If you’re searching for a great compact pickup, the Hyundai Santa Cruz is an excellent choice. The Santa Cruz was Hyundai’s first 4-door pickup sold in North America and has won numerous awards. But what is the towing capacity of a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz?
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz has a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds.
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz tow capacity can vary based on a few different factors such as engine size, drivetrain, trim level, and others which we’ll cover in this guide.
How Much Can The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Tow?
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds.
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz tow capacity is affected by other factors like engine type, drivetrain, the weight of cargo and passengers, and whether your vehicle has a towing package equipped or not.
You can always reach out to your local Hyundai dealership for details to confirm how much your Santa Cruz can tow.
You can also read our guide on what makes a vehicle towing capacity to learn all the aspects that go into it.
2025 Santa Cruz Towing Capacity By Trim Level
There are many trim levels for the 2025 Santa Cruz. Some engines and features are not available on certain configurations, so they can each have different max towing limits.
Here’s the max tow capacity broken down for each package on the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz:
| 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Trim Level | Towing Capacity |
| 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE | 3,500 lbs / 1,587 kg |
| 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL | 3,500 lbs / 1,587 kg |
| 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Night | 5,000 lbs / 2,268 kg |
| 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT | 5,000 lbs / 2,268 kg |
| 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited | 5,000 lbs / 2,268 kg |
- The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE towing capacity is 3,500 pounds.
- The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz SEL towing capacity is 3,500 pounds.
- The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Night towing capacity is 5,000 pounds.
- The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT towing capacity is 5,000 pounds.
- The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited towing capacity is 5,000 pounds.
Towing Capacity By Engine Size & Drivetrain
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Engine Towing Specs
There are two engine options for the 2025 Santa Cruz which are a 2.5L 4 Cylinder engine that produces 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, and a 2.5L Turbocharged 4 Cylinder engine that produces 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz 2.5L 4 Cylinder Engine Towing Capacity: 3,500 pounds
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz 2.5L Turbo 4 Cylinder Engine Towing Capacity: 5,000 pounds
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Drivetrain Towing Specs
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz comes standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive optional on most trims.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz FWD Towing Capacity: 3,500 pounds
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz AWD Towing Capacity: 5,000 pounds
Note that these are the max towing limits for each 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz configuration. Your Hyundai Santa Cruz may have a lower towing capacity based on the drivetrain, axle ratio, and if your vehicle has a towing package installed.
Hyundai Santa Cruz Tow Package Info
Does The Hyundai Santa Cruz Have A Tow Package?
Hyundai offers a towing package for the 2025 Santa Cruz which adds the following options:
- Transmission Oil Cooler
- Upgraded Radiator
- Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
Can You Install A Trailer Hitch On a Hyundai Santa Cruz?
If you plan on towing anything with your Hyundai Santa Cruz, you’ll need a tow hitch and wiring harness.
Depending on what you’re towing, you’re going to need a ball mount (aka a trailer ball hitch) so you can attach items for towing.
Make sure to get the right trailer ball size that matches your hitch and trailer.
Hyundai Santa Cruz Tow Hitch
Trailer hitches come in different hitch classes, which are rated for different vehicle sizes and weight limits.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz uses a Class 2 or Class 3 hitch.
Here’s a great option for a Class III 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz trailer hitch:
- CUSTOM DESIGNS: Draw-Tite Class 3 trailer hitch tow packages are custom built according to manufacturer specifications to ensure a perfect fit.
- MAXIMUM STRENGTH: Made of solid, all-welded steel for maximum strength and safety, each hitch is put through rigorous fatigue and stress testing to withstand road abuse. Protected by a two-part black powder coat finish to resist rust and corrosion.
- TESTED: Draw-Tite tow hitch receivers are tested to meet and exceed V-5 and SAE J684 standards.
- CAPACITY: Tow hitch package ratfor up to 5,000 lbs. GTW and up to 750 lbs. TW. NOT suitable for use with Weight Distribution systems.
- VEHICLE FIT: 2022-2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz.
Here’s a great ball mount option so you can hook up different types of trailers for towing with your Santa Cruz:
- DEPENDABLE STRENGTH. This ball hitch is constructed from high-strength steel and is rated to tow up to 7,500 pounds gross trailer weight and 750 pounds tongue weight (limited to lowest-rated towing component)
- VERSATILE USE. This trailer hitch ball mount comes with a 2-inch x 2-inch shank to fit virtually any industry-standard 2-inch receiver. The ball mount also has a 2-inch drop and 3/4-inch rise to promote level towing
- READY TO TOW. Hitching up your trailer is easy with this 2-inch ball mount. It features a 1-inch hole to accept a trailer hitch ball with a 1-inch diameter shank (trailer ball sold separately)
- CORROSION-RESISTANT. For long-lasting use, this ball hitch is protected with a durable black powder coat finish, easily resisting damage from rain, dirt, snow, road salt and other corrosive threats
- EASY TO INSTALL. To install this class 3 hitch ball mount on your vehicle, simply insert the shank into your vehicle's 2-inch hitch receiver. The rounded shank makes installation easy. Then, secure the shank in place with a hitch pin (sold separately)
Hyundai Santa Cruz Trailer Hitch Installation
Always follow the manufacturer’s directions and use proper safety precautions.
Here’s a great video walkthrough on a Hyundai Santa Cruz trailer hitch installation:
Hyundai Santa Cruz Trailer Hitch Installation Cost
If you’re considering having a tow hitch added to your Santa Cruz, expect to pay between $100 and $200 to have a tow package professionally installed (excluding the cost of the tow hitch and wiring harness).
If you’re handy and looking to save money, you can install the trailer hitch and wiring harness yourself.
Does My Hyundai Santa Cruz Have A Tow Hitch?
You can start by looking under the rear bumper of your Santa Cruz to see if you notice a trailer hitch or trailer ball.
That will give you a good indication of if you have a tow hitch already installed on your Santa Cruz.
Another way to research this is by checking the paperwork that came with your vehicle or taking it to a local dealer to see what’s installed.
Make sure to have your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) handy if you call the dealer so they can look up the exact specs and whether or not your Santa Cruz has any towing packages or features installed on it.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Payload Capacity
The maximum payload capacity of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz is 1,411 pounds.
This means that the 2025 Santa Cruz can carry up to 1,411 pounds worth of passenger and cargo weight in the vehicle, which makes it great for road trips and hauling heavier items.
Note that the max payload capacity of your 2025 Santa Cruz will vary based on factors like the engine type, drivetrain and whether or not a towing package that includes other features like an engine oil cooler or transmission oil cooler is installed.
You can always contact your local dealership for extra details if you’re unsure of your vehicle’s payload capability.
Additional 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Towing Information
Below are some important things Hyundai mentions that you should closely follow when towing anything with your Santa Cruz:
- Consider using a trailer hitch that incorporates sway control through the use of anti-sway bars.
- Do not tow anything with your vehicle during its first 1,200 miles (2,000 km) in order to allow the engine to properly break in. Doing so may result in serious engine or transmission damage.
- Always drive your vehicle at a moderate speed (less than 60 mph (100 km/h)) or posted towing speed limit.
- On long uphill grades, do not exceed 45 mph (70 km/h) or the posted towing speed limit, whichever is lower.
- Never exceed the specified towing capacity for your vehicle and it’s configuration.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Towing Capacity Vs Competitors
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz has a maximum tow rating of 5,000 pounds, which makes it capable of medium-duty towing.
The 2025 Santa Cruz’s tow capability is similar to its main competitors which are the 2025 Ford Maverick and the 2025 Honda Ridgeline.
Here are some similar vehicles to the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz and their towing capacities below:
2025 Ford Maverick: 4,000 pounds
2025 Toyota Tacoma: 6,800 pounds
2025 Chevy Colorado: 7,700 pounds
2025 Honda Ridgeline: 5,000 pounds
2025 Nissan Frontier: 6,720 pounds
Data Accuracy
We’ve gathered all data represented here from the official 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Owner’s Manual on Hyundai’s site and have checked all data thoroughly for accuracy.
Having said that, we still recommend you refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual yourself before towing with a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz.