Hyundai To Pull the Plug on Santa Cruz and Line Up a Larger Truck for 2029 : Automotive Addicts
Automotive
Hyundai’s Santa Cruz has all the time been the oddball pickup for individuals who wished a truck mattress with out residing with full-size truck vibes, but it surely sounds just like the experiment may finish earlier than anticipated. A brand new business report says Hyundai plans to sundown the compact Santa Cruz after a single era, with manufacturing now projected to wrap sooner than the beforehand floated second-quarter 2027 timeline.
The reason being fairly easy: the numbers haven’t been variety. The Ford Maverick is reportedly working away with the compact truck section, and the Santa Cruz has been caught with sluggish activates vendor tons and elevated stock. The report additionally suggests Hyundai has already advised suppliers it plans to chop Santa Cruz manufacturing roughly in half within the first quarter of 2026, whereas releasing up capability on the Montgomery, Alabama plant to construct extra of the Tucson, which is Hyundai’s quantity hero within the U.S.
What makes this greater than a easy cancellation story is what Hyundai desires to do subsequent. The identical report factors to a midsize pickup scheduled to start manufacturing in summer season 2029, and it might be a really totally different form of truck. As an alternative of the Santa Cruz’s crossover-style unibody strategy, Hyundai is claimed to be shifting to a rugged body-on-frame format aimed proper on the coronary heart of the section the place the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet Colorado dominate.
If the plan sticks, it’s a traditional pivot from area of interest to mainstream. Santa Cruz house owners and followers will hate to see it go as a result of there’s nothing else fairly prefer it, however a real midsize truck offers Hyundai an even bigger runway for towing, off-road cred, and the form of spec sheet consumers count on after they stroll onto a truck lot. The true query is whether or not Hyundai can hold its comfort-and-tech character whereas constructing one thing that feels powerful sufficient to steal patrons from the same old midsize favorites.
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Mike Floyd is a finance government by commerce and a automobile fanatic at coronary heart. As a CFO with a eager eye for element and technique, Mike brings his analytical mindset to the automotive world, uncovering contemporary insights and distinctive views that transcend the floor. His ardour for automobiles—particularly his favourite, the Porsche 911, fuels his contributions to Automotive Addicts, the place he blends a love for efficiency and design together with his skilled precision. Whether or not he’s breaking down business developments or spotlighting rising improvements, Mike helps hold the positioning each sharp and forward-thinking.
