The Santa Cruz is going to be cruising the beaches of Santa Cruz this summer.
Hyundai has donated four of its Santa Cruz compact pickups to the Santa Cruz Fire Department for use in its Marine Safety Division.
The vehicles are worth a combined $164,000, which Hyundai said is the largest donation it has made to a municipality.
The donation is being made in conjunction with Beach Safety Week.
HYUNDAI BUILT A CAR THAT CAN DRIVE SIDEWAYS AND SPIN IN PLACE
From left to right, Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey, Councilmember Sonja Brunner, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, Hyundai's Trevor Lai and Santa Cruz Public Works Director Nathan Nguyen took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the donation. (Hyundai)
"Santa Cruz comes with powerful and efficient engines and superb maneuverability to ensure it is a pleasure to drive in urban or off-road environments," Trevor Lai, Hyundai product planning senior manager, said. "We are honored to help keep beachgoers safe in the City of Santa Cruz by supporting the City of Santa Cruz Marine Safety Division."
Hyundai added off-road tires and racks to the Santa Cruz pickups it donated to Santa Cruz. (Hyundai)
The pickups have been updated with all-terrain tires to improve their performance on sand, along with a roof and bed rack system.
The Santa Cruz shares its platform with the Tucscon SUV. (Hyundai)
Retail Santa Cruz prices range from around $26,000 to $40,000. It is available with either a 191 hp four-cylinder engine or a 281 hp turbocharged four-cylinder, and both are offered with the choice of front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. Hyundai sold more than 12,000 of the vehicles through April, which is up 12% from last year.
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"These vehicles are going to be game-changing in terms of bolstering our current fleet of vehicles that are available not only for patrol, but for the emergency response for the water rescues we have all year round," Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey said.
The Santa Cruz is built on a unibody platform and has a trunk under the bed floor. (Hyundai)
"Especially the way they are designed in terms of being lightweight and more compact. It provides better visibility. Our dense beaches can be extremely hazardous to navigate in vehicles, and the better visibility all around is going to enhance safety."
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The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is one of the most iconic amusement parks in the U.S. and has been featured in several films including "The Lost Boys" and "US." (Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Santa Cruz has 14 state parks and beaches spread over 29 miles of coastline, according to the city, and welcomes over one million visitors annually.