hyundai santa cruz 06
Mike Sinclair12 Jan 2016
NEWS

Hyundai ute on the way

US boss confirms Santa Cruz concept close to production

Hyundai’s star of the 2015 Detroit motor show, the HCD-15 Santa Cruz concept, now looks set for production.

In an interview with Australian media at today’s opening day of the 2016 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Hyundai USA boss Dave Zuchowski all but confirmed the showroom arrival of the five-seat dual-cab light-duty pick-up.

“What’s the easiest way to say that? We’re waiting more for an announcement than we are for an approval, right? HMC [Hyundai Korea head office] is going to dictate [when that happens, but] we feel really good about it,” Zuchowski stated.

“It hasn’t been officially announced yet. Our timing is not crossing our fingers and waiting for approval, it’s trying to figure out when we’re going to announce it,” he said.

The Santa Cruz concept was based on the same monocoque platform as Hyundai’s (now superseded) compact ix35 crossover as opposed to body-on-frame utes such as the Ford Ranger. As such it is designed for ‘lifestyle’ use rather than any heavy-duty purposes.

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“Santa Cruz, by design, isn’t an alternative to a truck, so towing, payload and ground clearance were not primary goals,” said Hyundai Motor America director of corporate planning Mark Dipko on the concept’s debut last year.

“Santa Cruz is intended to attract CUV [SUV] and sedan buyers who are seeking greater utility, without the compromises that traditional trucks often require.”

Hyundai Australia has expressed a desire to add Santa Cruz to its line-up, but it is still unclear whether the vehicle will even be built in right-hand drive.

“I’m not clear on the other markets, but from our perspective it’s a vehicle that will be exported to other markets,” US boss Zuchowski stated.

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