Tag: Videos

Preview: 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz compact pickup priced from $25,175

If you can’t beat ’em, build pickup trucks to join ’em. That’s what Hyundai has done with its new 2022 Santa Cruz which was revealed in April and now on sale with a starting price of $25,175, including destination.

Hyundai first previewed the compact pickup in 2015, when it rolled out a concept of the same name, and for a while it wasn’t certain the concept would make the transition to production. Given the strong interest in pickup trucks, both as a workhorse and lifestyle vehicle, Hyundai has likely made the right decision.

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The Santa Cruz is 195.7 inches long, making it between 15 and 20 inches shorter than popular mid-size pickups. This results in a much smaller bed; it measures about 50 inches long, which means you aren’t going to fit much construction gear here. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as Hyundai said at the reveal of the Santa Cruz concept that the vehicle isn’t an alternative to traditional pickup trucks, as it doesn’t prioritize towing, payload, or ground clearance. Rather, Hyundai said it wants to appeal to crossover buyers who want the extra utility of a bed without having to opt for a bigger, body-on-frame truck.

The advantage is that the Santa Cruz will be easy to maneuver around town. It should also drive more like a car due to its unibody construction. Honda does the same for the larger Ridgeline pickup which is related to the Pilot crossover, and Ford also has also just revealed its own compact, car-based pickup in the form of the 2022 Maverick. The Maverick is the Santa Cruz’s closest rival, and is priced to start from just $21,490, including destination.

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The Santa Cruz is offered with two powertrain options. The base option is a 2.5-liter inline-4 that delivers over 190 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque, and is hooked to an 8-speed automatic. Above this is a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 that delivers over 275 hp and 310 lb-ft, and is hooked to an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The turbocharged engine is an extra $11,690, but you get a lot of extras thrown in including all-wheel drive which is a $1,500 option on the base model. The all-wheel-drive system features a rear bias whenever the Sport mode is activated. Hyundai quotes 3,500 pounds of towing for the naturally aspirated engine and 5,000 for the turbo.

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The exterior of the Santa Cruz looks rugged, which pickup buyers tend to appreciate. One interesting element is the design of the headlights. Each headlight cluster is made up of multiple smaller units integrated with the grille. For the interior, the designers have focused on practicality. There are plenty of storage cubbies, including under the rear seats, and buyers are able to opt for premium touches like a Bose sound system and 10-inch digital instrument cluster. A 10-inch infotainment screen in the center stack is standard.

Production of the Santa Cruz is being handled at Hyundai’s plant in Montgomery, Alabama. The plant is where the Elantra, Sonata, Santa Fe and redesigned 2022 Tucson are bolted together, with the Tucson the closest to the Santa Cruz. Hyundai spent $410 million in preparing the plant for production of the compact pickup. Around 200 direct jobs will be created plus an estimated 1,000 at suppliers and related logistics companies.

2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

Hyundai has seen its sales in the U.S. slide since a high of 768,057 units in 2016 due to a sedan-heavy lineup and the lack of a pickup. The tally in 2020 was 622,269 units. The automaker is turning the ship around with new additions like the Kona, Palisade and Venue crossovers, and now the Santa Cruz pickup.

For more on the Santa Cruz, head to The Car Connection.

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July 13, 2021
2024 Volkswagen ID Buzz spy shots and video: Modern electric Bus takes shape

Volkswagen’s electric successor to the iconic Microbus, which was previewed by 2017’s ID Buzz concept vehicle, has been spotted testing in prototype form (earlier shots showed a test mule).

The prototypes are barely disguised, but some finer details like the lights are camouflaged by stickers. There are also fake elements attached to the front to hide the true design of the vehicle’s face.

Some of our spy shots also show a T6-generation VW Transporter/Multivan. We can see that the ID Buzz is wider and lower than the T6 van. It’s hard to compare the wheelbase, but we know the ID Buzz will have two wheelbase options, with the United States expected to receive the longer version as standard.

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We also know that both passenger and commercial versions are planned, the latter previewed by 2018’s ID Buzz Cargo concept. The U.S. is only expected to receive the passenger version, however.

The final design should resemble the design shown in a teaser sketch of a self-driving ID Buzz (shown below) that’s slated to enter a commercial taxi service in 2025. The service will be run by Volkswagen Group’s Moia mobility division using a self-driving system developed by Argo AI, which VW Group is a major shareholder of.

The ID Buzz, which will likely be called something along the lines of ID.7 or ID.8 in production guise, is due to start sales in Europe in 2022. It won’t reach the United States until 2023, meaning it will likely arrive as a 2024 model. That’s a year later than originally promised.

Volkswagen ID.Buzz AD self-driving car prototype

VW has hinted at a modern Bus for years. In fact, the automaker rolled out the first concept for one as far back as 2001. Now production is finally happening. The production will be handled at a VW Group plant in Hanover, Germany, which is being upgraded to handle electric vehicles. The plant is where VW currently builds its T-series van, the true successor to the Microbus.

The T-series in June spawned the new T7 generation in passenger-oriented Multivan guise. The T7 van, which is based on VW Group’s MQB platform, will be sold alongside the ID Buzz. The ID Buzz rides on VW Group’s MEB battery-electric platform.

Look for a base model with around 201 hp and rear-wheel drive. Above this should sit a 302-hp model with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. The biggest battery option should offer close to 300 miles of range.

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July 9, 2021
Jay Leno drives a 1957 Chevrolet Step Van with a unique story

When choosing cars for his “Jay Leno’s Garage” YouTube show, Jay Leno sometimes pulls from his own collection, or gets pitched by owners and manufacturers. Sometimes, though, he stops owners on the street, which is how this 1957 Chevrolet Step Van got on the show.

The van was built by Diosely Pino, who emigrated from Cuba about five years ago, taking a Greyhound bus cross country to reach Los Angeles, where he now resides. It now serves as a work vehicle for his restoration shop. Pino gained experience working on old cars in Cuba, where 1950s American cars never died, and turned that into a business.

Before it could be put to work, the Chevy van required some restoration work of its own. Rusted bodywork was repaired and repainted with the current fake police livery in between customer jobs, Pino explained. He also added a police light and siren, and the front emblem from a 1959 Chevy Apache pickup truck. Crystal doorknobs serve as a budget replacement for the original (missing) sliding-door handles.

The Cuban Style 1957 Chevrolet Step Van on Jay Leno’s Garage

He kept the stock inline-6 engine and 4-speed manual transmission, adding shelves and drawers in the back to keep tools and parts (and the odd firearm) organized.

While he did put his Instagram handle (@The_Cuban_Style_88) on the side, Pino said he doesn’t want the van to serve as a rolling billboard for his shop. He’s currently a one-man operation, and already has lots of work, he explained.

Watch the video to hear the rest of Pino’s story, and to see his van cruising around the streets of L.A.

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June 27, 2021