Update: Hyundai has confirmed in a preview image that its mid-size pickup would be body-on-frame, and the company even suggested that a body-on-frame SUV could be built alongside it. That image and video from the event have been added.
Hyundai and General Motors unexpectedly joined forces a year ago, signing a Memorandum of Understanding for potential collaboration. Last month, the Korean-American duo revealed plans to co-develop trucks, cars, and vans. One of the shared vehicles is a mid-size pickup developed by GM for Central and South America.
We’re now learning that a separate mid-size truck, developed in-house by Hyundai without GM ties, will be launched in North America before the end of the decade. Since the US-bound truck is still a few years away, Hyundai is predictably coy on details.
However, it does say the pickup for North America will have electrified powertrains, which suggests a hybrid setup is on the way. Unlike the Santa Cruz's unibody construction, this new truck will also have a body-on-frame platform, and it could be joined by a body-on-frame SUV.
Hyundai does say it will launch extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) starting in 2027, though it hasn’t confirmed whether the mid-size truck will adopt that technology. Vehicles using this hardware are expected to deliver more than 600 miles of total range, with a fully charged battery and a gas engine acting as a generator to recharge the pack without directly powering the wheels.
Once the truck reaches US showrooms, it will face stiff competition not only from the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, and Nissan Frontier but also from GM’s Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. Ram has also confirmed it will launch a new mid-size truck in the US by the end of 2027.
As for the truck co-developed primarily by GM, logic suggests Hyundai’s workhorse will likely be related in some way to the Colorado and Canyon to achieve economies of scale. It’s still too early to say whether electrification will be offered, given that GM’s current mid-size trucks remain ICE-only.
The Hyundai-GM alliance extends well beyond this mid-size pickup. The first wave of co-developed vehicles also includes a compact car, SUV, and pickup, all led by Hyundai, also for Central and South America. In addition, the two automakers are working on an electric commercial van for North America, set to debut in 2028 and assembled in the US.
Although these models will share common platforms, they won’t be identical. Hyundai and GM are putting in the extra effort to “develop unique interiors and exteriors consistent with their respective brands.”
