For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Santa Cruz have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Ford Maverick doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.
With its standard front crash prevention, the Hyundai Santa Cruz is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Ford Maverick, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
|
|
Santa Cruz |
Maverick |
| Overall Evaluation |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
|
|
Crossing Child - DAY |
|
| 12 MPH |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
| 25 MPH |
AVOIDED |
-24 MPH |
|
|
Crossing Adult - NIGHT |
|
| 12 MPH Brights |
-11 MPH |
-11 MPH |
| 12 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
| 25 MPH Brights |
-21 MPH |
-18 MPH |
| 25 MPH Low beams |
-15 MPH |
-11 MPH |
|
|
Parallel Adult - NIGHT |
|
| 25 MPH Brights |
AVOIDED |
-13 MPH |
| 25 MPH Low beams |
AVOIDED |
AVOIDED |
| 37 MPH Brights |
-33 MPH |
-8 MPH |
| Warning Issued-Brights |
1.7 sec |
1.5 sec |
| 37 MPH Low beams |
-35 MPH |
-3 MPH |
| Warning Issued-Low beams |
1.7 sec |
1.3 sec |
In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Santa Cruz achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Ford Maverick has not been tested.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Santa Cruz has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Ford charges extra for Cross-Traffic Alert on the Maverick.
Compared to metal, the Santa Cruz’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Ford Maverick has a metal gas tank.
Both the Santa Cruz and the Maverick have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Cruz is safer than the Ford Maverick:
|
|
Santa Cruz |
Maverick |
|
|
Driver |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| Neck Stress |
196 lbs. |
234 lbs. |
|
|
Passenger |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
| Chest Compression |
.6 inches |
.6 inches |
| Neck Injury Risk |
42.3% |
51% |
| Neck Stress |
125 lbs. |
184 lbs. |
| Leg Forces (l/r) |
61/48 lbs. |
154/237 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Santa Cruz is safer than the Maverick:
|
|
Santa Cruz |
Maverick |
| Overall Evaluation |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
| Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
| Head/Neck Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Neck Injury Chance |
16% |
25% |
| Chest Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Thigh/hip Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Restraints |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
|
Rear Passenger Injury Measures |
|
| Thigh Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Restraints |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Cruz is safer than the Ford Maverick:
|
|
Santa Cruz |
Maverick |
|
|
Front Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| HIC |
37 |
87 |
| Chest Movement |
.7 inches |
.7 inches |
| Abdominal Force |
86 lbs. |
150 lbs. |
|
|
Rear Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| HIC |
47 |
174 |
| Spine Acceleration |
35 G’s |
57 G’s |
| Hip Force |
317 lbs. |
971 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Hyundai Santa Cruz is safer than the Maverick:
|
|
Santa Cruz |
Maverick |
| Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
| Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Head Injury Criterion |
123 |
146 |
| Neck Tension |
245 lbs. |
357 lbs. |
| Neck Compression |
-89 lbs. |
89 lbs. |
| Shoulder Deflection |
-.87 in |
.67 in |
| Pelvis |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
| Pelvis Force |
1004 lbs. |
1272 lbs. |
| Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
| Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Head Injury Criterion |
70 |
295 |
| Neck Tension |
67 lbs. |
178 lbs. |
| Neck Compression |
-45 lbs. |
45 lbs. |
| Torso |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
| Shoulder Deflection |
.83 in |
2.2 in |
| Shoulder Force |
178 lbs. |
580 lbs. |
| Torso Max Deflection |
1.26 in |
1.81 in |
| Torso Deflection Rate |
5 MPH |
12 MPH |
| Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
The Hyundai Santa Cruz achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Maverick is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

