Eat your heart out, El Camino fans: Hyundai to make a ‘crossover truck’
If you ever wanted to know what it might look like to pair a pickup with a crossover vehicle, you might finally get the chance.
Hyundai confirmed Tuesday it would make a production version of a “crossover truck” concept it first revealed at the Detroit auto show in January 2015 in a bid to lure Millennial buyers.
The Santa Cruz will hit the U.S. market at an unspecified time, aiming to capitalize on Americans’ obsession with both pickups and crossover vehicles amid low gasoline prices and shifting design preferences toward roomier rides.
The Korean automaker did not reveal details about the design, so it’s unclear whether the real-life version of the Santa Cruz will resemble the blended design or move into a more conventional direction.
But the company said in January 2015 the vehicle was aimed at “urban adventurers” who need a flexible vehicle for work and recreation.
“This innovative offering will be inspired by the well-received concept vehicle and bring a fresh utility vehicle interpretation to fit the lifestyles of a new generation of buyers,” the company said in a statement Tuesday.
The four-door, five-seat concept model had a 2-liter turbocharged diesel engine with 190 horsepower with fuel economy in the “high 30-mpg range.”
Hyundai does not sell a pickup in the U.S. market. And the Santa Cruz probably won’t target traditional pickup buyers. Instead, the company said in 2015 the concept was aimed at consumers who would usually buy a crossover or sedan but would like “greater utility without the compromises that traditional trucks often require.”
The Korean automaker needs an injection of energy. It has been struggling because of its heavy commitment to passenger cars, which Americans are swiftly ditching.
The Santa Cruz is not to be mistaken for the Hyundai Santa Fe, a compact SUV.