Hyundai plans mid sized PU for the NA Market

[dtech]

If they would do something with the front end and make the flares look less tacked-on, it would look a lot better. Still bad, but better.
I hear that already Kia here are offering a no cost option if you want the flares painted body coloured. Probably a no brainer unless you are buying a black one. In fact actually looks pretty good on the desert sand colour, saw one the other day done like that.

If Hyundai's Santa Cruz is sold in australia - has it sold well ? Hasn't done great in the US market with year over year sales declines. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's a corporate strategy that KIA doesn't bring that abomination of a truck to the US but will rely on Hyundai to release a truck styled and equipped more fittingly for the US market - hence their hinting at employing the Palisade hybrid drive train which I think would be successful in their product launch and certainly be on the competitions radar. Wasn't all that long ago that skeptics didn't think turbo charged motors in pickups would gain wide acceptance in the US

Sponsored

 

[Dr. Zaius]

I wonder if Santa Cruz sales are impacted by the reputation of the DCT in them.

The early years of it were notorious.

The "fixed" DCT still grenaded with boring regularity.

I don't know if they ever came up with a sure fix for it.

A 10 year/100,000 mile warranty is little comfort when your vehicle will be waiting months for parts to fix it.

 

[a6m5]

Edit:

I had to Google the final product. I like it!

that Kia looks suspiciously like a toyota to me

LB

I do see Toyota-like line now after seeing this pic. Around the cab.

These are on sale over here now, by all accounts they are pretty good on and off road, and have Kia's usual high build quality. I thought about buying one, but.... well I'm sure it will look better once you take it out of the shipping crate. I'll just wait until the price drops, which it most assuredly will, although my wife has threatened to leave me before she would be seen in it.

I'm curious to see what the final product looks like, as that image looks like render, or early concept.

I wouldn’t drive it.

It's kind of all over the place & fugly right now, but I like the basic form. I'd be interested to see what it brings to the market/segment. I know Koreans been building work trucks for around the world, but I'm not really familiar with them as they only sell passenger vehicles here.

Also, while I call it fugly, even in that render/concept stage I'd prefer it to current Hyundai designs. Their cars looks good, but not a fan of their crossovers:

 

[dtech]

I wonder if Santa Cruz sales are impacted by the reputation of the DCT in them.

The early years of it were notorious.

The "fixed" DCT still grenaded with boring regularity.

I don't know if they ever came up with a sure fix for it.

A 10 year/100,000 mile warranty is little comfort when your vehicle will be waiting months for parts to fix it.

If you read the Santa Cruz reviews - weak base engine, turbo gets pricey , plus IIRC it's only a 4' bed, DCT isn't much good for any serious off roading. I think the 10yr/10k is a great marketing tool, it only applies to the powertrain and of course it's limited. I bought my daughter a 2007 elantra as her 1st car, it was trouble free but at 80k miles the suspension was pretty much shot and she didn't drive it hard, we owned a 2013 Sante Fe turbo (wife's car) and it was pretty much trouble free but certainly not in the top tier of SUVs, daughter replaced her Elantra with a Tucson, it was cheap at $21k but underpowered and poor fuel economy, she totaled it at 65k miles and remarkedly got $ 16k from insurance - with a $2k deductible so $18k . Hyundai has a reputation of being a PIA for warranty claims. Theta II engine was a disaster for Hyundai - replaced millions and cost them several billion. Their later engines are improved but still fail more than many competitors. But Hyundai/KIA have broad appeal and are often priced below competing brands, many people don't keep an auto 10yrs/10k miles - that warranty is only for original owner.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Yep I must admit they look pretty good. And also a bit of a parts bin job that you would do if you could build a parts car and and get to choose good bits to do it, BMW engines, ZF gearbox, TRW all gear transfer case, Eaton diffs, and a traditional old Defender body and chassis style. Most owners over here are pretty happy with their cars, even more impressive considering it IS a parts bin car from a low volume, boutique maker.

Sounds a bit like an AMC product - bits and pieces from other manufacturers were sometimes used.

 

[Cmar]

Sounds a bit like an AMC product - bits and pieces from other manufacturers were sometimes used.

Yep I used to be in a Jeep club over here many years ago we used to refer to them as JEEP Just Everyone Else's Parts.

 

[Cmar]

Edit:

I had to Google the final product. I like it!


I do see Toyota-like line now after seeing this pic. Around the cab.


I'm curious to see what the final product looks like, as that image looks like render, or early concept.

It's kind of all over the place & fugly right now, but I like the basic form. I'd be interested to see what it brings to the market/segment. I know Koreans been building work trucks for around the world, but I'm not really familiar with them as they only sell passenger vehicles here.

Also, while I call it fugly, even in that render/concept stage I'd prefer it to current Hyundai designs. Their cars looks good, but not a fan of their crossovers:

I'm curious to see what the final product looks like, as that image looks like render, or early concept.

Er that IS the final product, not a concept car, it is registered in New South Wales, probably a journo's loan car, or a dealer demonstrator. It's identical to the cars I've seen beginning to run around on the street, it's been on sale since late July / early August, and unlike the new Ranger at launch, there isn't a 6 month waiting list.

https://www.kia.com/au/cars/tasman/features.html

 

[Cmar]

I must admit I did look one over pretty closely, and they do have some fairly impressive features, the inside is really nicely finished with a quality feel, and very comfortable, the 2.2 litre diesel is the same one as in the Hyundai Santa Fe / Kia Sorento, however they've managed to squeeze 10 more kilowatts out of it and a few more NM of torque.

They also fitted it with water to air inter-cooling, which would be excellent for low speed crawling. Don't know why more 4x4 diesel makers don't do that, other than cost. They've used the 8 speed auto from the Hyundai Genesis, an AWD/ or part time 4x4 transfer case, a really solid drive line and a very solid looking auto locking rear diff. - looks like something from an F250!

The front suspension setup is similar to the Ranger, and reliable leaves have been used in the rear. Most motoring jurno's -well the ones who are used to reviewing pickups anyway, have said that the ride is very similar to a Ranger with perhaps a touch more body roll. The wimpy ones used to reviewing sedans and hatch backs have said awww it's too hard. Poor sookums.

They've also said the 2.2 diesel actually performs much better in reality that it looks on paper, pulling strongly and smoothly, and never really feeling under powered. Having experienced that unit myself in a Santa Fe wagon for a few years, firstly mine, then my wife's, now my youngest son's, coming up on 200,000 Km, still running strong and trouble free I can only agree.

If only they had used one of their ex Audi stylists instead of someone who had played way too much Borderlands on their PC.

I know that Hyundai / Kia vehicles haven't always had the best reputation in the US but over here we only get the Korean built ones, and they have a build quality similar to most of the Japanese makes. We never had the Theta engine issue over here to anything like the extent you did. A few failures here and there but hey, so have Ford. The i5 diesels like I have in mine were notorious for destroying piston no 5, and for oil pump and EGR cooler failures. Didn't stop people (including me) from buying them.

 

[Cmar]

If Hyundai's Santa Cruz is sold in australia - has it sold well ? Hasn't done great in the US market with year over year sales declines. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's a corporate strategy that KIA doesn't bring that abomination of a truck to the US but will rely on Hyundai to release a truck styled and equipped more fittingly for the US market - hence their hinting at employing the Palisade hybrid drive train which I think would be successful in their product launch and certainly be on the competitions radar. Wasn't all that long ago that skeptics didn't think turbo charged motors in pickups would gain wide acceptance in the US

Nope the Santa Cruz was never sold here, Hyundai didn't build a RHD version. I imagine if they had they might have become a bit of a inner city cult car, like the Suzuki Mighty Boy was back in the 1980's.
Not sure if you ever saw them in the States, panels where thinner than tissue paper, and in a crash probably about as effective, but they were fun to drive and would run practically forever on a tank of fuel. They were also surprisingly roomy on the inside for such a small car.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_Mighty_Boy

 

[a6m5]

that Kia looks suspiciously like a toyota to me

LB

I'm curious to see what the final product looks like, as that image looks like render, or early concept.

Er that IS the final product, not a concept car, it is registered in New South Wales, probably a journo's loan car, or a dealer demonstrator. It's identical to the cars I've seen beginning to run around on the street, it's been on sale since late July / early August, and unlike the new Ranger at launch, there isn't a 6 month waiting list.

https://www.kia.com/au/cars/tasman/features.html

Yes, I believe that's the website I took the picture from. Since it came from Kia's own website I assumed it was the final/production version.

 

[dtech]

I wonder if Santa Cruz sales are impacted by the reputation of the DCT in them.

The early years of it were notorious.

The "fixed" DCT still grenaded with boring regularity.

I don't know if they ever came up with a sure fix for it.

A 10 year/100,000 mile warranty is little comfort when your vehicle will be waiting months for parts to fix it.

Having owned a Hyundai with the unreliable Theta II engine and following the recalls on it and other Hyundai products inc the early DCT - Hyundai does little until either the feds or lawsuits force them to fix their issues. I could have gotten a really good deal when I traded my 2013 Sante Fe on a new Sante Fe but I didn't care for their lame attempt to copy Ranger Rover styling and I disliked their inane Viking themed commercials. In other words I'm done with Hyundai.

 

[Cmar]

Having owned a Hyundai with the unreliable Theta II engine and following the recalls on it and other Hyundai products inc the early DCT - Hyundai does little until either the feds or lawsuits force them to fix their issues. I could have gotten a really good deal when I traded my 2013 Sante Fe on a new Sante Fe but I didn't care for their lame attempt to copy Ranger Rover styling and I disliked their inane Viking themed commercials. In other words I'm done with Hyundai.

Hyundai wouldn't be the first to cop grief over DVT transmissions. Ford's effort cost them 10's of millions of dollars over here in Consumer affairs fines, (refusing to fix) and recalls, (being forced to fix) and Vdub have had issues in the past as well, DCT's seem to be one of those things that just works better on paper than they do in reality.

 

[dtech]

Hyundai wouldn't be the first to cop grief over DVT transmissions. Ford's effort cost them 10's of millions of dollars over here in Consumer affairs fines, (refusing to fix) and recalls, (being forced to fix) and Vdub have had issues in the past as well, DCT's seem to be one of those things that just works better on paper than they do in reality.

For the 2026 Sante Fe in the US market Hyundai is dropping the dct and going back to regular auto tranny. I would tend to believe Hyundai was using the DCT mainly to increase fuel economy where the've histoircally lagged most competitors. Their drivetrains aren't as efficient as other mfgs like Honda or Toyota.

 

[Cmar]

For the 2026 Sante Fe in the US market Hyundai is dropping the dct and going back to regular auto tranny. I would tend to believe Hyundai was using the DCT mainly to increase fuel economy where the've histoircally lagged most competitors. Their drivetrains aren't as efficient as other mfgs like Honda or Toyota.

You can't beat a good well designed hydraulic auto for reliability and longevity.

 

[dtech]

You can't beat a good well designed hydraulic auto for reliability and longevity.

agree as modern well designed auto trannies - keep the converter locked up most of the time and gear changes occur within the clutch assemblies - enhancing efficiency, smoothness and quick gear changes. Not a whole of advantages to using a DCT.

Sponsored