Hi-po Hyundai ute under consideration

Hyundai Australia will be very closely monitoring how the most expensive luxury and performance dual-cab utes perform in Australia over the next couple of years.

That's because the local division is preparing to unleash its own high-end one-tonne load-lugger from around 2020, with an eye on the top end of town.

Although Hyundai has not officially green-lit a one-tonne utilitarian pick-up, or ute as we call them here, alongside the company's US-centric lifestyle Santa Cruz pick-up, executives within the company are openly – and positively – talking about such a vehicle.

Indeed, the company appears confident a one-tonne ute to rival the top-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux will happen if and when a new factory is constructed, with evidence pointing towards Thailand.

Andrew Tuitahi, senior manager of product planning at Hyundai Australia, told motoring.com.au that Australia will play a key role in shaping the new ute.

"We're making our way through the first milestones now, providing feedback to head office as to what key criteria need to be met in order to be successful in Australia. Things like towing capacity, engine performance, off-road ability et cetera," said Tuitahi.

The new ute would be expected to be sold in South-East Asia, Africa, South America and of course Australia. But it's not a slam dunk just yet, explains the Hyundai product boss.

"There's a few things that need to take place before we can really be confident in a product coming to market in the next two or three years. So I think first we need to identify a factory, before we go through more milestones before we build the pickup.

"As it stands right now we don’t really see a suitable location. Once that's been finalised then we'll get through the gates pretty quickly," he said.

In 2016 the Toyota HiLux was the best-selling vehicle in Australia and more recently the Ford Ranger managed topped the monthly sales charts for the first time ever.

The Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute is on its way in 2018, dubbed the world's first luxury pickup, and the Ford Ranger Raptor will also push the boundaries of what utes can do.

They'll also push prices to $80,000, which begs the question: will Hyundai go gang-busters with a high-end luxury ute, or perhaps a hard-core power monger?

"It's definitely a consideration," explains Tuitahi. "When we feed back [to Seoul] with key criteria, one of the elements is cabin appointments, another is engine performance.

"What we've seen typically is a four-cylinder diesel workhorse but we're watching Amarok come with a V6, the Ranger Raptor with a 2.7-litre V6 turbo maybe.

Imagine a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol ute with 270kW? There's also talk that Hyundai's luxury brand, Genesis, is developing a new high output diesel engine for the European market, an engine that would slot very nicely into a one-tonne dual-cab ute.

"Definitely it's something we're mindful of and we'll watch that space and see what customer acceptance is. They'll be quite pricey and we'll need to see if people are willing to pay for those performance trucks.

"Right now big volume is diesel segment, but when cars like Ranger Raptor come to market it will be interesting. If it's anything like an F-150 Raptor it will be very cool!"

As the third largest car maker on the planet, with a mandate to disrupt, if anyone can pull off a head-turning ute it's Hyundai... Watch this space.