Towing with the New Hyundai 2025 Santa Cruz: Everything You Need to Know

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz is already generating buzz across Ontario with its unique blend of SUV and pickup truck capabilities. One of the most anticipated features for many local buyers is its impressive towing capacity. In this guide, we’ll delve into everything you need to know about towing with the Santa Cruz, from its expected towing capacity to the must-have towing accessories, ensuring you’re well-prepared for your future adventures from the shores of Lake Ontario to the rugged trails of Algonquin Park.

Is Santa Cruz Good for Towing?

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is an outstanding choice for towing, perfect for the diverse needs of Whitby drivers. With its robust engine options and advanced towing features, this versatile vehicle is ready for anything from hauling a small trailer for a weekend escape to tackling a larger load for work. Whether you’re heading to a cozy cottage in Muskoka or a job site in Ajax, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz will handle it all with ease. Its comfortable interior and smooth ride will make long towing journeys through Ontario’s scenic landscapes more enjoyable, while its top-notch safety features ensure peace of mind every kilometer of the way.

How much does the Hyundai Santa Cruz tow?

No matter your destination in Ontario, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz is designed to handle it all with ease. It’s robust towing capabilities ensure that whether you’re heading to Whitby Harbor for a weekend getaway or hauling a moving trailer across the city, you can bring everything you need. The advanced HTRAC® all-wheel drive system provides the confidence and stability required for any adventure.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz towing capacity varies depending on the engine and drivetrain configuration, ensuring there’s a model for every need you might have. For those weekend getaways to Whitby Harbor, the base model equipped with a spirited 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine can tow up to 1,587 kg (3,000 lbs) when properly equipped. For those seeking even more muscle, the turbocharged 2.5-liter engine boosts the towing capacity to an impressive 2,268 kg (5,000 lbs).

Whether you’re exploring Ontario’s beautiful countryside or navigating unexpected snowfalls, the Hyundai Santa Cruz’s HTRAC® all-wheel drive capability ensures complete confidence. This multi-mode system features an electronic, variable-torque-split clutch with active torque control between the front and rear axles. In Sport mode, the 2025 Santa Cruz will deliver a more agile feel by sending additional torque to the rear wheels, creating a sporty, dynamic driving experience. This advanced system is finely tuned for conditions such as straight-line acceleration, medium- and high-speed cornering, and hill starts.

What is Hyundai Tow Mode?

The Tow Mode feature in the New 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz, which comes standard, intelligently adjusts the powertrain’s shift pattern to match the trailer load, ensuring a seamless drive. If you’re wondering “How do I use Tow Mode? “—simply press the TOW button, and you’ll see an indicator light up on your instrument cluster, signaling that Tow Mode is engaged. Want to turn it off? Just press the button again.

For those with specific towing needs, you’re in luck—because it offers customizable settings. Navigate to Setup, then Vehicle, followed by Drive Mode, and select Tow Mode. Choose from Heavy, Medium, or Light based on your trailer’s weight. The Heavy setting is ideal for trailers weighing 70-100% of your vehicle’s maximum capacity, Medium for 40-70%, and Light for up to 40%. Be sure to check your owner’s manual for your Hyundai’s maximum trailer weight. Remember, Tow Mode takes precedence over any other drive mode or terrain setting and will need to be reactivated each time you restart your vehicle.

2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Towing Hitch

As you likely already know, to take advantage of the Santa Cruz’s towing capabilities, you’ll need to equip it with a towing hitch. Hyundai offers a towing hitch as an optional accessory for the Santa Cruz, which can be installed at the dealership or by a qualified mechanic. The towing hitch is designed to be sturdy and reliable, ensuring that your Santa Cruz can handle whatever you need to tow.

If you’re wondering how to install a trailer hitch to your Hyundai Santa Cruz, it’s actually fairly easy to do: Adding a trailer hitch to a Hyundai Santa Cruz requires only a few tools, a Hyundai Trailer Hitch kit (or a CMF 13486 trailer hitch- link to purchase online ) and a short amount of time to complete the installation.

First, gather the necessary tools: safety glasses, an exhaust strap, exhaust pliers, a cordless driver, a torque wrench, 19mm and 12mm sockets, and an angled socket. Begin by lowering the spare tire using the 12mm socket to remove the spare tire carrier nut on the passenger side.

Next, support the exhaust with an exhaust strap and use exhaust pliers to remove each exhaust hanger. Raise the hitch into position and install the provided hardware to secure it to the vehicle’s frame, attaching three bolts with washers to each side. Tighten and torque the hitch according to the manufacturer’s specifications using the 19mm socket and angled socket for bolts inside the frame.

Finally, raise the exhaust and spare tire back into place. Your trailer hitch should now be properly installed on your Hyundai Santa Cruz—but with all this in mind, when you purchase a trailer hitch here at Ontario Hyundai, our team will happily mount it for you with no extra charge.

Santa Cruz Towing Accessories

In addition to the towing hitch, Hyundai offers a range of towing accessories for the Santa Cruz. These include trailer wiring harnesses, trailer brake controllers, and towing mirrors. These accessories are designed to work seamlessly with the Santa Cruz, ensuring that you have everything you need for a safe and successful towing experience. Make sure to visit our online Accessories store so that you can make sure you have everything you need to do it right.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz is set to revolutionize the driving and towing experience across Ontario. With its anticipated impressive towing capacity, advanced features like Tow Mode, and a range of accessories designed to enhance your towing experience, the Santa Cruz promises to be a versatile and reliable choice for both everyday use and adventurous getaways. Whether you’re planning to explore the scenic routes towards Kawartha Lakes or head to a cozy retreat in Prince Edward County, the Santa Cruz is designed to meet all your needs. Stay tuned for its release and visit Ontario Hyundai to be among the first to discover how the 2025 Santa Cruz can elevate your driving and towing adventures, ensuring you’re always ready for the road ahead.