This is the World's First Look at the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

After confirmed that it’s headed for production, not much has been heard (or seen) about Hyundai’s upcoming pickup truck, the Santa Cruz. Until now.

Caught out in Hyundai’s production plant by website Motor1, this is the world’s first clear look at how the Korean automaker’s unibody pickup truck is shaping. It must be remembered that when it came out as a concept car, the HCD-15 Santa Cruz featured styling akin to the Tucson’s Fluidic Sculpture design. This time, the production version (due next year) sports the angular Parametric Design that made its debut in the Elantra.

It’s worth noting that while the concept truck was based on the Tucson, the production version will share its platform with the Santa Fe. With that, it’ll squarely be in the same market as the Honda Ridgeline, but will reportedly be must cheaper.

If Hyundai continues with the Santa Fe playbook, expect the production Santa Cruz to sport a choice of 4-cylinder engines—a 185-horsepower normally-aspirated 2.4-liter, or a 235-horspower turbocharged 2.0-liter.

Currently, only the North American market is confirmed to get the Santa Cruz, and for that, assembly will be done exclusively at its Alabama plant. That being said, if Hyundai decides to increase the Santa Cruz’s production footprint, say assemble it in South Korea, there’s a distinct possibility that they’ll be able to shoehorn the 200-horsepower 2.2-liter CRDi engine as well. Fingers crossed that that’ll happen because if it does, the Philippines will surely benefit.

Hyundai's First Pickup, the Santa Cruz, is Green Lit for Production

After four years of will they or won’t they, Hyundai has announced that they’re finally getting into the pickup game with the Santa Cruz.

The confirmation was made after Hyundai says their new pickup will be made at their manufacturing facility in Alabama—the same plant that manufactures the Santa Fe, Sonata, and Elantra for the U.S. market. Suffice to say, the Santa Cruz is destined only for the North American continent for now.

Unlike say a Ford Ranger or Toyota Hilux, the Hyundai Santa Cruz takes its cue from the Honda Ridgeline in that it’s made from unibody architecture (likely shared with the upcoming all-new Tucson or maybe related to the Santa Fe). With that, Hyundai promises it to have “all the traditional attributes of a compact utility vehicle, but with the day-to-day versatility of an open bed.” And yes, Hyundai says it will cater to an all-important segment: Millennials.

The production version of the Santa Cruz is expected to roll into showrooms by 2021 as a 2022 model.