Hyundai’s upcoming pickup truck to built at its Montgomery plant in Alabama

KUALA LUMPUR: Hyundai has confirmed that its upcoming pickup truck named Santa Cruz will be manufactured at the beginning of 2021 at its Montgomery plant in Alabama, United States.

The pickup truck was first showcased a few years ago as a concept car with the same name at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Hyundai says that Santa Cruz blends the characteristics of a compact SUV with the regular versatility of a pickup truck. According to the carmaker, it “creates a whole new segment that successfully combines capability and utility to meet the unspoken needs of a new generation of buyers, especially millennials.”

Hyundai has not revealed the technical specifications, but the concept offered a 2.0 litres turbodiesel, which is capable of churning out 190 hp of maximum power and 406 Nm of peak torque. The power is sent to the four wheels via Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel drive system.

CEO and president of HMMA said “Bringing the Santa Cruz to HMMA (Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama) demonstrates that Hyundai Motor Company is confident our more than 3,000 team members are ready to build a quality crossover for the US market.”

On the basis of earlier reports, it can be expected that the Hyundai Santa Cruz will ride on a ladder-frame chassis instead of the unibody design presented by the concept. In addition to that, it is also untold how many of the concept’s characteristics will be offered in the production model,

which includes the tailgate extension and rear-hinged doors. If the tailgate extension is provided in the production model, then the buyers can expand the cargo bed to resemble that of a mid-size pickup truck. The carmaker will invest US$410 million in order to expand the existing plant, which will also add up to 200 jobs.

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