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS2401
Head
HIC-15	123
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.1
Compression (kN)	-0.4
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	-22
Lateral force (kN)	1.1
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	36
Average deflection (mm)	31
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	3.21
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.34
Pelvis
Combined force (kN)	4.5

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS2401
Head
HIC-15	70
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.3
Compression (kN)	-0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	21
Lateral force (kN)	0.8
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	32
Average deflection (mm)	26
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	2.22
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.38
Pelvis
Combined force (kN)	4.1

About the side crash test

Headlights

Trim level(s)

All trims

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the sharp left and both right curves and inadequate on the gradual left curve.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual left and both right curves and inadequate on the sharp left curve.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the gradual left curve.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Trim level(s)	All trims
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating Applies to 2023-25 models

LOW BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)	Amount glare exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge	106.7 m	None
Straightaway left edge	60.6 m	None
250m radius right curve, right edge	77.6 m	None
250m radius left curve, right edge	43.6 m	None
150m radius right curve, right edge	67.9 m	None
150m radius left curve, left edge	60.6 m	None

HIGH BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge	173.3 m
Straightaway left edge	176.0 m
250m radius right curve, right edge	85.8 m
250m radius left curve, left edge	78.4 m
150m radius right curve, right edge	69.2 m
150m radius left curve, right edge	44.5 m

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0

Rating applies to all 2023-25 models

System details

standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist

Overall evaluation

Passenger car target

Test run	Speed reduction	Timely warning?
31 mph/target centered	Collision avoided
31 mph/target off-center	Collision avoided
37 mph/target centered	Collision avoided
37 mph/target off-center	Collision avoided
43 mph/target centered	29 mph
43 mph/target off-center	32 mph

Motorcycle target

Test run	Speed reduction	Timely warning?
31 mph/target centered	Collision avoided
31 mph/target off-center	Collision avoided
37 mph/target centered	Collision avoided
37 mph/target off-center	33 mph
43 mph/target centered	29 mph
43 mph/target off-center	26 mph

Semitrailer

Only warning is tested with the semitrailer.

Test run	Timely warning?
31 mph/target centered
37 mph/target centered
43 mph/target centered

About the front crash prevention test

Front crash prevention: pedestrian

Rating applies to all 2024-25 models

System details

standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Includes high-beam assist credit

Crossing child — day

In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

Crossing adult — night

In the 12 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 11 mph when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 25 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 21 mph when using its high beams. When using its low beams, impact speed was reduced by 15 mph.

Parallel adult — night

In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 37 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 33 mph when using its high beams and a warning was issued 1.7 seconds before impact. When using its low beams, impact speed was reduced by 35 mph and a warning was issued 1.7 seconds before impact.

About the pedestrian front crash prevention test

Seat belt reminders

Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Front row
Unbelted occupant alert (audible & visual)
Initiation time
Duration	Long enough (90+ seconds)
Volume
Audio frequency
Second row
Startup status alert (visual)	None

Technical measurements for this test

About the seat belt reminder evaluation

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim	SEL
Seat type	cloth

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.

It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim	SEL
Seat type	cloth

Rating icon	Rating
G	Good
A	Acceptable
M	Marginal
P	Poor
	Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol	Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol	Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol	Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
	No hardware available

Details by seating position

Position	Rating
1
1	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors
2
2	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	none available
3
3	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors

Technical measurements for this test

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	2-4
Force (lbs)	18
Clearance angle (degrees)	74
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	0-2
Force (lbs)	17
Clearance angle (degrees)	84
Tether anchor
Location	Rear deck
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	No
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

Lower anchor A
No lower latch for this seat position
Lower anchor B
No lower latch for this seat position
Tether anchor
Location	Rear deck
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	No
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	0-2
Force (lbs)	14
Clearance angle (degrees)	80
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	2-4
Force (lbs)	15
Clearance angle (degrees)	77
Tether anchor
Location	Rear deck
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	No
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

About the child seat anchor evaluation

Background cabin sound pressure level at 24 km/h	53 dB
Audible signal sound pressure level at 24 km/h	64 dB
Difference between background and signal	10.9 dB
Background cabin sound pressure level at 40 km/h	55 dB
Audible signal sound pressure level at 40 km/h	63 dB
Difference between background and signal	8.1 dB
Dominant audio frequency	552 Hz