Hyundai will go it alone in its bid to take down the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux.
Hyundai Australia CEO Don Romano has said he will reveal full details of the brand’s long-awaited and highly-anticipated ute within the next three years, but has made it clear it won’t be based on either the Kia Tasman or a General Motors ute platform.
Romano, who took over Hyundai’s local operations earlier this year, has made it his personal mission to secure a ute for the Australian market before he heads back to retirement in Canada.
“ My work permit goes for another two and a half years. I’m not leaving until it’s coming,” Romano told Australian media at the launch of the new Palisade SUV.
Asked precisely what that means in terms of the ute reach showrooms or simply being confirmed for production, Romano expanded on his position. He made it clear that within the next three years he wants Hyundai to have a clear production plan to bring a ute to the local market, not simply a concept.
READ MORE: Hyundai – ‘Our ute will be different’
“ It means we’re going to get together and I’m going to talk to you about it and tell you all just what we just did here,” he said. “You know, whether it’s a month after I leave or it’s here when I, it’s a guarantee – here’s the date, here’s the vehicle, here’s the differentiating features.”
Romano has already made it clear that he wants the Hyundai ute to differentiate itself from the rest of the current market, and the company is believed to be working on a range-extender hybrid powertrain; but is yet to confirm this plan.
“If they produce what we’re talking about at this stage and what we’re working on, it’s gonna be mind blowing, it’s gonna be great. And I really mean that, I’m not just blowing smoke,” he said.
“I just think when you come out with a ute, you know, you can’t come out with the same thing. You’ve got to look at the best vehicles in the market, the best utes in the market, who are the two biggest players. We all know who they are and that’s who you have to position yourself with. But you have to bring in some new technology, because a lot of that technology they’re using has been there for a while.”
READ MORE: Hyundai and General Motors team up for ute deal
One detail Romano did confirm is that Hyundai will directly target the Ranger and HiLux with a similar-sized ute, ruling out utilising an existing General Motors architecture.
“I don’t think we’re gonna share a platform,” he said. “I don’t believe that’s an option. I think it, I have to leave it on the table just in case something goes wrong, but that would not be our main goal. Our main goal is to develop our own Hyundai ute with our own technology that’s unique. The size we’re looking at would be in the Ranger/HiLux space.”
He did, however, reveal that Hyundai could build a bigger Ford F-150 rival thanks to its General Motors connection.
“ We are looking at larger utes, but not for this market. And so there are two different platforms being evaluated, right now,” he said.
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