Despite the influx of new brands into the ute market, including Kia, BYD and MG, Hyundai is confident that it isn’t too late for it to introduce its own dual-cab in the next few years.
Hyundai Australia CEO Don Romano has confirmed the company will lock in plans for its new ute by the end of 2027, but the new model may not reach showrooms until later than that.
With increased competition from newcomers, as well as the strength of both the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, the ute market is getting more competitive and leaves less room for brands to dramatically grow sales.
But Romano said selling more utes is only half the appeal of adding a dual-cab, which is why he doesn’t believe Hyundai will be too late to join the contest.
“It’s shrinking, but it’s still so large, it is not just that market though,” Romano said. “This is the key, when I drive down my street and I see a ute in a driveway and there’s usually another car next to it, because most people that have a ute, someone in the family has something else. Wouldn’t you know that most of them are the same brand?
“So we’re not just missing out on the utes, we’re also missing out on the brand experience in order to be able to get into the family and let them know that ‘hey, I mean some of ‘em are EVs. Some of ’em are just small sedans and some of ’em are big SUVs.
“But if they’re accustomed to going to a certain dealership and a certain area, chances are, they’re gonna find out, ‘Hey, what else do you have in this range?’ And, and we’re out of that whole area right now. So yes, we’re late, but we’re gonna come on strong, I guess is the best way to put it, when we do come out.”
After several difficult years with sales in decline, Hyundai Australia has turned around its fortunes in 2025 and was tracking up nearly 8.5 per cent year-to-date at the end of September. This was led by growth of SUVs like the Kona (up 27.1%), Santa Fe (up 23.7%), Venue (up 17.9%) and Tucson (up 5.0%).
As previously reported, Romano confirmed the Hyundai ute will target the core dual-cab market in Australia, taking direct aim at the Ranger and HiLux. It will also get a specific Hyundai platform and is unlikely to share any components with any General Motors ute, despite the two automotive giants signing a partnership to work on utes together.
Instead, the new Hyundai dual-cab is likely to feature some form of hybrid powertrain, to differentiate it from its rivals and cash-in on the growing interest from ute buyers for a turbo-diesel alternative.
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