Hyundai Eyes the Midsize Pickup Truck Market with GM Partnership
Hyundai has experienced a remarkable surge in recent years. The Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands have together released exciting new vehicles and expanded into new segments. The combined brands have produced four of the last five World Car of the Year Award winners and 19 finalists for North American Car and Utility Vehicle Awards since 2019. One segment the company has yet to penetrate is the body-on-frame pickup truck market.
The closest Hyundai has come to entering this market is the Santa Cruz, which competes with the Ford Maverick. But the Santa Cruz is essentially a crossover with a bed.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz has been the closest thing to a pickup the company has offered to date.
According to a recent report, Hyundai may be planning to produce a competitor to the Toyota Tacoma in the near future.
Collaboration with General Motors
Reuters reports that Hyundai and General Motors are in extensive discussions regarding potential vehicle collaborations. The focus of the discussions with GM is primarily a trade-off. GM could provide its platform, which is used in the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, for a Hyundai-branded midsize truck in the U.S. market. In return, Hyundai would build GM versions of two electric vans. Hyundai would start production in South Korea initially before potentially moving to a new facility in America by 2028.
It is unclear when the new Hyundai truck will arrive in America. However, Reuters indicates that the truck deal will be finalized after the van deal. The report also noted that Hyundai is interested in producing a full-size truck in America, but access to the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 platform is not currently being discussed.
What to Expect from the Potential Hyundai Truck
If the agreement is finalized, Hyundai’s new midsize truck will most likely be a rebadged Colorado/Canyon. This allows for some projections about the truck’s potential features.
The Hyundai truck will use GM’s turbocharged 2.7-liter inline-four engine, probably the one with 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. The truck may be offered in different versions.
GM offers a two-inch suspension lift, which is optional on the Colorado and standard on the Canyon. Hyundai may not go as far as the Canyon AT4X AEV Edition, but an XRT off-roading trim is expected.
The General Motors logo.
TopSpeed’s Take:
We are excited about Hyundai potentially entering the pickup market. We’d be even more excited if Hyundai offered something new, such as a fresh platform and electrified powertrains, instead of a rebadged combustion GM truck. However, implementing that solid platform would be a wise, economical way for Hyundai to establish a foothold in a competitive midsize truck segment.
