In this comparison, we take a closer look at the 2024 Ford Maverick and 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz to help make your shopping experience more informed and the decision to buy as easy as pie.
Key Takeaways
- The 2024 Ford Maverick is Ford’s smallest and most highly ranked compact pickup truck and was first introduced to the market in June 2021 and released in 2022.
- The 2024 Ford Maverick has a variety of engines, trim options, and the 4K Tow Package so you can select the proper setup for your compact pickup truck.
- The 2024 Ford Maverick compact pickup truck packs enough power under the hood to stand out as a versatile off-road capable but compact pickup truck with a max towing capacity of up to 4,000 pounds.
Introduction
Two compact pickup trucks topped the competition and are still making waves in 2024: the 2024 Ford Maverick and the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Kelley Blue Book awarded the 2024 Ford Maverick its Best Buy Award in the compact truck category, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz its Top Safety Pick.
These two standouts deserve a closer look at why critics distinguish these compact pickup trucks with their highest honors and awards.
Updates and Upgrades: 2024 Ford Maverick vs 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The 2024 Ford Maverick, Ford’s smallest truck, was first introduced to the market under this name in 2021 and launched for its model release in 2022, making the Maverick and the Santa Cruz compact pickup trucks in their first production for both major manufacturers.
After two years in production, the standard Ford Maverick powertrain is no longer a hybrid. The 2024 Ford Maverick has a 2.0L EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, 8-speed automatic transmission, and four-wheel drive (FWD). The 2.5L Hybrid is optional, and the same goes for the all-wheel drive (AWD); it is only available with the 2.5L FHEV Hybrid engine.
Like the Ford Maverick, the Hyundai Santa Cruz was also introduced to the public in June 2021 and launched in 2022. Hyundai has taken a note from its Palisade model lineup and applied the same format to the 2024 Santa Cruz model lineup, replacing the SEL Premium trim with the XRT.
LED headlights and haptic feedback in the steering wheel, which enhances the driver alert system features, are now standard on the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz models.
Power and Performance: 2024 Ford Maverick vs 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The 2024 Ford Maverick can reach 60 MPH in 5.9 seconds, making this compact pickup truck swift and reliable. Ford offers a variety of engines and an 8-speed automatic transmission, so your compact truck does not have to lack power for fairly tough jobs.
The 2024 Ford Maverick's maximum towing capacity is 4,000 pounds with the optional 4K Tow Package, which includes a trailer hitch receiver with a 7-pin connector.
The 2024 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz is built to cover almost any type of road and terrain, just like Ford trucks. The 2024 Santa Cruz is powered by a 2.5L four-cylinder engine with 191 horsepower (SE and SEL). The Night, XRT, and Limited trim levels have a 2.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine churning out 281 horsepower (HP).
Although the Ford Maverick offers a great deal of towing capacity and payload capability, the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz's maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds makes this compact crossover pickup truck edge out the competition in this category.
Under the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz's hood is the 2.5L turbocharged GDI 4-cylinder engine producing 281 HP, the same HP as the 2024 Ford Maverick. The Santa Cruz averages an estimated combined 22 MPG, 19 MPG city, and 27 MPG highway.
Comfort, Cargo, and Technology: 2024 Ford Maverick vs 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz
If you’re into luxury, then the 2024 Ford Maverick LARIAT with the ActiveX high-end synthetic seating material, heated, power adjustable driver’s seat, and leather-wrapped steering wheeling is the trim level for you.
Go dark with the Black Appearance Package, available on the XLT and LARIAT models. In this luxurious package, black accents appear from the front end to the rear, and inside your cabin, there are black onyx seats with matching seat trim.
The cargo bed is 54.4 inches long and 53.3 inches wide, and it includes six tie-downs so that you can travel confidently with your cargo and gear. The bed has a 10V power outlet with one outlet also found inside the cabin to ensure your devices are charged with full battery while you’re working and exploring.
The Ford Co-Pilot360 driver assist features, including Lane-Keeping Assist, Adaptive Steering Assist, and Hill-Descent Control, keep you and your passengers safe on the way to your destination.
The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz is also comfortable and spacious, with a truckload of technology. What’s unique about the Hyundai Santa Cruz’s cargo bed is that it has side and sealed underfloor bin storage with a drain and a lockable tonneau cover. Like the Ford Maverick, the cargo bed includes a power outlet and plenty of space for gear and equipment but is slightly shorter at 4.3 feet.
Inside the 2024 Santa Cruz cabin, you will find comfort and style. There is plenty of legroom, and it can seat up to five passengers.
Like the Ford Maverick, the Santa Cruz incorporates SmartSense driver-assist features, which are technology-driven systems and alerts that ensure a safer ride for you and your passengers.
Push the Envelope of Style and Performance in the 2024 Ford Maverick
The road is long and hard, but not in your Ford compact pickup truck, which you bought at Jarrett Scott Ford in Plant City. Here at Jarrett Scott Ford, we understand that buying the pickup truck that works for you and keeps up with your active lifestyle is part of the buying experience. We are happy to highlight the reasons why the 2024 Ford Maverick is an award-winning compact pickup truck.
Don’t let this heat keep you inside when the hottest deals are at Jarrett Scott Ford in Plant City, Florida. Stop in today and test drive our best inventory of compact pickup truck models from the 2024 Ford Maverick lineup.