Hyundai will start making its first ute Santa Cruz in 2021

Hyundai has finally released its plan to produce its first-ever ute, Santa Cruz. As per the official time frame, production will begin in North America in 2021 at the company’s Montgomery, Alabama assembly plant.

The concept of the much-anticipated truck was showcased in 2015 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit but after that, not even a single highlight or teaser went on air. The Hyundai new ute will be based on the Tucson SUV with prerequisites like 3500 kg braked-towing capacity, 1000 kg payload and off-roading ability.

If we talk about the arrival of the compact utility vehicle in Australia, the brand previously stated that some kind of ute will be coming to the country during 2022 or 2023. Though it had not confirmed whether it is the same American Santa Cruz or not. The firm mentioned, "We look at the suitability of all international products for the Australian market and Santa Cruz is no different, we are currently studying the business case."

In this context, the newly appointed Hyundai Australia CEO, JW Lee said, "pick up is necessary for the Australian market", to stand against Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger. He further added that the firm is yet to work out on the exact form of the needed ute. Currently, it is exploring the Australian, Asian as well as Middle East regions to study the ute market. From all these, we can conclude that right now Hyundai has no set designing and plans for launching the ute globally.

Lee further said, "There are still many areas we need to explore – 4x4, 4x2, single-cab, dual-cab. Those areas are yet to be decided. We are going to develop this pick-up for various markets. Each market has different demands. I think the researchers need to study more to come to a final decision [regarding> which way we go."

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