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The hardcore Hyundai Crater idea has been teased in sketch kind 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 Palisade, in addition to the Santa Cruz ute.
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No different particulars have been introduced concerning the idea, which is clearly a rugged off-road wagon sporting Hyundai’s new-age pixel design theme.
Nonetheless, Hyundai has made no secret of its want to compete with the top-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux by providing its first dual-cab ute, and it’s attainable the Crater will preview a possible SUV model.
Talking at Hyundai’s current Investor Day, the corporate’s international chief José Muñoz confirmed the model’s first pickup can be launched in North America earlier than 2030, alongside a slide that said “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 might be adopted by a intently associated SUV model – simply because the Everest relies on the Ranger, the Isuzu MU-X relies on the D-Max, and the Toyota Fortuner relies on the outgoing HiLux (however gained’t get replaced).
The Korean auto large’s first ute is predicted to be primarily based on the Kia Tasman, which Kia itself has mentioned it may spawn an off-road SUV if there’s sufficient demand, however Hyundai has made it clear it gained’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,” mentioned 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 12 months, mentioned in Could the corporate would finalise its plans for a brand new ute by the top of this 12 months.
A devoted electrical ute had beforehand been confirmed to be in growth, and trademark filings for the nameplates Ioniq T7 and Ioniq T10 surfaced final 12 months, however Mr Romano advised that may be offered along with a standard dual-cab in Australia.
“Whether or not we go together with an electrical ute, it will not be my desire, however I’d take it and that’s one thing that’s already below growth,” Mr Romano mentioned in Could.
“We’re going to have to search out that widespread denominator that’s going to suit each Australia and international. So there’ll be some compromise – that compromise might be a diesel, might be a hybrid, it might be a plug-in hybrid.
“What I believe we’d like is one thing that competes in opposition to the primary and quantity two out there, they usually’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 clients need. I believe each main producer has one, and I don’t assume you generally is a viable model with out one.
“There’s completely nothing fallacious with the [Kia] Tasman body-on-frame – it’s a fantastic 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 stepping into a distinct path.”
In August, Mr Romano indicated a brand new ute for Australia wouldn’t be locked on this 12 months, citing a decline in whole ute gross sales which may delay growth.
He mentioned there was “wiggle room” within the timeline for the brand new ute to nonetheless arrive in Australia by 2029, as initially deliberate.
Hyundai can be creating a pickup with Common Motors, which is known to be separate from the ladder-frame Ranger rival it would promote within the US by 2030, and Mr Romano didn’t rule it out for Australia both, however mentioned he’d want 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 2024, and 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 ‘life-style’ dual-cab that’s constructed solely in left-hand drive), nevertheless it’s underpinned by a much less sturdy monocoque platform – like the entire Hyundai/Kia group’s massive SUVs together with the Santa Fe/Sorento and Palisade/Telluride.
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