According to Hyundai, the Santa Cruz was not designed to be an alternative to a truck. The rumour mill continues to churn over Hyundais forthcoming pickup, a product that has seemingly been in gestation longer than a baby elephant.Recent scuttlebutt had the maybe-it-will, maybe-it-wont vehicle being built on a unibody platform think Santa Fe or Palisade with a bed instead of a cargo area and youd be on the right track.Now, however, it seems likely the Hyundai pickup will be built on a ladder-frame chassis. According to an interview with Aussie automotive site Which Car, development costs of a new separate frame will be shared with Kia, meaning theres every chance that brand will get a version of the truck as well.Whats clear to us is that if were going to bring a ute out, it had better be a ute, said John Kett, Hyundai Australia CEO, before setting off for the Outback to wrestle a gooly-gooly snake with his bare hands. Were going down that pathway and were working towards it. We just have to make sure that when it arrives, its a bloody ute.Clear as the water at Surfers Paradise, eh, mate? Kett went on to tell the Aussie gearheads the company is looking at a range of models, including two- and four-wheel-drive models and a possible array of cab configurations. Introducing anything other than a four-door Crew Cab would be a waste of time in this and many other countries, so, if a Hyundai pickup does materialize, expect it to launch in that body style.Another wrench in the works? Just because a company is selling a vehicle Down Under doesnt necessarily mean itll make it to this side of the pond. For proof of that in this very segment, one need look no further than Ford, a company which inexplicably refuses to sell the mighty Ranger Raptor in this country despite a favourable climate for doing so.Earlier this year, top brass at Hyundais U.S. unit spoke about the pickup truck in interviews, saying it would be very versatile and create a whole new class of buyers. Whatever form the truck takes, theres a good chance it will be manufactured in North America, thanks to the so-called Chicken Tax that levies stiff tariffs on imported pickup
Origin: Hyundai’s upcoming pickup will have a ladder frame, confirms exec