Hyundai is engaged on its first body-on-frame ute with the assistance of Basic Motors, and the brand new mannequin is about to function acquainted underpinnings.
GM Authority experiences the brand new Hyundai ute, to this point confirmed just for Latin America the place it’s due on sale in 2028, will likely be based mostly on an up to date model of GM’s 31XX-2 platform.
This debuted in 2022 below the present US-built Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, and is a closely overhauled model of the ladder-frame structure used for the present Latin American Chevrolet S10 in addition to the now-defunct Holden Colorado.
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GM is main the event in Brazil of the platform, which is able to underpin not solely the brand new Hyundai ute but additionally a substitute for the present Chevrolet S10. It’s being designed to just accept each inner combustion and hybrid powertrains.
Along with a hybrid, it appears doubtless the brand new Hyundai and GM utes will function diesel energy. At present, the US-market Colorado/Canyon duo is obtainable completely with a turbocharged 2.7-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.
GM Authority experiences the platform may also help single-cab physique kinds, in addition to a rear axle supporting larger load capability – although notably, the present Colorado/Canyon already options the stay/leaf-sprung rear axle setup frequent on this section, whereas providing 3490kg of braked towing capability.
The brand new ute will likely be among the many first of 5 fashions developed collectively by Hyundai and GM as a part of a partnership the Korean and American automakers established in September 2024. Hyundai’s ute can also be anticipated to function larger differentiation from its GM cousin, quite than being a straight rebadge.
Whether or not we’ll see Hyundai’s new GM-based ute in Australia stays a thriller, because the model continues to be coy about its first ute for this market.
We all know it gained’t be the present Tucson-based, US-built Santa Cruz unibody dual-cab, which is understood to be dealing with the chopping block.
Hyundai has confirmed it’s engaged on a body-on-frame ute for the US market, which is able to launch there by 2030.
It’s unclear simply how completely different this will likely be from the Latin American-market ute due in 2028.
Hyundai Australia has indicated it’s working with its North American counterpart, so it seems the US ute is the extra doubtless of the 2 to come back to Australia.
“Strategically, it’s nonetheless a piece in progress. It’s leaning in direction of a few years from now… and it’s nonetheless [being developed] in collaboration with the US,” Hyundai Australia chief working officer Gavin Donaldson informed Australian media in February.
“We aren’t strolling away from a ute, we nonetheless desire a ute. We’re in nice session [with Hyundai Motor Company]. I feel in the end what it’s about [now is], it’s the powertrain we’re attempting to get into the nation.”
Hyundai has indicated it plans to supply a body-on-frame ute, like sister model Kia does with its Tasman – although the Hyundai ute gained’t be a mere rebadge.
The Korean automaker seems to have a group of utes within the works, with trademark filings for the Ioniq T7 and Ioniq T10 nameplates suggesting there’s an electrical ute or two within the combine, too.
The Ford Ranger led the Australian new-car market in 2025, with the Toyota HiLux sitting in third and the Isuzu D-Max in fourth.
All up, this section – together with each 4×2 and 4×4 utes from manufacturers as various as BYD and Volkswagen – accounted for 19 per cent of the entire market.
Much more manufacturers are coming into the section, with Chery launching its first ute in Australia – full with a diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain – later this yr.
MORE: Hyundai’s first ute for Australia “nonetheless a piece in progress”
