Korean automaker Hyundai will finalise its plans for a brand new ute by the end of this year, according to local boss Don Romano.
Hyundai is one of the few mainstream automakers to have never offered a ute in Australia – a missed opportunity given the popularity of the body style Down Under.
But after years of speculation, it appears the brand will soon nail down plans for a ute that will serve both Australian and overseas markets.
“We’re not there, we’re going to be there this year,” Mr Romano – the new CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) – told CarExpert when asked about plans for a pickup.
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2020 concept render
“We’re going to come up with a solution that everybody can say, ‘yeah, this works for me’.
The nature of the upcoming model remains unclear, with several options still on the table. A battery-electric (BEV) ute is already in development, and its likelihood of being sold in Australia was bolstered by a trademark filing for the Ioniq T10 nameplate here last year.
Alternatively, the new ute could be spun off the recently launched Kia Tasman, given Kia is part of the Hyundai Motor Group.
Hyundai already sells the petrol-powered Santa Cruz (pictured below) – based on the Tucson SUV – in the US, but it hasn’t been earmarked for right-hand drive production thus far. And, given the unfavourable exchange rate and impact of tariffs, that’s unlikely to change any time soon.
Mr Romano hopes for a mid-size, body-on-frame ute that can serve as a competitive rival to the best-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux in Australia. However, he remains open to other styles of vehicle if it will speed up the development process.
“We’re going to have to find that common denominator that’s going to fit both Australia and global. So there’ll be some compromise – that compromise could be a diesel, could be a hybrid, it could be a plug-in hybrid,” said Mr Romano.
“Whether we go with an electric ute, it would not be my preference, but I would take it and that is something that is already under development.
“What I think we need is something that competes against the number one and number two in the market, and they’re dominant players.
“That’s [mid-size, body-on-frame] what sells here, that’s what customers want. I think every major manufacturer has one, and I don’t think you can be a viable brand without one.
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Tasman body-on-frame – it’s a great infrastructure to build from. I have concerns with diesel, although I would take a diesel short-term if I know that the evolution was going in a different direction.
“We know what we want to build, we could build it off of that. How long would it take? Probably longer than I have.”
While a decision is set to be made before the calendar flicks over to 2026, there are still plenty of boxes to tick before a ute with Hyundai badging arrives in local showrooms.
Nevertheless, Mr Romano emphasised that the issue is a top priority for the marque.
“Almost all my discussions, all the meetings that I’m having are to provide input in this area. They wouldn’t be asking for the input at my level unless there was a serious need,” concluded Mr Romano.
“In terms of the timeline, I’ve never seen our company so committed to figuring this problem out and coming up with a solution, and that goes right up to the top.”
MORE: Hyundai ute: Do we finally have a name?
