This looks like it could be the real thing.
Five years. That’s how long it’s been since Hyundai unveiled the Hyundai Santa Cruz concept – a mid-size pickup truck we’ve been eager to see turned into reality. Hyundai confirmed its production in 2017 with a scheduled 2021 production start date. We spied the truck late last year looking production-ready, but Hyundai has revealed few details. However, the leaked image we covered earlier this week that gave us our best look at the truck’s styling has been turned into a series of renderings, further solidifying the truck’s design.
Spy photos of the truck have shown it hiding many of its more pronounced styling features. The leaked photo shows a naked body – no cladding, no camouflage, and no paint. Nor any bumpers, wheels, lights, windows, side mirrors, or mechanical bits. It was just the shell. The renderings add life to the truck, giving its sharp profile a splash of color.
Hyundai's Truck Is Coming Soon:
We can see the sharp V-shaped crease in the sheet metal on the front door that extends through the rear doors and down the side of the bed into the taillights. The trailing edge of the cab has a silver molding that extends over the front windows, down the A-pillar, and back toward the C-pillar underneath the greenhouse, which adds a nice touch of contrast.
What we can’t see in the renderings are the front and rear fascias. However, recent new Hyundai models and Santa Cruz spy photos give us a good idea of what they should look like. We expect thin-slit daytime running lights to sit above the headlights that will sit low in the bumper. The rear doesn’t look wildly out of the ordinary with its tasteful taillights. Of course, there’s plenty of gray plastic cladding along the bottom and over the wheel arches for some added visual ruggedness.
We have few details about the truck, and that’ll likely remain the case until Hyundai tells us what’s what. The automaker has been swinging for the fences with new designs and models, and the Santa Cruz appears to be no different. Hyundai plans to begin production in 2021, and it’ll have plenty of competitors when it arrives, too.