Hyundai confirms it is building a proper ute

Damien O’Carroll

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Hyundai ute render (Image: DIGIMODS Design)

Hyundai ute render (Image: DIGIMODS Design)

  • Hyundai has officially confirmed it will build a mid-size ladder chassis pickup.
  • The new pickup is part of the agreement between Hyundai and GM to build five new vehicles together.
  • The company will likely eschew diesel in favour of a petrol hybrid or PHEV set up.

Hyundai has officially confirmed its worst-kept secret: that it will build a ute to rival the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux and, ultimately its in-house competitor, the Kia Tasman.

At its 2025 CEO investor day, the Korean company announced it will launch a mid-size, body-on-frame pickup truck in the North American market "to establish presence in the industry's largest and most profitable segment" before 2030.

Hyundai's ute will likely leverage Kia's experience developing the Tasman.

Hyundai is expected to leverage ladder chassis ute expertise gained from sister brand Kia’s new Tasman, but with one key exception - Hyundai’s workhorse is likely to eschew diesel in favour of petrol, with straight ICE, hybrid and plug-in hybrid power "being explored".

This will put the Hyundai ute in direct competition with the Ford Ranger PHEV, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and BYD Shark 6.

If Hyundai goes the petrol PHEV route for its ute it will go head-to-head with the popular BYD Shark 6.

"I think we have to look at options. And I can't tell you whether that's a PHEV, a HEV or a BEV, but I think those are options that have to be considered," Hyundai Australia boss Don Romano recently told Australian website CarsGuide.

Going the petrol plug-in hybrid or hybrid route will serve two purposes for Hyundai: giving its ute some breathing room, so it doesn’t have to compete directly with its Kia Tasman in-house cousin, while also giving Hyundai a stronger product for the US market, where petrol is favoured over diesel.

Hyundai recently announced a partnership with General Motors to develop five new vehicles together, one of which will be the mid-size pickup, with Hyundai’s global boss Jose Munoz telling US website Car and Driver the pickup would spawn a rugged off-roader, also giving the Korean company a competitor for the Toyota Prado and Ford Everest.

Reuters has also reported the Hyundai/GM partnership will also develop a smaller ute for Central and South America with petrol and hybrid options, and an anticipated launch sometime in 2028.