Hyundai's upcoming ute rendered

Friday, 1 May 2020

Ever wonder what the world would look like if the performance ute had taken off instead of the SUV? Wonder no more.

We know Hyundai is making a ute. However, we don't really know much beyond that. While the technical aspects will remain shrouded in mystery for the next while, folks with better Photoshop skills than us are free to imagine what the South Korean Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux competitor will look like.

That's what designer Enoch Gabriel Gonzales has done, giving the ute the 'Tarlac' name in the process.

Gonzales has given the Tarlac a nose inspired by the Sante Fe and Palisade as well as the Sonata/i30 Sedan, with swoopy 'Z' shaped LED DRLs and an evolution of the company's corporate grille. It's an upright, staunch look and it works, in our eyes.

Honestly, the front end looks pretty damn good. Those swoopy DRLs definitely set the Tarlac apart.

Creases extending from each end into the doors offer a bit of character in the profile while plenty of clearance between the wheels and the arches indicate a degree of off-road capability.

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The taillights look good too. No word on how large the tray is but rest assured it will be competitive.

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Around back is a tray (surprise) and some slick 'P' shaped taillights. Gonzales didn't specify how much storage the Tarlac has but rest assured it will be on par with the competition.

As for other crucial technical details, motoring.com.au reckons an array of four- and six-cylinder options will be available at launch, including a 204kW/588Nm 3.0-litre straight-six turbodiesel borrowed from the Genesis GV80. That's well above the current Ranger Raptor and edges out Volkswagen's V6 Amarok too.

During the launch of the Genesis GV80 in Korea, Hyundai’s R&D boss Albert Biermann said the all-new diesel six could be primed for commercial vehicles.

“This engine… we can have so many applications. We make also commercial vehicles and so on, so this engine will be out there for quite some time,” he stated.

An N version of the Hyundai ute has been rumoured to give the V8 Raptor a run for its money which, if it uses the 5.0-litre V8 from the Mustang, will have around 338kW/539Nm.

Base models will likely get Hyundai's 2.2-litre diesel four-pot, offering 147kW and 440Nm in the Santa Fe.

A ladder-frame chassis and four-wheel drive is expected as well, along with an eight-speed automatic.

Meanwhile, Americans will get the Santa Cruz, a truck more aimed at lifestyle buyers. It will be smaller and less capable than the Tarlac, or whatever the ute gets called, which should be a genuine one-tonner designed for work and off-road duties.

Australia may get both trucks but we'll probably get just the Tarlac, given our small market size.