- Hyundai will construct its first midsize truck for the U.S. market earlier than 2030
- Will probably be a hardworking body-on-frame design, not a car-based mannequin like its present small truck
Hyundai is entering into the pickup truck sport. And, this time, it received’t be doing so with a light-duty trucklet just like the Santa Cruz. The corporate plans a body-on-frame truck design to compete with the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet Colorado.
The information comes from a presentation to traders late final week. Hyundai CEO José Muñouncestold the group, “Pickup vans characterize a white-space alternative we’re able to seize. The midsize truck section is among the largest and most worthwhile within the trade. Since launching Santa Cruz again in 2021, we’ve gained worthwhile expertise and model presence on this section.”
He went on to say, nevertheless, that Hyundai’s subsequent truck is not going to have a lot in widespread with the Santa Cruz.
“We’re getting ready to launch a brand new body-on-frame mannequin earlier than 2030 to construct out our truck portfolio,” Muñouncesexplained, “with the potential for an SUV variant.”
To translate that from engineering jargon, vans and SUVs come from two completely different constructions. Physique-on-frame development attaches the suspension and drivetrain to a ladder-style body, with a physique and cabin constructed on high. It’s used for off-road autos and work vans as a result of the body’s inherent flex retains the wheels involved with the bottom throughout uneven surfaces. That very same flexibility could make for a rougher experience in street obligation, nevertheless.
Unibody development builds the automobile’s physique because the body in a single inflexible unit. It offers a smoother on-road experience, however the lack of flex makes it more durable to construct a profitable off-roader.
Hyundai’s solely present truck, the Santa Cruz, is a unibody car based mostly on the Tucson SUV. We’re followers of its clean experience and light-duty weekend gardener hauling chops, however we wouldn’t attempt to use it like we’d a Tacoma or a Colorado.
In a product roadmap printed final week, Hyundai additionally famous that it’ll co-develop 5 autos with Normal Motors, together with “compact and midsize vans for Central and South America.” However that venture is listed individually from the body-on-frame truck, which seems to be a Hyundai-only effort.
