Last
month, Hyundai announced the highly-anticipated Santa Cruz pickup would go into
production at the company’s plant in Montgomery, Alabama beginning in 2021. At the time, the automaker didn’t say much
about the model except it was aimed at Millennials who “want all the
traditional attributes of a compact utility vehicle, but need the day-to-day
versatility of an open bed.”
That
isn’t much to go on and it’s been almost five years since the concept was
introduced at the 2015 North American International Auto Show. The delay has
provoked questions about whether or not the concept’s styling would carry over
to the production model and now we have some answers as a prototype was spotted
by a Road Test reader in South Korea.
The
pickup truck is dressed in heavy camouflage, but it appears larger than the
concept as it features as crew cab configuration rather than an extended cab
setup. That’s a significant change, but it isn’t too much of a surprise as
Americans love crew cab pickups and models such as the Jeep Gladiator and Honda
Ridgeline don’t even offer a single or extended cab variant.
While
the crew cab configuration is new, the rest of the design will apparently echo
the concept. Some details many change, but the photos show a nearly vertical
front fascia and rounded body work. We can also get a glimpse of sloping
C-pillars and some angular accents on the doors. Both are nods to the concept,
but unfortunately there isn’t much else we can make out.
Little
is known about the pickup and there have been conflicting reports on whether
the Santa Cruz will be based on the Tucson or Santa Fe. However, given that the
Santa Fe is also produced in Alabama, it seems like a natural candidate. If that’s the case, the Santa Cruze could
be offered with two four-cylinder engines including an entry-level 2.4-liter
unit developing 185 hp and 241 Nm of torque.
There could also be a turbocharged 2.0-liter with 235 hp and 352 Nm of torque.
