Hyundai unveiled a highly-welcoming pickup truck
concept at the NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) three years ago
and speculations floated on the internet suggested a probable production
version ever since. The Santa Cruz concept depicted a road-going Hyundai workhorse
in all its reality but to the disappointment of many it won’t entering
international showrooms anytime soon.
Rumours said that despite significant talks over the
production Santa Cruz, it will not be launched this year or in 2019. This goes
on to say the arrival of the sporty pickup truck is at least two years away.
The main reason for the delayed transformation between the concept and
production phase is the enough time taken for the project to get a green signal
from Hyundai board.
It was reported to have not received the approval
until late 2016 and since ex-Hyundai America CEO Dave Zuchowski was sacked in
the same year, the production pickup truck project faced a number of hurdles.
Since the concept is more three years old, we had decided to incorporate the
latest global design philosophy of Hyundai in the rendered images and see how
it looked. Needless to say, it fit the bill perfectly with now-signature
cascading grille, sharp headlamps, side profile and rear taking inspiration
from the facelifted Creta and a usable bed for carrying load.
Hyundai may not offer a diesel engine despite the
Creta Santa Cruz Crossover Concept using a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel motor,
which produced a maximum power output of 190 hp and 406 Nm of peak torque. The
production version of Hyundai Creta STC pickup truck is expected to compete
against the likes of forthcoming Jeep Scrambler and Ford Ranger in the United
States. The rivalry will only get tough as Volkswagen is preparing Tanoak
Concept based pickup truck as well.
