Photo: Hyundai
At the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, the highlight of the Hyundai stand was the Santa Cruz. Gifted with neat styling, rear-hinged rear doors, and a right-sized bed for what it is, the concept truck has been finally given the green light for development. The production model, of course, has the U.S. market in its crosshair and versatile competitors such as the Honda Ridgeline to take on.
Speaking to Automotive News, the automaker’s U.S. vice president of corporate and product planning refused to comment on a production timeline for the newcomer. Michael J. O’Brien, however, suggested that Hyundai will replace the Santa Fe Sport sometime next year and the seven-seat Santa Fe in early 2019. The refreshed Tucson, meanwhile, should arrive in 2020.
Last time we heard about the Santa Cruz, the mid-size pickup truck was rumored to be revealed in late 2018 for the 2019 model year. Also from the rumor mill, the Santa Cruz is expected to ride on the Tucson’s platform, which means it will be front-wheel-drive by nature and all-wheel-drive by choice. In other words, only the Honda Ridgeline can be considered an actual competitor due to its shared underpinnings with the third-gen Pilot.
There’s also the problem of production for the Santa Cruz, especially if the U.S. is the primary market for the mid-size pickup. Unless it isn’t built stateside – at the automaker’s plant in Alabama for example – the Santa Cruz will be hit by the Chicken Tax, and that’s a serious deal-breaker for people on the lookout for trucks at the lower end of the price spectrum.
Across the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Cruz will gain a body-on-frame brother in Australia. It doesn’t have a name yet, but Hyundai higher-ups insist the automaker is already developing the mystery pickup to square off with rivals that include the Toyota Hilux, Holden Colorado, and Ford Ranger. Considering what sort of vehicles Hyundai sells nowadays, it’s highly likely the body-on-frame pickup will be gifted with an all-new and sturdy platform.
Last time we heard about the Santa Cruz, the mid-size pickup truck was rumored to be revealed in late 2018 for the 2019 model year. Also from the rumor mill, the Santa Cruz is expected to ride on the Tucson’s platform, which means it will be front-wheel-drive by nature and all-wheel-drive by choice. In other words, only the Honda Ridgeline can be considered an actual competitor due to its shared underpinnings with the third-gen Pilot.
There’s also the problem of production for the Santa Cruz, especially if the U.S. is the primary market for the mid-size pickup. Unless it isn’t built stateside – at the automaker’s plant in Alabama for example – the Santa Cruz will be hit by the Chicken Tax, and that’s a serious deal-breaker for people on the lookout for trucks at the lower end of the price spectrum.
Across the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Cruz will gain a body-on-frame brother in Australia. It doesn’t have a name yet, but Hyundai higher-ups insist the automaker is already developing the mystery pickup to square off with rivals that include the Toyota Hilux, Holden Colorado, and Ford Ranger. Considering what sort of vehicles Hyundai sells nowadays, it’s highly likely the body-on-frame pickup will be gifted with an all-new and sturdy platform.
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