Hyundai Pickup Edges Closer To Reality, Will Be Made In North America

Speaking to Automotive News, the vice president of product, corporate, and digital planning at Hyundai also believes the Santa Cruz “has the promise of creating a whole new class of buyers.” In truth, that’s not the case if you remember that Volkswagen and Ford are developing pickup trucks with a unibody construction instead of ladder frame.

“It would have to be made in North America,” concluded O’Brien. The most likely production plant is Montgomery in Alabama while sister brand Kia operates a factory in West Point, Georgia. On a yearly basis, these facilities have the capacity of making 400,000 and 340,000 vehicles.

Hyundai needs to find the means to make the Santa Cruz in the United States in order to keep the retail price down. If the pickup were to be imported stateside, the 25-percent tariff would be too much to handle in the long run. Santa Cruz means holy cross in Portuguese, a nameplate that fits well within the Hyundai lineup alongside the Santa Fe mid-size utility vehicle.

The crossover-based concept from 2015 shares underpinnings with the Tucson, including the 2.0 CRDi four-cylinder turbo diesel. The engine is rated at 190 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque, and in this application, fuel economy is expected in the high 30-mpg range. HTRAC all-wheel drive is another highlight, along with a tailgate extension and five seats.

When it was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Santa Cruz was described as a lifestyle-oriented pickup “for the growing population who sees and pursues the world differently.” The mumbo-jumbo continues with “the crossover truck that meets the unspoken needs of urban adventurers.”

Whatever the future holds, there’s no denying that Hyundai will utilize the next-generation Tucson crossover as the basis for the Santa Cruz.