The hardcore Hyundai Crater idea has been teased in sketch type forward of its world debut at AutoMobility LA 2025 in Los Angeles this Thursday (4:45am AEDT on November 21).
Described as an “excessive off-road present car”, the South Korean model says the Crater “is a compact off-road SUV present car that embodies functionality and toughness” and a “design exploration that captures the spirit of journey”.
“Impressed by excessive environments, the Crater Idea was conceived at Hyundai America Technical Centre (HATCI) in Irvine, California and has been crafted to amplify the identical spirit and robustness present in Hyundai’s XRT manufacturing automobiles.”
Hyundai’s XRT automobiles are extra off-road-capable, ruggedly styled variations of its SUVs, together with the Ioniq 5 and Palisadein addition to the Holy Cross ute.
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No different particulars had been introduced concerning the idea, which is clearly a rugged off-road wagon sporting Hyundai’s new-age pixel design theme.
Nevertheless, Hyundai has made no secret of its need to compete with the top-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux by providing its first dual-cab ute, and it’s potential the Crater will preview a possible SUV model.
Talking at Hyundai’s current Investor Day, the corporate’s world chief José Muñoz confirmed the model’s first pickup could be launched in North America earlier than 2030, alongside a slide that acknowledged “build-out pick-up truck portfolio and broaden buyer base, with potential for body-on-frame SUV variant”.
That means the Hyundai ute can be launched first, and it may very well be adopted by a intently associated SUV model – simply because the Everest is predicated on the Ranger, the Isuzu MU-X is predicated on the D-Maxand the Toyota Fortuner is predicated on the outgoing HiLux (however received’t get replaced).
The Korean auto big’s first ute is predicted to be primarily based on the Kia Tasmanwhich Kia itself has stated it may spawn an off-road SUV if there’s sufficient demand, however Hyundai has made it clear it received’t merely be a rebadged model of the controversially designed dual-cab simply to fast-track the car into manufacturing.
“I’m not leaving till I’ve a ute, and never simply any ute. I imply, we may simply take one other platform and simply go on the market and rebadge it, and that’s simply not acceptable, particularly now,” stated Hyundai Motor Firm Australia president and CEO Don Romano at a current media occasion for the brand new Palisade.
Mr Romano, who was appointed Hyundai’s Australian chief earlier this yr, stated in Could the corporate would finalise its plans for a brand new ute by the tip of this yr.
A devoted electrical ute had beforehand been confirmed to be in improvement, and trademark filings for the nameplates Ioniq T7 and Ioniq T10 surfaced final yr, however Mr Romano urged that may be bought along with a conventional dual-cab in Australia.
“Whether or not we go along with an electrical ute, it could not be my desire, however I’d take it and that’s one thing that’s already below improvement,” Mr Romano stated in Could.
“We’re going to have to search out that widespread denominator that’s going to suit each Australia and world. So there’ll be some compromise – that compromise may very well be a diesel, may very well be a hybrid, it may very well be a plug-in hybrid.
“What I feel we want is one thing that competes towards the primary and quantity two available in the market, and so they’re dominant gamers,” he added, referring to the Ranger and HiLux.
“That’s (mid-size, body-on-frame) what sells right here, that’s what prospects need. I feel each main producer has one, and I don’t suppose you could be a viable model with out one.
“There’s completely nothing improper with the (Kia) Tasman body-on-frame – it’s an amazing infrastructure to construct from. I’ve issues with diesel, though I’d take a diesel short-term if I do know that the evolution was entering into a unique route.”
In August, Mr Romano indicated a brand new ute for Australia wouldn’t be locked on this yrciting a decline in whole ute gross sales which may delay improvement.
He stated there was “wiggle room” within the timeline for the brand new ute to nonetheless arrive in Australia by 2029, as initially deliberate.
Hyundai can also be growing a pickup with Common Motorswhich is known to be separate from the ladder-frame Ranger rival it should promote within the US by 2030, and Mr Romano didn’t rule it out for Australia both, however stated he’d desire a ute to come back from Korea.
A brand new Ranger rival for Latin America can be one of many first 5 fashions Hyundai and GM will develop collectively as a part of a partnership they established in September 2024and it’s more likely to include diesel energy.
Hyundai’s North American ute is extra more likely to be powered by petrol, hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains, that are additionally likelier candidates for any potential SUV model.
Hyundai already sells a ute within the US (the Tucson-based Santa Cruz ‘way of life’ dual-cab that’s constructed solely in left-hand drive), but it surely’s underpinned by a much less strong monocoque platform – like all the Hyundai/Kia group’s giant SUVs together with the Santa Fe/Sorento and Palisade/Telluride.
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