Hyundai locks in dual-cab ute

Hyundai USA has confirmed its Tucson-based Santa Cruz pick-up concept will enter production, but Hyundai Australia is likely to instead hold out for a genuine one-tonne ute to rival Toyota's top-selling HiLux next decade.

“We have made the decision,” Hyundai Motor America president and CEO Dave Zuchowski told Motor Trend last week. “We have not made the announcement.”

According to Motor Trend, the Korean car-maker will officially announce the dual-cab 'lifestyle' ute will join its US line-up in 2018 at the Los Angeles motor show in November or the Detroit show in January.

Like the concept that previewed it, the production model will share its monocoque platform with the mid-size Tucson SUV, and its final design is being reviewed this month.

Motoring.com.au understands the showroom version of the car-based ute will be near-identical to the Santa Cruz show car, which featured an extendable cargo bed, and that it will be powered initially by a four-cylinder petrol engine.

However, Hyundai is developing a new diesel engine for its Genesis luxury brand in coming years, and it could also be offered in the Santa Cruz, which is likely to be produced in the US rather than Mexico or Korea.

In North America, the dual-cab would be a rival for Honda's second-generation Ridgeline, which has just been reintroduced after a two-year hiatus, with prices starting around $US25,000.

Motor Trend quoted Zuchowski as saying an internal forecast of about 50,000 annual sales in the US “makes sense for us”, and that the new model will play a key role in increasing Hyundai's US SUV/LCV split from 25 to 45 per cent within four years. SUVs and trucks currently account for 62 per cent of the total North American market.

The figure is almost as high in Australia, where more than 400,000 SUVs and almost 200,000 light commercial vehicles were sold last year, and the most popular LCVs were dual-cab 4x4 utes.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia has long coveted a direct rival for top-selling one-tonners like the HiLux and Ford Ranger, without which it was the fourth biggest-selling brand here last year behind Toyota, Mazda and Holden, which sold just 957 more vehicles.

When the Santa Cruz concept was unveiled at the 2015 Detroit show, then HMCA chief John Elsworth didn't hide his lack of enthusiasm for the car-derived ute, saying his company wants a full-chassis commercial ute to go with its popular iLoad van.

HMCA spokesman Bill Thomas today reiterated that desire, but did not dismiss the possibility of the Santa Cruz being sold Down Under, if it was produced in right-hand drive.

"It's not the ute we need, but we're not ruling it out, either. It might do really well, but actually getting it in the first place is difficult," he said.

"Judging by the research the Americans did on that vehicle, they're likely to sell every one they build -- so again, the question is raised as to whether the US plant will have capacity to build extra RHD cars for Australia, assuming a decision is made to engineer Santa Cruz for RHD in the first place, which is far from a given.

"It's a brilliant project for America and no doubt will be successful, but it's not as relevant for us.

"We haven't researched the possibilities of the vehicle here and I'm not sure it'll be a priority given the new products we have coming next year, including the new i30 and new small SUV.

"We don't have official confirmation that a HiLux rival will definitely be produced, but the signs from our parent company are stronger now than they've ever been. Even if a full program was initiated today, it'd be 2020 at the earliest before we saw it.

"So Santa Cruz is not a definite no but it's a very long way from being possible at this stage, even if we researched it and found there was strong demand."