Posted by Mark Williams | January 15, 2016

The last time we heard about the Hyundai Santa Cruz concept pickup truck (first introduced at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit), there was quite a bit of internal debate going on at Hyundai about its viability, but things looked like they were progressing through the product planning process.

No doubt debate will continue about whether it's the right time for the long-familiar idea of a sport utility or crossover utility truck. But with the recent debut of the second-generation, fence-straddling 2017 Honda Ridgeline, oil prices below $30 a barrel, strong pickup sales overall and a growing midsize segment, maybe the market is ready now. Certainly Jeep thinks so, and if rumors at Mitsubishi and Volkswagen are true, we might see even more midsize choices in the next few years.

But do we need a downsized pickup like the Santa Cruz that offers fewer of the traditional truck benefits and more carlike limitations?

According to RoadandTrack.com, Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski said during the 2016 Detroit Auto Show that the only thing left to decide about a new downsized pickup was timing of the official announcement. Zuchowski also said he believes the new Hyundai pickup, whatever it is called, will appeal to crossover utility and certain SUV buyers.

It should be interesting to see how Hyundai can produce this pickup given the company's existing platforms, and then how it will sell it in the competitively priced midsize pickup segment. Although the 2017 Ridgeline prices will not be released for several months, we imagine that for a new Hyundai pickup to be successful, it would have to be priced below the new Ridgeline to have broad appeal. However, that might be something more in line with corporate sibling Kia's brand image. If brand history holds true, Hyundai may want to position and price the new model as more upscale and more expensive. There's no question Hyundai has a lot to sort out here. More to come.

Cars.com photo by Mark Williams