Hyundai Santa Cruz Pickup, Compact Crossover Decision Coming Soon
Hyundai will decide the fate of two new models very soon.
“There is a very high probability we get the approval of the truck soon,” said Dave Zuchowski, chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor North America.
Originally it was reported that the Korean automaker would make a decision on the Santa Cruz Pickup later this year in November, but it now appears that the decision will come sooner. Debuting at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, the Hyundai Santa Cruz Pickup concept was a pleasant surprise and Zuchowski added that over 90 percent of the potential buyers the company has surveyed liked the concept.
SEE ALSO: Hyundai Santa Cruz Pickup Decision Coming in November
Joining the pickup truck could be a compact crossover model to compete with the Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade and Chevrolet Trax. Like other automakers around the world, Hyundai has taken notice to the growing segment and wants to make sure it can capitalize with its own offering. According to Zuchowski, Hyundai North America had the opportunity to pickup an existing model that’s currently on sale in China but decided to decline as it was too conservative for the U.S. market. Instead, the company will develop a model based on a new platform with a striking design.
[Source: The Detroit Bureau]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Crossover pickup is an idea whose time has come. Crossover SUV's are proving it
HYUNDAI BUILD IT ! Let's go back in time, the year was 1978. Ford had the Courier Pickup, and Chevrolet had the LUV. They sold everyone they could build. Then got a case of the dumbmass, they had a winner an killed it by it becoming it becoming a bloated truck. Hyundai, I told someone this week that you had a knack for doing the impossible, and this small truck might not he considered the impossible, but whose time has come. I'd only add in my two cents worth ... for those like me who could really use a small truck (and there are hundreds of thousands like me) build us a WT or work truck trim. Options ... automatic transmission, tilt wheel, cruise control, air conditioning, AM/FM radio, cloth seats, rubber floor coverings ... a work vehicle. My wife an I own a horse farm and need something like the above ... not another concrete cowboy luxo-barge like GM did with the Colorado.