| The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz and the Ford Maverick are debuting soon. Which subcompact truck will win the battle for sales supremacy? The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz and the Ford Maverick are debuting soon. Which subcompact truck will win the battle for sales supremacy? |
| Shopping for a subcompact truck? The Ford Maverick, with its standard hybrid engine, is sure to be a popular option. But don’t sleep on Hyundai’s sporty entry in the small truck game. |
The Ford Maverick, with its standard hybrid engine, won’t be the sole small truck to debut this year. Hyundai is hot on their heels with their much-anticipated Santa Cruz. This should make for a fun sales showdown.
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The all-new 2022 Santa Cruz—even without the option for a hybrid engine—is sure be a formidable foe of the Ford Maverick.
Hyundai’s maiden voyage into the subcompact truck game won’t be a hindrance. As this is something Hyundai began workshopping many years ago.
As far back as 2015, Hyundai was toying with the idea of a truck offering to complement its strong stateside sedan sales. The sporty 2022 Santa Cruz is the benefactor of those years of planning and testing.
Ford Maverick
Rumors of Ford producing a new subcompact pickup truck trace back to 2019. All we knew then was that this new truck would build on Ford’s C2 platform. The C2 base is also used in Ford’s popular Escape, as well as the new Ford Bronco Sport.
Not long ago, Ford made public the base-level buy-in price for its new Ford Maverick. At $19,995, it’s now clear that Ford’s new subcompact truck has its eyes set on countering Hyundai’s Santa Cruz.
Pricing isn’t yet available for the Santa Cruz, but Ford’s starting price is likely to win out.
So which one is better?
As is always the case with the answers to subjective questions: it depends.
Will the Ford truck faithful’s curiosity be piqued by a subcompact truck?
Not likely.
The Ford Maverick is here to broaden Ford fan’s horizons by going after the subcompact car crowd. Those that want a small vehicle that can hold more of their toys are tops on the list.
On the flip side, Hyundai knows that a subcompact truck isn’t going to register on Ford truck fans’ radar.
So why bother?
Well, Hyundai is savvy enough to realize that in this market, there’s room for competition. Particularly for those seeking more utility from their subcompacts. This is Hyundai’s wheelhouse.
If you’re a Ford fan that’s open to a small truck, then you’ll love the Ford Maverick. It has all the things that helped grow its rabid fanbase in one small package—plus a standard hybrid engine.
| Truck | Price | Engine | MPG | Drivetrain | The Good | The Bad |
| Santa Cruz | $25,175 | 2.5L 4-Cyl | 21/27 | FWD/AWD | Sporty look | Base engine power lacking |
| Maverick | $19,995 | Hybrid | 41 | FWD/AWD | Gas mileage | Tow capacity low for a Ford |
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