If you are a regular reader of The Drive, you may have noticed information in this morning’s edition of The Downshift regarding the arrival of a mid-size Hyundai pickup truck in the United States by the end of the decade. This announcement, stemming from Hyundai’s investor presentation in New York, actually reveals a multi-faceted offensive in the American market with a body-on-frame platform. We could thus get both a mid-size truck and an SUV.
Hyundai’s Truck Strategy Takes Shape
“Pickups represent an opportunity we are ready to seize,” said CEO José Muñoz during his presentation. “The mid-size truck segment is one of the largest and most profitable in the industry. Since the launch of the Santa Cruz in 2021, we have gained valuable experience and brand presence in this segment.”
“We are now preparing to launch a new body-on-frame model before 2030 to build our truck portfolio, with the potential for an SUV variant,” he continued. “This expansion allows us to broaden our reach and connect directly with customers at the heart of the American market.”
Muñoz then moved on to updates about the company’s electrification efforts, leaving us only with this tantalizing information.
A Competitor for the Toyota 4Runner and Ford Bronco
This means we are not only about to get a new mid-size Hyundai pickup with a body-on-frame structure before 2030, but also very likely an SUV. This would give Hyundai a direct competitor for the Toyota 4Runner and, to a lesser extent, the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco.
A Proprietary Hyundai Platform for the USA
Last year, we learned that GM and Hyundai had formed a partnership to explore joint development opportunities. Although rumors suggested that Hyundai might get a pickup through this deal, it would likely be intended for other global markets. This latest announcement instead indicates a fully proprietary Hyundai platform and vehicle for its trucks aimed at the American market.
Beyond the Santa Cruz
So far, our only example of a Hyundai pickup is the Santa Cruz. It’s a perfectly acceptable small truck, but like the Ford Maverick, it is sometimes limited by the fact that it shares its fundamental underpinnings with a small unibody crossover. Designed more as a lifestyle truck than a practical pickup, the Santa Cruz’s capabilities are not really exceptional.
More importantly, a new mid-size body-on-frame platform would offer Hyundai a starting point for other truck segments, from larger pickups to premium off-road SUVs. Imagine, by the middle of the next decade, Genesis could build its own interpretation of a Geländewagen. What a world, isn’t it?