Hyundai HCD-15 Santa Cruz Pickup | Confirmed for Production

  • Thread starter CodeRedR51
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Eunos_Cosmo
Like how awesome would this be for somebody who just wants to cart their mountain bike to the trailhead on the weekends and not worry about fussing with a rack or dirtying up their interior while also having a car that handles reasonably well, is comfortable, and gets good* gas mileage.
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Well it looks a bit awkward to have a bike in there.

2022-Hyundai-Santa-Cruz-35.jpg
 
I like it. I think a Ridgeline would be a better option and I'm not sure why I would get one instead of a Tucson, but I like it.
 
Exactly what the Ridgeline started as. It's a Hyundai, it's going to sell. I think it'd appeal to someone with an i30N, that wanted to keep it in the family.
 
I do like the idea of a smaller class of trucks coming back. Just fear that people will still call it "not a truck" or not masculine enough for them... Which is seriously irritating to know. Looks decent on the outside, but....the haptic buttons is a big no. So much gloss black plastic...
message-editor%2F1618497554676-santacruz8.jpg
 
05XR8
Exactly what the Ridgeline started as. It's a Hyundai, it's going to sell. I think it'd appeal to someone with an i30N, that wanted to keep it in the family.
Click to expand...

Its smaller than a Ridgeline.

Hundai have lightning in a bottle. Rarely do you see a vehicle so sought after even years in the making.

I also think it fits into a funny spot HERE... here being any RHD country that already has the Hilux Navara Ranger Triton DMAX whatever full frame medium truck.

LOok I do get the idea behind a truck based on a monocoque Tuscon or whaetver this is however with the Thai trucks so well priced and entrenched...

Also look at the toy tray in the back and I feel like people will stick a canopy on it?

Further China trucks are coming on board here too and if its a choice between a real full frame full 4wd diesel truck and this.... and given it'll probably be expensive pushing $50k when $50k buys a lot of Thai or CHina truck.
 
MedigoFlame
I do like the idea of a smaller class of trucks coming back. Just fear that people will still call it "not a truck" or not masculine enough for them... Which is seriously irritating to know. Looks decent on the outside, but....the haptic buttons is a big no. So much gloss black plastic...
message-editor%2F1618497554676-santacruz8.jpg
Click to expand...
That gear stick looks out of place.:lol: Should replace it with a dial or buttons on the steering wheel.

Speaking of a cap on the back, I can see a quick folding canvas cap for the back. Just to cover while parked next to the beach or covering belongings higher than the bed walls.
 
c172fccc
Well it looks a bit awkward to have a bike in there.

2022-Hyundai-Santa-Cruz-35.jpg
Click to expand...

I see people transport bikes in short bed trucks like this all the time. As long as it doesn't fall out, I don't see the problem. I suspect you can secure the rear wheel to the bed in some way.
 
I think this is going to suffer the same complaints as the Ridgeline's first generation. The buttresses and angled bed sides are going to hinder accessibility which is the ultimate goal of having a bed, especially on a small and low truck. But besides that it seems like the target is going to be the same people as the Ridgeline. I personally am an SUV guy and I think most outdoorsy people are, especially those toting dogs with them. Particularly if you're taking a long trip, it's cold, or you're driving off-road, people want to keep their dogs inside the vehicle rather than in the bed. I think I once saw a Ridgeline carrying a refrigerator from Home Depot but besides that I've never actually seen one used as a truck, and they aren't capable enough to be used as a Tacoma is off-road.

Ultimately, I don't think it will do as well as Ford's Maverick, mainly because the Maverick will likely have the Bronco Sport's AWD hardware which is proving to be best in class by far. The old Explorer Sport Trac was an actual 4x4 as well and trucks like that are actually appealing due to their capabilities. Just as I've never understood the appeal of 2wd pickups, I've never really understood the front-biased AWD pickup.
 
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Keef
I think this is going to suffer the same complaints as the Ridgeline's first generation. The buttresses and angled bed sides are going to hinder accessibility which is the ultimate goal of having a bed, especially on a small and low truck. But besides that it seems like the target is going to be the same people as the Ridgeline. I personally am an SUV guy and I think most outdoorsy people are, especially those toting dogs with them. Particularly if you're taking a long trip, it's cold, or you're driving off-road, people want to keep their dogs inside the vehicle rather than in the bed. I think I once saw a Ridgeline carrying a refrigerator from Home Depot but besides that I've never actually seen one used as a truck, and they aren't capable enough to be used as a Tacoma is off-road.

Ultimately, I don't think it will do as well as Ford's Maverick, mainly because the Maverick will likely have the Bronco Sport's AWD hardware which is proving to be best in class by far. The old Explorer Sport Trac was an actual 4x4 as well and trucks like that are actually appealing due to their capabilities. Just as I've never understood the appeal of 2wd pickups, I've never really understood the front-biased AWD pickup.
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It's th same with SUVs. There are full sized ones and small ones. An argument as to why not get a station wagon instead?

I'm waiting to see the first one slammed to the ground, with N stuff in and around it.
 
05XR8
It's th same with SUVs. There are full sized ones and small ones.
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That's not the point. Pickup trucks do jobs - they carry things, or they go off-road, or they tow things. They can do all of these at the same time while also carrying 4+ people. The smaller it gets the fewer things it'll be able to do at the same time, and the smaller the bed gets the less reason there is to have a bed since the objects you might put in it can now fit inside an SUV. Even a Tacoma, now the smallest in its class, is a legitimate off-roader, tower, and hauler.

But this Santa Cruz is even smaller and won't be able to do any of those things effectively, much less at the same time. As a daily driver? Sure, but...why would you want to leave your groceries or luggage out in the weather? If you can only put small things in the small bed anyway then why wouldn't you just put it inside an SUV where its secure and dry? Sure, you can't carry an 8x4 sheet of plywood in a Tucson but you can't carry it in this thing either while you can in a Tacoma.

A truck is a good idea for people who do a lot of yard work for sure. Nobody wants to haul a bunch of garbage bags or bags of leaves in the back of their SUV. There's an argument to be made for that, but if you're going to spend $40k on a truck to carry yard waste in then why wouldn't you just get a Ranger or Tacoma.

The crossover between people who use their trucks off-road and also carry crap in them is pretty high which suggests that both of these capabilities should go hand in hand. Step 1. Be a truck Step 2. Go off-road. But this Hyundai can't go off-road. The Ridgeline can't either which is why they're still rare to this day. The Maverick can at least go off-road so I think it's going to both be more versatile and sell better than the Hyundai. I can foresee plenty of people slapping a bed rack on a Maverick and going overlanding but that won't be very feasible in the Santa Cruz.
 
Keef
That's not the point. Pickup trucks do jobs - they carry things, or they go off-road, or they tow things. They can do all of these at the same time while also carrying 4+ people. The smaller it gets the fewer things it'll be able to do at the same time, and the smaller the bed gets the less reason there is to have a bed since the objects you might put in it can now fit inside an SUV. Even a Tacoma, now the smallest in its class, is a legitimate off-roader, tower, and hauler.

But this Santa Cruz is even smaller and won't be able to do any of those things effectively, much less at the same time. As a daily driver? Sure, but...why would you want to leave your groceries or luggage out in the weather? If you can only put small things in the small bed anyway then why wouldn't you just put it inside an SUV where its secure and dry? Sure, you can't carry an 8x4 sheet of plywood in a Tucson but you can't carry it in this thing either while you can in a Tacoma.

A truck is a good idea for people who do a lot of yard work for sure. Nobody wants to haul a bunch of garbage bags or bags of leaves in the back of their SUV. There's an argument to be made for that, but if you're going to spend $40k on a truck to carry yard waste in then why wouldn't you just get a Ranger or Tacoma.

The crossover between people who use their trucks off-road and also carry crap in them is pretty high which suggests that both of these capabilities should go hand in hand. Step 1. Be a truck Step 2. Go off-road. But this Hyundai can't go off-road. The Ridgeline can't either which is why they're still rare to this day. The Maverick can at least go off-road so I think it's going to both be more versatile and sell better than the Hyundai. I can foresee plenty of people slapping a bed rack on a Maverick and going overlanding but that won't be very feasible in the Santa Cruz.
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Again, an Escalade carries more than a CX-3. Yet, there is a market for the CX-3. They both are classed as SUVs.

It doesn't matter how much the Santa carries in its small bed. The purpose is Hyundai providing a new vehicle for some people to spend money, on a car that some people wouldn't.

Same reason people buy a CR-V that can't do what a Suzuki Jimny can. Even when the Honda can carry more. It's just about getting people to spend money.

According to the USA, everyone in the world should own an F-150
 
Companies GENERALLY set out to satisfy a demand.

Hyundai saw a demand for a ute pickup bakkkie whatever you have, based on a Tuscon etc.

Sure it has a tray that is nigh on useless... HOWEVER they will sell you a lockable waterproof roller top on the tray on the top line models.

I do agree that pickups like this are largely useless unless you have a need to haul something that doesnt have to be in the passenger cabin, or is too large to haul inside a conventional suv.

I myself dont mind the Hyundai even though I realise its worse utiity than a standard SUV like a CRV Tuscon Sante Fe etc.

Trucks like a Ranger Hilux Navara sell. Fullstop. In RHD markets, as I see it, 4x4 diesel utes tend to be a good value proprositon esp. Chinese ones.

They make little sense for many people who would be better off with a FWD crossover SUV but people dont make 100% rational choices.

Hyundai will sell out of these and be backordered until 2030.
 
Keef
I think this is going to suffer the same complaints as the Ridgeline's first generation. The buttresses and angled bed sides are going to hinder accessibility which is the ultimate goal of having a bed, especially on a small and low truck. But besides that it seems like the target is going to be the same people as the Ridgeline. I personally am an SUV guy and I think most outdoorsy people are, especially those toting dogs with them. Particularly if you're taking a long trip, it's cold, or you're driving off-road, people want to keep their dogs inside the vehicle rather than in the bed. I think I once saw a Ridgeline carrying a refrigerator from Home Depot but besides that I've never actually seen one used as a truck, and they aren't capable enough to be used as a Tacoma is off-road.

Ultimately, I don't think it will do as well as Ford's Maverick, mainly because the Maverick will likely have the Bronco Sport's AWD hardware which is proving to be best in class by far. The old Explorer Sport Trac was an actual 4x4 as well and trucks like that are actually appealing due to their capabilities. Just as I've never understood the appeal of 2wd pickups, I've never really understood the front-biased AWD pickup.
Click to expand...

You could be right. However, this is the first pickup truck of it's type (aka unibody truck with buttresses) that actually looks good, in my opinion. I like the concept of the first gen Ridgeline (a vehicle with a bed that does handle like a truck on road), but I would never buy one because it's stone-cold ugly and also a little too big.

You say that it's a vehicle that is of dubious purpose...could be a fair point. From a utility standpoint, a Tacoma or Ranger is more useful. However, for the 75% of the time (or whatever) the larger bed/towing capacity/BOF design isn't being used, it's presence negatively impacts how the vehicle performs in terms of ride quality, handling, fuel economy, ease of parking etc. If I need a truck only to pick up mulch from home depot, or rent a concrete grinder, or take my bike to the trailhead and don't (or rarely) need a truck to haul sheet goods or tow or go overlanding (I think this truck is probably fine for what most people going camping would need) then the extra utility of a proper pickup is wasted on me, but I'm penalized for that extra utility every time I turn the key. Yeah, most of those items could be carried in an equivalent sized SUV or even a hatchback, but there is something nice about not worrying about ruining your upholstery. I also doubt more than 2-5% of the SUV driving population ever goes genuinely, machine-testing off road. And for those 2-5% of people, clearly they won't be tempted by a unibody trucklette.

At the end of the day, I question how much logic even goes into the car buying decision for most people. I see a lot of Wranglers in NorCal being used as daily drivers because people just like them. Unless you are rock crawling on a daily basis (spoiler alert, there's no rocks to be crawled within 300+ miles of here), there is little rational explanation for buying a Wrangler considering how utterly compromised they are to suit that purpose. A Wrangler is almost entirely a lifestyle vehicle at this point.

I am curious to see how the truck does. It's an interesting product and I think it could find a solid niche. Whether it is a success or not, I really appreciate Hyundai and Kia being bold with their products in the last 5-10 years or so...it really reminds me of the Japanese OEMs in the late 80s through 90s.

tldr;
1. preceding trucks in this category were pretty ugly and so I think the market is still somewhat untested
2. utility has nuance, and the tradeoffs to get more of it are real
3. lifestyle vehicles are definitely a thing.
4. evidence exists to suggest that many people don't make truly rational decisions regardless (I mean, sports cars exist)
 
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Eunos_Cosmo
You could be right. However, this is the first pickup truck of it's type (aka unibody truck with buttresses) that actually looks good, in my opinion. I like the concept of the first gen Ridgeline (a vehicle with a bed that does handle like a truck on road), but I would never buy one because it's stone-cold ugly and also a little too big.

You say that it's a vehicle that is of dubious purpose...could be a fair point. From a utility standpoint, a Tacoma or Ranger is more useful. However, for the 75% of the time (or whatever) the larger bed/towing capacity/BOF design isn't being used, it's presence negatively impacts how the vehicle performs in terms of ride quality, handling, fuel economy, ease of parking etc. If I need a truck only to pick up mulch from home depot, or rent a concrete grinder, or take my bike to the trailhead and don't (or rarely) need a truck to haul sheet goods or tow or go overlanding (I think this truck is probably fine for what most people going camping would need) then the extra utility of a proper pickup is wasted on me, but I'm penalized for that extra utility every time I turn the key. Yeah, most of those items could be carried in an equivalent sized SUV or even a hatchback, but there is something nice about not worrying about ruining your upholstery. I also doubt more than 2-5% of the SUV driving population ever goes genuinely, machine-testing off road. And for those 2-5% of people, clearly they won't be tempted by a unibody trucklette.

At the end of the day, I question how much logic even goes into the car buying decision for most people. I see a lot of Wranglers in NorCal being used as daily drivers because people just like them. Unless you are rock crawling on a daily basis (spoiler alert, there's no rocks to be crawled within 300+ miles of here), there is little rational explanation for buying a Wrangler considering how utterly compromised they are to suit that purpose. A Wrangler is almost entirely a lifestyle vehicle at this point.

I am curious to see how the truck does. It's an interesting product and I think it could find a solid niche. Whether it is a success or not, I really appreciate Hyundai and Kia being bold with their products in the last 5-10 years or so...it really reminds me of the Japanese OEMs in the late 80s through 90s.

tldr;
1. preceding trucks in this category were pretty ugly and so I think the market is still somewhat untested
2. utility has nuance, and the tradeoffs to get more of it are real
3. lifestyle vehicles are definitely a thing.
4. evidence exists to suggest that many people don't make truly rational decisions regardless (I mean, sports cars exist)
Click to expand...
All very good points, and especially the part about rational decisions which is proven by the fact that million-dollar marketing departments get it wrong pretty often. Jeep is probably the only company that can do no wrong - I drove a brand new 2017 JK Wrangler and every part of me would rather drive my 200k mile Sequoia for any reason any day of the week. The JL is apparently up to par but the fact that Jeep put so much engineering into previous generations and basically ended up with an air conditioned agricultural vehicle is pretty spectacular.

Anyways, I do like this Santa Cruz, I just have no idea what I would ever use it for. I'm sure it'll check somebody's boxes but not mine.
 
IMO realistically its all about the tray.

I beleive most of the trays here in a Ford Ranger Navara Hilux DMax whatever the F, is about 1.5m long with a 1.8m diagonal.

This is ok for most people. From my eyeballing, the HCD doesnt even meet that standard.

The reality here is that a medium sized ute, truck, like a Ranger is fine for urban use. We have wide roads and our spaces means a 4x4 truck is fine, You can buy a 2wd variant if you wish. I can see how such a truck may not work if you live in a more congested area. I definitely can see how such a thing works in the UK but will not work in France or Italy. This HCD may fare better.

As as aside we do get some of the RAM 1500, F150 types here to. And there's certain Chinese utes that push that out to 1.8m long with 2m+ diagonals.

This makes them sit between a mid range and a full size truck.

To me for less money you get a diesel on a ladder frame with a usable tub. I too dont see the point in the HCD with this cheaper alternative.
 
TonyJZX
Its smaller than a Ridgeline.

Hundai have lightning in a bottle. Rarely do you see a vehicle so sought after even years in the making.

I also think it fits into a funny spot HERE... here being any RHD country that already has the Hilux Navara Ranger Triton DMAX whatever full frame medium truck.

LOok I do get the idea behind a truck based on a monocoque Tuscon or whaetver this is however with the Thai trucks so well priced and entrenched...

Also look at the toy tray in the back and I feel like people will stick a canopy on it?

Further China trucks are coming on board here too and if its a choice between a real full frame full 4wd diesel truck and this.... and given it'll probably be expensive pushing $50k when $50k buys a lot of Thai or CHina truck.
Click to expand...

I am originally a ford Person but my Wife bought a 2016 Sonata Limited and I love to cruise around town with it. Iam looking forward to trade in my 2006 Ranger for a Santa Cruz when they become available.
 
Keef
So do you think the Santa Cruz Limited will be $13,000 better than the Maverick Lariat?
Click to expand...
No, not even a little bit. Also, why the hell would anyone spend 40 grand on a crossover with a truck bed? That will get you a decently equipped Ranger, a moderately equipped F-150, or a bare-bones Super Duty. Hell, it'll even get you an OK equipped Honda Ridgeline if you don't want a truck-truck.
 
Because some people want to own the best of whatever that is in that segment.

eg. I want a Porsche Macan. its the best sporty mid sized SUV. I can see why people tell me that's ridiculous.

because it is.

Even if you sold a Cayenne at the same cost as a Macan I'd take the Macan. I like the size.

So there's going to be people who want a loaded HCD or Maverick.
 
I think the only people buying this Hyundai will be people who want it for the looks. They'll be desire purchases, not necessarily rational ones. The warranty is also a likely selling point. Besides that, Ford really threw a wrench into Hyundai's plans.
 
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There's no appetite for it over here. Simply because it does not look like a traditional truck.

And its going to be super expensive. We just got the new Tucson and its $38,000... for a base model 2.0 n/a four fwd and its basic as hell... ie. keyless is not an option.

This is going to be even more expensive.

The base model Hyundai i30 which is sort of same as the US Accent is $27,000!

Even translated to USD it makes no sense.

We have too much competition in the form of turbo diesel 2.0 four cyl. 4x4 body on frame mid sized trucks for less.
 
I think we used to get the i10 and i20 but they (the car importers) discontinued a raft of sub compact cars.

Its going to be a hard ask to sell a CUV softroader with the back end cut open and charge more for it.
 
Yeah, we had the i20. Now, we're getting it back. :lol:

People here will buy it, just because.
It's a Hyundai, a Hyundai ute. It's high up like the Hyundai SUVs and slightly more rugged to not be a "family" school-run wagon.
If people want to take a ute on the beach, they'll stick with the normal 4x4s.

As another point, I see the Mercedes X-Class everywhere( The remaining production must have been delivered a couple months ago). Still think more would have been sold if the model continued on especially with the latest Navara.

Anyway, leave no doubt, some buyers here will see the Santa Cruz as them being different to the SUV crowd. I can already see tall plants and dressers on those beds... and a dog or two. ;)
 

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