Despite the hype building around Hyundai and Kia's double-cab ute, neither of the Korean brand's debuted anything of the sort at the Frankfurt Motor Show, leaving us wondering what their timeline is.
It seems that this ute is still front and foremost for Hyundai's staff, as their N boss, Albert Biermann revealed that they are exploring every option as to what guises the ute could come in.
"You have to be ready for everything from Hyundai and Kia," Biermann told Motoring when speaking on the subject. The publication revealed that Hyundai's N-based ute will feature a long-travel suspension system, and more aggressive looks over the standard model.
While nothing is set in stone, there's talk of a more powerful version of the i30 N's 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine powering the ute. This could mean that as much as 225kW could be packed into the ute.
Hyundai has remained tight-lipped about when the ute will be revealed, and the last time we saw something tangible from them was at the Detroit Motor Show in 2015. There's talk of their Santa Cruz concept making another appearance next year, but again, that's just speculation.
Late last year, the Korean brand said that the ute would be on the market "as soon as possible", but how long is a piece of string, right?
News of this turbocharged four-cylinder Ranger Raptor competitor may have come at the wrong time considering the recent revelation about the off-road ute. In preparation for a second-generation American launch, turbocharged six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines are reportedly being developed in Australia.
Hyundai's 225kW four-banger might be too little too late when it comes up against this proposed twin-turbo V6, but that remains to be seen...
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