Hyundai-GM partnership could deliver a surprise Tasman rival

Rumour has it Hyundai is in talks with General Motors and is looking to exchange battery-electric vans for at least one Kia Tasman, Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger-rivalling 4x4 pick-up truck.

According to a recent report by Reuters, the two automotive giants are exploring a collaborative effort to ward off the growing mass of increasingly affordable Chinese EVs that are already negatively impacting the brands’ global sales.

The publication cited insiders who reportedly supplied sensitive documents surrounding the emerging partnership as well as anecdotal details of the deal that will see Hyundai manufacture zero-emission vans in Korea and import them into North America before moving production stateside in 2028 to sidestep President Donald Trump’s proposed import tariffs.

North American versions of the Ioniq 5 electric crossover are already produced in Georgia and will soon be joined by the full-sized Ioniq 9 SUV before the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America is expanded to accommodate stateside hybrid production and the upcoming vans.

It’s unclear if Hyundai would manufacture the GM versions of the electric vans or if the General would do it itself, albeit with Hyundai’s componentry.

And it’s a similar story with the pick-up trucks the Korean brand would receive in return – a Hyundai-branded version of the Chevrolet Colorado or GMC Canyon (largely one and the same vehicle).

While this is very promising for the North American arm of Hyundai, it doesn’t bode so well for the Australian, European or Asian markets which will almost certainly be denied an H-branded ladder-frame truck seeing as the Chevrolet-GMC duo are exclusively built in the US and thereby left-hand-drive only.

That’s a bummer for Hyundai Australia given how lucrative the local ute market is, especially seeing as Kia is about the launch the Tasman – from which Hyundai won’t be delivering a sibling.

Local bosses have previously told Australian media to “be patient” as the ute situation evolves, but that was a couple of years ago now and the brand has been largely quite since ruling out a Tasman clone in 2024.

The brand’s PR department had nothing to add when contacted by carsales as to the new GM partnership and any possible products to come from it, even though the local operation has a decent history of securing North American-focused products like the Palisade and i30 Sedan for our market.

Reuters also suggested Hyundai could be eying a Korean-born “version of GM’s popular full-sized pickups”, but word is the General hasn’t put that option on the table… for now.

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