The Hyundai Santa Cruz is Ford Maverick’s nemesis in the not-so-populated compact pickup truck segment of the market. Should you have a hard time deciding which one to choose, watch this video by The Fast Lane Truck.
Not long ago, the YouTuber torture-tested the Maverick driving it laden with logs on uneven terrain. He was unable to find wood to put on the Santa Cruz this time around, so he decided to transport a roll of hay instead.
Now, you may be thinking: no way is this comparison legitimate, the hay is nowhere near as heavy! If so, you will be surprised to learn that a single roll of alfalfa shown here weighs in at 900 pounds, or around 410 kilograms. Add two people in the car and some goat feed in the bed, and will realize that the Korean pickup had a loaded weight of around 5,500 pounds (2.5 metric tons), not that far from its maximum allowed gross weight of 5,750 lbs (2.6 metric tons).
Despite this, the Santa Cruz managed the task with visible ease and exerted plenty of torque climbing a steep hill from the field center. Furthermore, its Hill Descend Assist feature also came in handy, keeping it stable and moving smoothly over the uneven terrain.