Earlier this year, Hyundai did something weird. To announce that it would be bringing a pickup truck to the United States, it showed an SUV concept called the Boulder. Hyundai made it very clear that it was just a concept at the time, but, obviously, everyone that saw it has been wondering if Hyundai would build it. Australian news outlet Drive was able to chat with Hyundai’s CEO, José Muñoz, who said things that suggest the Boulder will happen.
In fact, there might even be more than just a single truck and an SUV, and we may not have long to wait for a reveal.
Hyundai Boulder Concept side angle in silverHyundai
There’s A “Family” Of Body-On-Frame Vehicles Coming
Drive was mainly talking to Muñoz about the potential for right-hand-drive versions of Hyundai’s body-on-frame vehicles, and Muñoz seemed to imply that it was a strong possibility. It would only make sense to us, since Kia already competes in the Australian and southeast Asian truck market, so why wouldn’t Hyundai?
However, Muñoz apparently spoke more broadly about the body-on-frame plans, and what caught our attention was that Munoz was describing a “family” of body-on-frame vehicles. You don’t get a family from a single vehicle, and if the pickup is already confirmed for America, then it sure seems like an SUV like the Boulder is all but confirmed.
The other big thing that caught our attention was that Muñoz apparently hinted that some related vehicle will be shown at the New York Auto Show next year. Since the Boulder was shown this year as a concept to preview the truck, we predict this next New York reveal will be our first look at the actual pickup.
The truck may still be a concept version, since all we know about the truck is that it’s going to reach the market by the end of the decade. So there will still be a year or two between the upcoming New York reveal and when a production model could hit the market. Additionally, since the truck is all that has been officially confirmed at this point, we still expect it to arrive before the SUV.
Hyundai Boulder ConceptHyundai
What Other Models Could Expand This Body-On-Frame Family?
Hyundai is a company that’s not afraid to put a lot of money into a niche product that doesn’t necessarily spawn many siblings. However, the smart move when developing a new, expensive vehicle platform is to have a couple of products based on it to get the most sales from it as possible. Having both a pickup and SUV on this platform with Hyundai badges is a strong start, but we could see the automaker going farther.
Last year, Genesis showed the X Gran Equator concept, which was unquestionably a look at what a Range Rover or G-Class competitor from Genesis could look like. Why not use this new Hyundai body-on-frame platform for a production X Gran Equator? Toyota has even proven this strategy to be successful with its Land Cruiser-based Lexus SUVs, the LX and GX.
Hyundai Boulder ConceptHyundai
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
This year, Hyundai is making it clear that it’s not taking its foot off the gas when it comes to taking on new segments. The company recently announced plans to further expand its range of performance vehicles, and Genesis just showed its stunning GV90. The body-on-frame space is sort of the automaker’s final frontier, and if its impressive showings with EVs and mainstream vehicles is any indication, Hyundai will be arriving heavily armed in its fight against Toyota, GM, and Ford.
It’s going to be mighty exciting watching Hyundai over the next few years.
Source: Drive
