Hyundai first made waves when it entered the pickup market with the Hyundai Santa Cruz. While the Santa Cruz has proven to be a strong seller for the company, it’s not a body-on frame pickup and it’s meant to be primarily an on-road cruiser.

The Korean automaker is changing that with the firm confirming it will be building a body-on frame pickup to further expand its presence in a segment traditionally dominated by the Toyota 4Runner.

Body-on frame pickup would be big step for Hyundai

The company confirmed these plans during a conference it held in New York with CEO José Muñoz laying it all out to the invited audience. Muñoz confirmed the company is building a body-on-frame pickup for the American market with the unnamed model arriving by 2030. ‘This expansion allows us to broaden our reach and connect with customers at the heart of the US market.’ The exec even hinted at the possibility of a SUV version which could be an attempt to compete with the Toyota 4Runner.

Speaking of Toyota, Hyundai’s leap into this segment would be a bold challenge to the Japanese automaker which has long been a dominating presence in the mid-size truck market with the Tacoma driving away all potential challengers. It’s also a smart move too since Hyundai would stay out of the full-size market a segment long dominated by Ram, Ford, and Chevrolet.

Hybrid power confirmed

While the CEO stopped far short of dropping a name or even a look at the exterior (Hyundai hid the truck and SUV behind digitally generated sheets) Muñoz confirmed the truck would have a degree of electrification hinting that the model would come with a hybrid powertrain.

The hybrid setup would allow the truck to appeal to fuel conscious buyers and it could also allow Hyundai to potentially outmuscle the Tacoma if it chooses to do so. There’s still alot that remains to be revealed, but Hyundai is hoping that its gamble on the mid-size truck market can get it massive returns as more automakers shift their focus to the mid-size truck and SUV markets. After all, some of the profits can go towards upcoming EVs.