It’ll Be Body-On-Frame
Hyundai offers a very different take on the pickup-truck in the form of the Santa Cruz, but a more traditional model from the South Korean automaker is on the way to North America by the end of the decade. In its 2025 CEO Investor Day presentation, Hyundai confirmed a midsize truck would arrive before 2030, and that instead of the Santa Cruz’s unibody construction, it would be body-on-frame.
“The midsize truck segment is one of the largest and most profitable in the industry,” Hyundai CEO José Muñoz said during the presentation in New York City, adding that an SUV based on the same platform is also possible. “This expansion allows us to broaden our reach and connect directly with customers at the heart of the U.S. market.”
In-House Development
Hyundai
Hyundai has an existing partnership with General Motors that include co-development of a midsize pickup for the Central and South American markets. However, the automaker confirmed that the truck slated for the U.S. is a separate model being developed without GM’s input.
The U.S.-market midsize pickup will also feature an electrified powertrain, likely a hybrid. In the same presentation, Hyundai also said it would launch “extended-range EVs” in 2027, with supplementary gasoline engines acting as generators and combined ranges of up to 600 miles using both gasoline and battery power. But it’s unclear if the pickup will get one of these powertrains.
Hyundai also will also bring an “electrified large van” for the North American market, part of an effort to grow commercial vehicle sales that also includes continued sales of the Xcient hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck. The van, due in 2028, will likely be a product of the GM partnership, which also includes a compact car and SUV for Central and South America.
Global Expansion, Local Focus
Hyundai
A body-on-frame pickup truck is part of Hyundai’s renewed focus on locally-specific models. Just as that model is likely to appeal mostly to U.S. customers, the automaker is also launching the Elexio electric SUV and an electric sedan in China with local production to keep them price-competitive. And the automaker confirmed that the upcoming Ioniq 3 small EV based on the recently-unveiled Concept Three will “target European mass-market customers”—an indication that it won’t reach the U.S.
However, one common thread running through all markets will be increased emphasis on hybrids. In addition to the extended-range EVs, Hyundai said it will launch more than 18 hybrid models globally by 2030, including the first hybrids for its Genesis luxury brand starting in 2026. In the U.S., Hyundai already offers Elantra, Sonata, Tucson, and Santa Fe hybrids, with the Palisade Hybrid due to go on sale before the end of this year.
