Hyundai: We want the right ute, not any ute

Hyundai has already confirmed its long-awaited ute will land – or at least be revealed in production form – by 2027 and is unlikely to be a rebadged version of the Kia Tasman. Now, local executives say the inbound dual-cab will “cover both bases” in terms of being a rugged ladder-frame workhorse like the Toyota HiLux as well as a more family-friendly lifestyle ute like the Santa Cruz previously sold in the US.

Hyundai Australia now has ‘surety’ around its long-touted ute – including what’s coming and when – according to local executives, who revealed “a few options” are on the table.

In a recent interview with carsales, Hyundai Australia boss Don Romano revealed the model was still at least another 12 months away from bring revealed and that while the brand was leaning towards a traditional ladder-frame chassis – ala the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger – a car-based monocoque set-up wasn’t completely off the agenda.

“The concepts that we’re landing on cover both of those bases,” Hyundai Australia product planning and development manager Tim Rodgers said.

“Australian buyers have very specific needs [towing, payload, durability] we want to address but we also know that we can’t come in with the same ute everyone else has.

“We need to be differentiated but answering the market – that’s kind of our formula we’re working off.”

Chief operating officer Gavin Donaldson added that he thought “a body-on-frame is what” the brand has “to look for to be competitive”, though badge-engineering the Kia Tasman wasn’t the preferred option.

Rodgers added: “We want to get the right ute, not just any ute.”

The Santa Cruz lifestyle ute – sold in North America on SUV underpinnings – underwent major market research before it launched and has been hugely successful as a result.

“I think the Santa Cruz is an interesting vehicle ... it was the subject of the biggest ever research program that our company’s done globally,” Hyundai Australia PR boss Bill Thomas said.

“It was a huge piece of market research and they saw there was a gap in the market for that kind of vehicle; a more lifestyle, quite a useful utility that wasn’t a so-called body-on-frame pick-up in the States – and they sold every one they could make and are still going quite well with it.

“I think there’s always this hunger for us to look at the market, look to fill it with particular products. 

“With Australia I know we’ve been doing extremely detailed reports and requests to Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) for some years, and that continues [for the ute].

“We now have more surety about what’s coming and when. There are still a few options that HMC might consider, but we’re in a good place with it.”

Speaking to media more broadly, Donaldson described the ute program as “a work in progress”.

“Strategically it’s still a work in progress; it’s probably more towards another couple of years from now; it’s still in consideration it’ll be a ute in collaboration with the US,” he said.

“I still think you need to have a ute. It still plays an important part in your portfolio. 

“Now what the volume will be in the long term, now I can’t answer that; but it’s 20 per cent of the market.”

“We are not walking away from a ute, we still want a ute. I think ultimately what it’s about [now] is the powertrain we’re trying to get into the country, what we could put into the ute.”

* Lead image generated with AI assistance

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