A few years off, according to the Korean brand’s local operating chief, **Hyundai Australia’ newest foray into the growing dual-cab ute market is still one of the first ones in its history. ** **
Speaking with media, Hyundai Australia chief operating officer Gavin Donaldson said the brand’s rival to the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux is still likely to launch around 2028.
Historically, it’s still a work in progress,” “Strategically.” It’s a bit of reversal towards – two years from now. Mr Donaldson said it’s still “being developed] in partnership with the US and that is a phraser which has been used as.
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2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
questioned whether Hyundai will still be competing in the dual-cab ute market for 2028 as more and further players entered the segment, Mr Donaldson said ‘It is vital to have such a product in Australia on volume alone.
They are selling one in five cars [in Australia] because it’s 20 per cent of the market. the secondary portion of is Then,. But the second car in the driveway is easier to sell,’ he explained.
But if you have a product portfolio like Hyundai does, it will actually complement all the other cars that we drive – so I think it gives us volume opportunities from there.
Paraphrasing “We are not walking away from a car, but we want ute. I am in great consultation [with Hyundai Motor Company] about the phraser. In the end, I think what it’s about [now is] it’s the strength we want to enter the country. , “It’s a phrase that says.
Kia Tasman
In a follow-up interview with childcareman.xyz, product planning and development manager for Hyundai Australia, Tim Rodgers, reiterated local CEO Don Romano’s recent comments that the brand’s upcoming dual-cab won’t just be a rebadged Kia Tasman, for example.
Mr Rodgers, who said ‘We want the right ute and not just any UTE.’ Australian buyers have very specific needs we would like to address but we also know we cant come in with only the same uter everyone else has got.
Mr Donaldson and Mr Rodgers were then asked whether the Hyundai ute will lean more towards the Tasman in concept as a ladder-frame, heavier-duty vehicle, or be more akin to the Tucson-based Santa Cruz unibody ute available in North America – and the response was interesting.
“The concepts that we’re landing on cover both of those bases,” said Mr Rodgers.
Mr Donaldson added: “I think a body-on-frame is what we’ve got to look for to be competitive”.
PR boss for Hyundai Australia, Bill Thomas, then added some further context.
Mr Thomas said ‘I think the Santa Cruz is an interesting car – it was the subject of the biggest ever research program our company has done in the world.
It was a great piece of market research, and they saw the gap in that segment of car market; ‘it is… an improved lifestyle, more useful utility than so-called body-on frame pickup in the States – sold every one they could make, but are still going well with it.
We always want to look at the market and buy specific products,” . I know Australia I have been doing very detailed reports and requests to Hyundai Motor Company for a number of years, which continues [for the ute] and that’s why we do so.
Now we know what’s coming and when,’ . Some options [global HQ] may consider, but we’re in good place with it,” Mr Thomas said.
Santa Cruz
It has been a debate topic for over 10 years about the mystery dual-cab from Hyundai, which is not based on the Kia Tasman at this stage; it’s unclear whether it belongs to an multi-product partnership between Hyundai and General Motors.
A dedicated electric ute had already been confirmed to be in development, and trademark filings for the nameplates Ioniq T7 and Ioniq T10 surfaced last year. It could also potentially spawn a ladder-frame 4WD SUV on the same platform.
“We can’t really get into it right now, but we do have an option that’s coming out. It’s not necessarily a plug-in hybrid, but it is going to be a different type of hybrid, that’s all I can say,” explained Don Romano in November, suggesting the ute could be offered as an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV).
He said ‘We are in a relationship with General Motors and we’re looking at that relationship. But that’s not the deal yet, it isn’t a done deal for . I think we may just go on our own. We looked at ‘do we have a website?’ And I will not say that was the best choice. But it would have to be different than what they came to market with because, again, it’s returning to the differentiation.
Ford Ranger
He said ‘Now you have MG with the out-of-the-ute, you see the [BYD] Sharks driving around – I mean it’s going to be tougher and toughier than we really think differently.’ Hyundai’S local boss added on his statement.
He’s leading this charge, José Muoz is thinking very differently and I think [Hyundai Motor Company CEO] – who has been the leader of this company – does it. Hopefully I can go to this stage more detail with you, but it’s going to be coming soon.
It is another two and a half years for my work permit,’ said. I don’t leave until it’s coming… We’re going to be a couple and will talk to you about this.
It’s a promise, here’ is the date, this’t the car, and what makes it different from that.’ Mr Romano said ‘If they make up what we’re talking about at this stage and on what I’m doing then mind-blowing, it’ll be great.
During 2025, 4×4 (as in Australia) uted registrations of 4X4 accounted for a massive 212,513 registration totaling an increase of four. yearly on year, 7 per cent of s are in the same category as years.
Leading the charge was Australia’s favourite car, the Ford Ranger, which accounted for 53,694 units of that figure – and that’s not including 4×2 versions, either.
The Toyota HiLux accounted for 43,661 4×4 registrations, followed by the Isuzu D-Max with 21,085. Meanwhile, the Kia Tasman only accounted for 3924 units despite huge pre-launch hype.
It’s clear that Hyundai Australia is putting the effort and time it takes to ensure its first dual-cab ute doesn’t follow the Tasman’s form, with differentiation from key market players at heart for its next model.
For now, we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Stay tuned to childcareman.xyz for all the latest.
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