The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz compact crossover pickup truck comes with the optional 2.5-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine which comes mated exclusively to an 8-speed wet dual-clutch automatic transmission (WDCT)

Here in our tester with AWD the engine is rated at 281 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and has 311 pound-feet of torque ranging from 1,700 through 4,000 rpm. It is EPA rated at 19 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined.

The engine features an aluminum block and head, a turbocharger with an electronically controlled waste-gate and has both port and direct fuel injection. Both intake and exhaust cams feature variable timing.

Following the airflow starts at the top of the radiator at a snorkel which travels into the cartridge style air-filter box. From there the intake charge travels through the mass airflow sensor and back to the rear of the engine into the turbocharger which features generous heat shielding.

From there the intake charge travels back to the front of the engine bay to an air-to-air inter-cooler mounted at the side of the radiator before another tube takes it up under the front of the engine where it enters a plastic composite intake manifold.

Once in the combustion chambers, fuel from either or both the port fuel injection system or the direct injection system feeds the process. Most of the direct fuel-injection system is hidden beneath the valve cover but you can see the fuel rail for the port fuel injection at the top of the intake manifold.

When combustion is complete, exhaust flows back out the rear of the engine through the turbocharger and out into the catalyst mounted adjacent.

DIY maintenance here is quite straight forward with all of the major components within easy reach and access. The main coolant reservoir is located about the passenger side fender-well, the windshield washer fluid just ahead of it behind the headlamp assembly.

Checking the oil is done at the passenger side front of the engine, the dipstick visible with its bright yellow handle. Filling the oil does require popping off the engine sound cover to access the filler cap, something easily done by pulling it upward.

Brake fluid can be checked and topped at the driver side firewall as expected. Ahead of the brake fluid reservoir is the main engine CPU. Just to the right of it is the 12-volt battery. To the right of that is the main fuse box where opening it just takes the popping of a couple clips. A handy fuse removal tool can be found inside.

The air filter box is located at the front driver side of the engine bay where the air-filter is easily swapped out without tools as it is a slide out cartridge. As the Santa Cruz has electronic power steering there is no fluid to check.

An item of note in this engine compartment are that the radiator features a larger than average electric cooling fan which serves the 5000 pound towing capacity of the Santa Cruz. Watch your hands.