Hyundai’s intent is to disrupt the compact pickup segment with a character-full and unique offering when production of the Santa Cruz begins sometime in late 2020.
This is a sign that the compact pickup segment is expected to grow severely in the next few years. What with the arrival of the new Ford Ranger and the current and still hot Toyota Tacoma and GM twins Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon as well as the soon to be updated Nissan Frontier, Hyundai needs to make that its first foray into the little pickup category will not go unnoticed.
If you recall, the Hyundai Santa Cruz was unveiled four years ago at the Detroit Auto Show. Although the design remains original, Hyundai is said to be hard at work revamping the “truck’s” styling. This is a wise decision as, in the past, the time gap between concept and production was so long that interest in the product faltered.
We know not what items or portions of the Santa Cruz Concept will be updated but we do hope most of it will stay intact as we think it still looks great all these years later.
There are no official specifications available at this time, but odds are that it will share much of its inner-workings on the next Hyundai Tucson. This will mean that base models will be FWD and depend on a smaller displacement 4-cylinder engine. Rumour has it that Hyundai’s aiming to make the Santa Cruz the most affordable of its kind when it launches.
We look forward to that day.
