Smaller Truck, Not Significant Gas Economy

The arrival of Hyundai’s funky and elegant compact pickup truck is speedily approaching, and we’re eager to get powering the wheel for a examination generate. Just after the all-new 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz broke cover this past spring, the Environmental Safety Agency (EPA) has finally introduced fuel economy estimates for it. So, what variety of mpg can you expect from the minimal Santa Cruz truck?

That is dependent on which of the initially-at any time Hyundai pickup truck’s two engine possibilities you decide on. The regular powerplant is a 2.5-liter I-4 generating a modest 191 hp and 181 lb-ft. For those people customers seeking extra effectiveness from their Santa Cruz, an optional 2.5-liter turbocharged I-4 developing 281 hp and 311 lb-ft is readily available. An eight-speed computerized transmission is coupled with the base motor, while the update comes mated to an eight-velocity twin-clutch computerized. Entrance-wheel push is standard nevertheless, buyers can also opt for the available HTRAC all-wheel-travel process.

Curiously, the foundation-engine (2.5-liter) Santa Cruz with all-wheel push generates the greatest gasoline overall economy in the lineup with an EPA-believed 21/27/23 mpg metropolis/freeway/combined. Picking the entrance-push model provides the exact 21 mpg metropolis and 23 mpg combined, but the highway amount drops by 1 mpg to 26 mpg. (Generally, two-wheel-push variations of new vehicles are additional fuel effective than their all-wheel-drive counterparts, many thanks to reduce bodyweight and less driveline drag.) Normalcy returns to the gasoline economy estimates when it comes to the optional turbocharged engine, which (with all-wheel travel) drops the Santa Cruz’s mpg scores to 19 mpg city and 22 mpg mixed even though retaining the foundation-engine’s 27-mpg highway greatest.

How does the Santa Cruz gasoline financial system measure up to more substantial midsize pickups? It is, unsurprisingly, extra effective than most of its greater alternate options. The leading-offering Toyota Tacoma’s maximum EPA-approximated ranking will come at 20/23/21 mpg town/freeway/mixed, and that’s with rear-wheel travel and an overburdened 2.7-liter 4-cylinder engine. Go for the much more powerful V-6 and 4WD, and individuals figures fall off. The all-wheel-drive-only 2021 Honda Ridgeline and its 3.5-liter V-6 (the only powertrain choice) gets an EPA-rated 18/24/21 mpg. Ford’s Ranger, which also has one motor option, a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, checks in closest to the Hyundai amid fuel-fed trucks at 21/26/23 mpg in rear-drive guise.

The Chevrolet Colorado equipped with its expensive diesel motor choice and rear-wheel drive features improved freeway fuel financial state with its EPA-approximated 30 mpg its 20-mpg metropolis and 23-mpg mixed scores are nonetheless tops between vehicles but match up with the Hyundai. So, to recap, the Santa Cruz presents far better gas overall economy than the Tacoma and Ridgeline, the Ranger is in the exact same ballpark, and the diesel Colorado beats it on the freeway. Zoom additional out, and the Santa Cruz’s 22-23 mpg put together is sound, if crushed by a number of (substantially larger) whole-dimension rigs this kind of as the Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid (25 mpg), as properly as the diesel-fed Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra (26-27 mpg). Did we assume much better? Probably, supplied the Hyundai’s smaller dimensions and smaller engines.