Photo: Hyundai
It’s been ages since the Santa Cruz was revealed at the 2015 Detroit Motor Show, but Hyundai is taking its sweet time about getting the concept intro product. Chief designer officer Luc Donckerwolke said the unibody pickup truck is under development as we speak, and the launch is scheduled for “as soon as possible.”
Donckerwolke told Autocar.co.uk that the design of the newcomer “is finished,” and “the process to put it into production is now underway.” In other words, prepare for countless photographs of more or less camouflaged prototypes testing in South Korea, Europe, and the United States of America.
Expected to roll out in 2020, the Santa Cruz could share the underpinnings with the next generation of the Tucson compact crossover. Volkswagen has a similar modus operandi with the Tarok, which uses the MQB vehicle architecture from the Golf, Tiguan, Passat, and Atlas.
When it was presented in Detroit, the Santa Cruz concept was described by chief executive Dave Zuchowski as the next step forward for Hyundai in the United States. He said that “55 percent of U.S. buyers are buying trucks,” but on the other hand, crossover utility vehicles are driving more growth.
The Santa Cruz caters to the needs of both parties, combining the aesthetics of a crossover with the utility of a workhorse. Looking at the bigger picture, the Honda Ridgeline could use a more affordable competitor with a four-cylinder turbo and all-wheel drive.
Autocar.co.uk doesn’t know if “Hyundai will target the American compact truck market, dominated by models such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma, or instead look to take on the hugely successful Ford F-150 in the full-size segment.” By compact, the British publication actually wants to say mid-size considering the dimenions of the Ranger and Tacoma. At the end of the day, however, it remains to be seen if the Santa Cruz will compete in the compact or mid-size segment.
“Donckerwolke also confirmed that a Kia version of the pickup - with exterior and interior design differences - is also under consideration, but would arrive later.” Over in Europe and the United Kingdom, we expect both models to be offered with the 100-kW (136 PS or 134 horsepower) Smartstream turbo diesel. The 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine was introduced for the 2019 model year on the i30.
Expected to roll out in 2020, the Santa Cruz could share the underpinnings with the next generation of the Tucson compact crossover. Volkswagen has a similar modus operandi with the Tarok, which uses the MQB vehicle architecture from the Golf, Tiguan, Passat, and Atlas.
When it was presented in Detroit, the Santa Cruz concept was described by chief executive Dave Zuchowski as the next step forward for Hyundai in the United States. He said that “55 percent of U.S. buyers are buying trucks,” but on the other hand, crossover utility vehicles are driving more growth.
The Santa Cruz caters to the needs of both parties, combining the aesthetics of a crossover with the utility of a workhorse. Looking at the bigger picture, the Honda Ridgeline could use a more affordable competitor with a four-cylinder turbo and all-wheel drive.
Autocar.co.uk doesn’t know if “Hyundai will target the American compact truck market, dominated by models such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma, or instead look to take on the hugely successful Ford F-150 in the full-size segment.” By compact, the British publication actually wants to say mid-size considering the dimenions of the Ranger and Tacoma. At the end of the day, however, it remains to be seen if the Santa Cruz will compete in the compact or mid-size segment.
“Donckerwolke also confirmed that a Kia version of the pickup - with exterior and interior design differences - is also under consideration, but would arrive later.” Over in Europe and the United Kingdom, we expect both models to be offered with the 100-kW (136 PS or 134 horsepower) Smartstream turbo diesel. The 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine was introduced for the 2019 model year on the i30.
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