Compare the2023 GMC CanyonVS 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The Canyon’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the front seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Canyon and the Santa Cruz have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

There are over 2 times as many GMC dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Canyon’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Canyon has a standard 170-amp alternator (220-amp - Canyon optional). The Santa Cruz’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Canyon has a standard 800-amp battery. The Santa Cruz’s 600-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in initial quality. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

The Canyon’s 2.7 turbo 4-cylinder produces 119 more horsepower (310 vs. 191) and 249 lbs.-ft. more torque (430 vs. 181) than the Santa Cruz’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Canyon’s 2.7 turbo 4-cylinder produces 29 more horsepower (310 vs. 281) and 119 lbs.-ft. more torque (430 vs. 311) than the Santa Cruz’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Canyon’s fuel efficiency. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Canyon’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Canyon has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Santa Cruz (21.4 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Canyon has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the Canyon’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Santa Cruz:

For better traction, the Canyon has larger standard tires than the Santa Cruz (265/65R18 vs. 245/60R18). The Canyon AT4X’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Cruz (285/70R17 vs. 245/60R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Canyon Denali offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Santa Cruz’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The GMC Canyon’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Hyundai Santa Cruz only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Canyon has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Canyon has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your work or a trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Santa Cruz; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Canyon has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Canyon’s wheelbase is 13.1 inches longer than on the Santa Cruz (131.4 inches vs. 118.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Canyon is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Santa Cruz.

The front grille of the Canyon uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Canyon has 3.8 inches more front legroom and .2 inches more front hip room than the Santa Cruz.

The Canyon has a much larger cargo box than the Santa Cruz shortbed (41.9 vs. 27 cubic feet).

The Canyon’s cargo box is larger than the Santa Cruz’s in every dimension:

Both the Canyon and Santa Cruz have bed indentations that accommodate 2x4’s for two-tiered loading, but the Canyon also has indentations to separate the cargo box into three different sections length-wise.

The Canyon has stake post holes, to allow the containment of tall, light loads. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer stake post holes.

The Canyon’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Santa Cruz’s (7700 vs. 3500 pounds).

The Canyon AT4 can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Canyon can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Santa Cruz can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The engine in the Canyon is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Santa Cruz. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

When two different drivers share the Canyon, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Canyon’s optional easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Canyon’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Santa Cruz does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Canyon offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Canyon’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Santa Cruz’s standard power windows’ passenger windows don’t open automatically. The Santa Cruz SEL/SEL Premium/Night/Limited’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to lower them fully.

The Canyon’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Santa Cruz’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Canyon offers an optional center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

Both the Canyon and the Santa Cruz offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Canyon has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Santa Cruz doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.