Hyundai Santa Cruz Pickup Given Green Light For Production

Hyundai Santa Cruz Pickup Truck Concept

Hyundai Santa Cruz Pickup truck is based on the conceptual version that debuted two years ago; could be a lifestyle based workhorse with crossover abilities

Hyundai seems to have given the nod to make a production version out of the Santa Cruz concept. It has been confirmed to Reuters by the brand’s vice president of corporate and product planning for the American division, Michael J. O’Brien. On a recent conversation, he confirmed that the pickup will be sold in the United States alongside other big nations but the timeline of its arrival has not been divulged yet.

As the popularity of pickup trucks across various price range has been increased lately, Hyundai will be making its presence felt with its own model and is the first of a kind for the South Korean manufacturer. Hyundai revealed the Santa Cruz concept as a lifestyle based pickup. Going by that route, it could be slotted in the United States against the likes of GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma and the top-selling Chevrolet Colorado.

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At the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, Hyundai revealed the Santa Cruz crossover truck concept, a vehicle that the company called “convention-shattering”. It was not made to a high ground clearance boasting pickup truck with max payload and towing characteristics like the Ford F150. It was essentially a half-truck and half-CUV blending both their abilities. While seating five, there was room in the extendable bed for the “urban adventurer” but with the footprint of a small city-minded crossover.

It used a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine which was claimed to deliver 190 horsepower and just over 400 Nm of torque. It was fitted with Hyundai’s ‘HTRAC’ all-wheel drive system. If the road-going model can carry all the uniqueness the concept endorsed about, it could become a success after all. Apart from the Santa Cruz, a revised version of the Santa Fe is expected to debut in 2018. It will be followed by a seven-seat crossover a year later and a new Tucson in 2020.

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Hyundai Santa Cruz Pickup Truck Concept Images


Source: Reuters