Hyundai Santa Cruz vs Aston Martin Vantage

What's the difference?

We need the Santa Cruz and its ilk in Australia. It’s great to be in a dual-cab ute that is compact enough to fit in a regular car-parking space and light enough to be efficient.

In ways, the Hyundai is reminiscent of the better Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore utes of yore, especially in its performance, dynamics and civility. And why wouldn’t it be a good fit here? Back in 1932, Australia invented the coupe utility, after all.

Bring it on, Hyundai.

It’s either a comfortable race car or a bonkers grand tourer, but it’s that best-of-both worlds positioning that makes this new Vantage so appealing. Think of it as like a supercar for proper grown-ups, and one you don’t need to grunt and groan to extract yourself from.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Nose-on, the Tucson SUV’s futuristic nose treatment looks a little out of place on the Santa Cruz. It needs to be blunter and more aggressive.

Hyundai knows this and has attempted to square-off the lights, grille and bumpers as part of the MY25 facelift, but it still seems too sophisticated against more truck-like utes. No doubt the next-gen redesign will be bolder.

Profile and rear appearances, on the other hand, are pitch-perfect, imbuing the Santa Cruz with confidence and class. No other dual-cab can boast such a sleek, coupe-utility-esque silhouette. A drag coefficient figure of 0.37 is notable for this shape of vehicle.

Deftly executed, the Hyundai’s design is both contemporary yet reminiscent of ‘70s and ‘80s two-door utes, from Japan’s Subaru Brumby and Ford’s XA-XC Falcon, to America’s iconic Chevrolet El Camino and Ford Ranchero.

With all that in mind, it’s no surprise to learn that the Santa Cruz was designed in California, with the brief stating it combine car, SUV and ute, for urbanites seeking a workhorse that can also be a family-friendly weekend getaway machine.

While it is obviously smaller than a typical body-on-frame ute, in the flesh, the Hyundai seems almost as large. Some might even say right-sized for lighter-duty requirements, which seem to be the majority of urban-based vehicles in this segment.

Length, width, height, wheelbase and ground clearance measurements are 4970mm, 1905mm, 1695mm, 3005mm and 218mm respectively. Putting these figures in perspective, a Ranger’s corresponding dimensions are 5370mm, 1918mm, 1886mm, 3270mm and 234mm.

Not too big, then, and not too small. And much, much easier to manoeuvre and park in a big city like Toronto. It’s a bit of a Goldilocks zone inside the Santa Cruz as well.

Ok, so the first thing you notice is this massive grille, which I now know is exactly 38 per cent bigger than before. That’s mostly for cooling, sucking in great lung-fulls of air – and any stray pets unlucky enough to wander into its path, I’d imagine — to keep that engine humming.

That air has to go somewhere, and the new bonnet vents complete the engine-cooling.picture.

Then there are 21-inch alloys are wrapped in performance rubber, and I love the swollen haunches at the rear tyres, giving the Vantage a mean and menacing vibe. At the rear, a very new and very loud quad-exhaust completes the picture.

In the cabin you'll find nothing in the way of hand-me-down Mercedes switchgear, which makes for change. This is all Aston Martin, and actually it all feels really nice.

The twin-screen setup looks tech-savvy and premium, the materials are all nicer than you'd find in something more track-obsessed, and even the optional race seats managed to be both snug-fitting and comfortable.

A comfy and inviting five-seater, the Santa Cruz only really feels like a ute rather than a mid-size SUV if you look behind the (fixed) rear backrest or underneath the back cushion (where the jack and additional storage lay).

Spacious and quite airy up front, this one’s based on the pre-2024 Tucson facelift, so it’s completely car-like in its design and execution. The update also adopts the SUV’s vast touchscreen layout. Typical Hyundai features include digitalised instrumentation, pleasingly simple displays and thoughtful placement of all controls. There’s nothing even remotely alien about this ute’s presentation.

Quite bracing bucket seats up front offer decent support, while SUV standards of practical storage, ventilation and – surprise – noise suppression further impress, especially considering that our ute rides on 20-inch wheels and all-weather tyres. Maybe Canadian bitumen is just quieter.

If you’re used to smaller body-on-frame utes like the HiLux or previous Mitsubishi Triton, you might also be pleasantly surprised by how accommodating the Santa Cruz’s rear bench is.

The typical ute foibles of a too-upright backrest and flat, unsupportive seats do not apply here, revealing how spacious that shapely silhouette allows the cabin to be. Instead, you can enjoy SUV-levels of cushy comfort, as well as associated amenities like rear air vents, USB outlets and cupholders, though you’ll need to stick larger water bottles beneath the rear-hinged cushion, where extra storage is provided.

Better still, if you want some additional ventilation, just slide back the rear-window partition. This might mess with your mind, as the Santa Cruz then really begins to muddy the waters between SUV and ute.

Which leads us to the elephant in, or rather on, the Hyundai: the open bed.

Among other items, you’ll find side as well as rear steps for easier load bed access and a simple yet effective sliding tonneau operation, revealing a ridged floor and sizeable compartment storage compartment underneath. It comes with drainage holes for ice. Bed lighting, tie down hooks, and sliding cleats further boost useability and versatility. Just like in utes you’re probably used to.

Note that in this 20-inch wheel grade, there’s a space-saver spare underneath.

Bed length is 1323mm, width 1368/1085mm between the arches and height 488mm. For perspective, Ranger’s equivalents are 1464mm, 1520/1217mm and 525mm respectively. Bed volume is 764 litres, versus 1232L in the Ford.

Finally, towing capacity in the AWD version is 2260kg (Ranger: 3500kg) and payload is 730kg (Ranger Wildtrak: 901kg).

In summary then, compared to utes like the Ford above, the Hyundai’s OB is clearly shorter, narrower and shallower, yet is still usefully large for getting many jobs done.

Again, this is a new, more compact ute experiment, with no direct rivals, designed to be lighter, more efficient and fun to drive.

You’ll be shocked to hear that Aston Martin didn’t dedicate too much of its limited track time to extolling the practicality perks of its new Vantage, mostly because there simply aren’t that many of them.

But the most obvious one, I think, is that most of the people in the market for a $400k-plus vehicle in this category are likely to be, well, of a certain vintage, and it’s for these people that the more traditional layout of the Vantage will no doubt appeal.

See, the engine is up front, and the doors open in the usual fashion, making getting in and out of the cabin easy, and free of the human-origami antics sometimes required to climb in and out of a scissor-door supercar.

But there have been practical improvements made to performance here, too. There’s 30 per cent more power, 15 per cent more torque, new cooling, better aerodynamics, retuned suspension and anti-roll tech, new brake booster tuning, improvements to the ESP system, more body stiffness. And it goes on.

Let’s start with the big number, and that is the $410,000 you’ll need to park the new Vantage on your driveway. Interestingly, I was also on the launch of the previous Vantage, back in 2018, and that one was just under $300k. That’s quite the jump.

Anyway, for that spend you get a whole bunch of improved performance, obviously, but also quite a bit in terms of cabin tech and comfort. This isn’t a stripped-back supercar, and that’s a good thing, I reckon.

It starts outside with 21-inch five-spoke forged wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport rubber, matrix LED headlights and LED tail-lights, while in the cabin, there’s a 10.25-inch central screen with Apple CarPlay, a second 10.25-inch screen in front of the driver, an 11-speaker stereo, and wireless phone charging.

The Santa Cruz is fitted with Hyundai’s 2.5-litre four-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engine not offered in any Australian models at this time.

In North American-spec, it delivers about 210kW of power at 5800rpm and 422Nm of torque from 1700-4000rpm, to the front or all four wheels automatically via an eight-speed wet-type dual-clutch transmission, with a manual mode.

Acceleration time from 0-100km/h is about 6.5 seconds. Impressive for an 1860kg ute, aided no doubt by a healthy 113kW/tonne power-to-weight ratio.

Like the Tucson, the Santa Cruz is fitted with MacPherson-style struts up front and a multi-link independent rear suspension set-up, though they are tuned differently given the varying nature of the duo.

The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 is still borrowed from Mercedes-AMG, but this is the new-generation unit, making 489kW and 800Nm. It gets modified cylinder heads and bigger turbos, helping generate the extra grunt.

That’s fed through an eight-speed ZF automatic and channeled through to the rear tyres. The race to 100km/h? That 3.5 seconds. Meanwhile, the flying top speed is around 325km/h.

Hyundai says the Santa Cruz is tuned to run on American 87 RON unleaded petrol.

It returns a combined average of 10.6L/100km, for a carbon dioxide emissions rating of 250 grams per kilometre. Other official figures are 12.1L in the city and 8.7L on the highway.

That should mean the 67L fuel tank should give a range of about 632km.

Running on 90+ Octane unleaded petrol, our Santa Cruz averaged 10.5L, against a trip computer figure of 10.8L. Our best cycle, on mainly rural roads, was 9.1L. Again, this is SUV efficiency. The long-mooted hybrid version will smash all these figures out of the park.

There’s the official figure, which is 12.1L/100km on the combined cycle, and then there’s the real-world figure. It’s not really fare to judge fuel use when you’ve just stepped off a racetrack, but rest assured it was a large number, which is to be expected really.

The Aston’s 73-litre fuel tank prefers 98RON fuel, too.

The most remarkable thing about the Santa Cruz is how multi-faceted the driving experience is.

On one hand, compared to body-on-frame utes, it feels just like a medium-sized SUV, with none of their lumbering heaviness. That should come as no shock seeing this is an extension of the Tucson (and related Kia Sportage).

Yet if you approach the Santa Cruz from an SUV perspective, there are palpable driving and behavioural differences, setting the ute apart. Especially considering Australians are unfamiliar with this particular powertrain.

Let’s start with that.

After years of the sweet if at-times somewhat stretched 1.6-litre turbo found in most upper-spec Hyundai and Kia models, the Santa Cruz’s big 2.5L turbo is a revelation, with little to no lag moving off the line and a steady and growing tide of torque as speed builds.

Quiet, smooth and refined, it is a terrifically muscular engine application, aided by an equally smooth and responsive dual-clutch transmission. That there’s real-world economy benefits as well – we averaged just 9.1L/100km during one tankful – is icing on the cake.

You know what they used to say… there’s no substitute for cubic inches. Why can’t other Hyundais have this powertrain in Australia?

Likewise, there’s little to criticise regarding the Santa Cruz’s steering, being as light yet direct as its SUV cousin’s. The upshot is exact and controlled handling that would put even the most nervous driver at ease. With that in mind, one particular heavy late-summer storm only served to highlight the Hyundai’s AWD-enhanced stability and traction.

And a word of praise for the driver-assist tech too, with the adaptive cruise control, lane-assist and blind-spot systems providing nuanced operation and gentle intervention. Bounding along in highway traffic moving at the legal speed limit, all remained calm.

Speaking of which, the Santa Cruz’s ride quality is shockingly cushy for something on 20-inch rubber. This never ceased to impress us.

So far, so very good.

Tighter corners and speedy off-ramp turns did reveal a couple of unexpected traits, though. That soft suspension tune and 218mm ground clearance can make the Hyundai feel roly poly, with pronounced body lean that can lead to understeer, meaning the ute can run wide mid-turn unless the driver piles in more steering angle.

In contrast, an Aussie-spec Tucson is far more composed and agile in such situations.

Still, we mentally readjusted to this, applying similar degrees of caution that drivers of even the best body-on-frame utes, dynamically speaking, should exercise (hello, Ranger). Yet even in such scenarios, the Santa Cruz is still far more SUV-like in its suspension discipline and roadholding.

Our two other beefs are a big turning circle and poor side/rear vision. Otherwise, a big thumb’s up here.

Obviously, as with all vehicles tested abroad, we need to experience the Hyundai on local roads for a more definitive assessment.

But, as our very enjoyable time behind the wheel of the 2024 Santa Cruz AWD revealed, it seems especially well-suited to Australian tastes.

As a spiritual successor to the Brumby and Falcon/Holden utes, this dual-cab seems beyond the sum of its parts.

It's funny, I never felt like the old Vantage wanted for power, but now I suddenly wonder how we ever made do with it. This feels like the engine and the outputs that should have always been, such is the way it suits the nature of Aston’s most performance-focused model.

Everything is about the driver here. From the suspension tune to the gearbox mapping and the increase in stiffness everywhere. You’re supposed to feel like the main character, and you do.

Aston Martin have come under fire in the past for delivering cars that are a treat to look at, but didn't quite deliver the drive experience to match the appearance, and it's something the brand says it is actively rectifying with with the Vantage, and the Astons that will follow it.

The mission, it says, is to be spoken of in the same sentence as the Italian supercar makers when it comes to delivering driver engagement, and this 2024 Vantage is a considerable leap in that direction.

It is, above all else, fun. From the multi-stage ESP settings that you can pair to your bravery, to the retuned and raucous exhaust and the blistering acceleration.

More than that, it feels light and lithe on a racetrack, and super communicative, the front wheels talking through your wrists, and the back tyres through, well, the bit of you that hits the bottom half of the racing seat...

It is plenty fun, right across the park. The power is immense, but somehow it doesn't feel terrifying, partly because you're so dialled-in to the drive experience, and partly because the carbon brakes fitted to our test car were able to slow the Vantage so savagely it's as though we'd dropped anchor out the back window.

The Vantage does have a split personality, though, and it's one that really shows itself once you venture out onto the road. It's quiet, comfortable even, at suburban speeds, leaning more into grand tourer than bonkers track-day special.

The only downside being that, should you sit behind the wheel long enough, it becomes easy to forget you're driving something "super" at all. Well, until your right foot finds its way back to the accelerator, that is...

You’ll never see a Vantage crash-tested by ANCAP, but it does arrive with a solid safety package.

There are front and side airbags, plus a heap of active safety stuff like AEB, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, lane change assist with centring and front and rear cross-traffic alert.

The Santa Cruz is not available in Australia at this time.

Hyundai’s current Australian warranty period is five years/unlimited kilometres with roadside assistance and available capped-price servicing options.

Most models also offer scheduled servicing between 10,000km and 15,000km.

Aston Martins in Australia are covered by a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, but you can extend that for one or two years, at a price.  You’ll be visiting the service centre annually, too.