A test mule of what is possibly the upcoming Hyundai Santa Cruz with a four-door crew cab configuration has been spotted testing
Hyundai first unveiled the Santa Cruz pickup truck concept to the world almost five years ago, at the 2015 North American Auto Show. However, the Korean carmaker only recently confirmed that the pickup truck will go into production, and will be launched in 2021.
Earlier this month, we reported the spotting of a heavily camouflaged test mule of the upcoming Santa Cruz pickup truck in a parking lot. Now, the pickup truck has been spied again, being testing in the manufacturer’s home country. The latest spy shots reveal some new details about the upcoming truck.
The heavily camouflaged test mule sports a four-door crew cab configuration, rather than the extended cab configuration of the concept showcased in 2015. As compared to the previously spied test mule which came equipped with black alloy wheels, the recently spied car sports a different set of dual-tone diamond-cut units.
In terms of design, the car will likely be based on Hyundai’s ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ styling statement, hence we expect it to get a large cascading front grille, along with a split headlamp design. The 2021 Santa Cruz pickup truck could also share its styling with the Santa Fe SUV, since the former is also set to be produced at the carmaker’s Montgomery plant in Alabama, just like the Santa Fe.
It is yet to be seen if the Santa Cruz truck is offered with the Santa Fe’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 188 PS of maximum power and 241 Nm of max torque, along with its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine which puts out 238 PS power and 352 Nm torque.
Even if that’s the case, Hyundai will likely re-tune the engines to produce more power to put it in line with other similarly priced pickup trucks. The Santa Fe comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard.
Upon launch in 2021, the Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup will rival the likes of Honda Ridgeline, Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma and the Chevrolet Colorado among others, in the international markets.