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yundai used the Detroit motor show earlier this year to
present a pick-up concept that could be a precursor to
a long-awaited entrant for the South Korean brand in
Australia’s incredibly popular one-tonne utility segment.
More along the lines of a Ford Ranger than a hulking F-150 –
which is a good sign for Hyundai’s Australian subsidiary – the
Santa Cruz Pickup concept shown in Motown was described
as a “completely new interpretation of pick-up utility for a new
generation of buyers”.
Hyundai says it hasn’t focused on the attributes typically
found with traditional American pick-ups, concentrating more
on an expressive design, fuel efficiency and manoeuvrability.
There are plenty of practical elements in the five-seater
dual cab, with rear-hinged rear doors aiding access to the rear
compartment, clever tie-down solutions across the vehicle and
an expandable bed that can be reconfigured for longer cargo
using a drawer-like sliding function.
Few technical specifications were released about the
concept, although Hyundai did emphasise high mileage and low
emissions with its use of a 2.0L turbo-diesel engine producing
142kW of power and 407Nm of torque, driving all four wheels
through Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel-drive system.
The Santa Cruz’s dimensions are said to have been kept
“purposefully compact” for an American audience more
familiar with hulking pick-up trucks and SUVs, although it
looks to slot in neatly with the somewhat smaller utilities
favoured in Australia and other global markets.
No plans have been announced for production, but Hyundai
Motor Co Australia (HMCA) stressed at the time of the
concept’s release that “the market opportunities for a Hyundai
utility vehicle globally are very real, not least in Australia”.
“We have no doubt a tough, good-looking Hyundai ute will be
popular with Australians,” says HMCA chief operating officer
John Elsworth.
“This is a concept vehicle and we do not make decisions
about which cars to bring to market – those decisions are in the
hands of our parent company in Korea. However, we’ve made
our enthusiasm for a ute very clear – it surely has enormous
potential – and we look forward to seeing how things progress
in the near future.”
Hyundai
www.hyundai.com.auHYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ