Trying to bump sales, Hyundai doubles down on SUVs and wants a pickup.
Khodrocar - Hoping to reverse a sales slump, Hyundai is doing the obvious: building a truck. According to a recent interview with Reuters, the vice president of corporate and product planning for the U.S., Michael J. O’Brien, said Hyundai has greenlit development for a pickup similar to the Santa Cruz concept from 2015.
Looking at the Santa Cruz concept, it’s obvious that this truck will be aimed directly at Honda’s Ridgeline. The likely front-wheel-drive pickup makes a lot of sense for Hyundai to bring to market, especially if it’s styled like the concept truck -- until you look at Ridgeline sales, that is. Honda’s truck isn’t exactly storming out of showrooms; only 2,586 found homes in July compared to about 10K Pilots.
Particulars like the upcoming truck’s powerplant, drive layout and any real information are sparse, but that makes sense given the truck’s early development stages. Like the Ridgeline, we imagine Hyundai will rip a drivetrain straight from one of its currently available crossovers. Borrowing the 3.3-liter V6 from the Santa Fe, along with its all-wheel-drive system, could make for an interesting Ridgeline competitor.
The truck will join more Hyundai SUVs -- namely the company’s new compact utility, the Kona. Hyundai also appears to be rolling out a new version of the Santa Fe Sport, a Santa Fe replacement and a refreshed Tucson before 2020.
Latest News
