Fancy a sub-$20k truck? Well, you won’t find such a vehicle in the US market. But, be patient. The 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz is going to be a budget-friendly pickup with an attractive starting price.

The concept is there for a while. The two-door design causes a lot of questions. The main one is – will the new pickup offer a four-door version. Still, its design is pretty functional, especially with an extendable bed. With it, truckers can load oversized cargo.

The new 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz will arrive somewhere in 2020. These are official words of the company’s CEO for the United States. However, the precise date is not set yet. Also, we are missing more about the truck. For example, engines and specs are still a mystery.

Budget-Friendly Pickup

Nissan Frontier was one of the cheapest models in the mid-size segment. Hyundai built its popularity at reasonable prices and excellent quality. That is precisely what the company will try to do in the new market.

The pickup truck segment is pretty special. Here, functionality is in the first place. Truckers will count starting price and fuel consumption to see if the offer pays off. With a cost below $20,000, the 2021 Santa Cruz will definitely get a huge boost in its early career.

Still, we don’t know what kind of features will be there. For example, most buyers are not taking Nissan Frontier base model too seriously. With a four-cylinder engine, it can’t be competitive.

Production of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz Started in the USA

The company didn’t announce this yet, but it is the only logical outcome if Hyundai wants to keep Santa Cruz under $20,000. The plant that will produce this model is unknown yet. By building the pickup in the US, the Korean carmaker will avoid not only taxes but also controversies related to politics.

2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz Concept

It’s been almost five years since we saw the Santa Cruz for the first time. Fans are waiting eagerly, but the company didn’t rush with production. Well, the concept seemed to be a production-ready. But, the carmaker had other plans, and now it is turn for the 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz after the premiere of the Palisade SUV.

Specs

The full-size SUV could be one of the models which can borrow a drivetrain to the 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz. A 3.8-liter V6 is producing 290 hp and 260 lb-ft, and it perfectly fits the mid-size truck segment. Most of the future rivals are using similar engines with such outputs.

Still, this could be an optional drivetrain. Santa Cruz will probably be offered with a smaller, four-cylinder block as the base setup. In this case, a 2.4-liter engine produces 185 hp, while a 2.0 turbo-four is good for 235 hp. One of these can make the truck remain cheap.

So, When Does the 2021 Hyundai Santa Cruz Comes Out?

The release date of the Santa Cruz pickup is not confirmed yet. But, as the model for 2021 it will be perfect to launch it in mid-2020. In June, we are waiting for the new format of the Detroit Auto Show. Is there any better place for a truck’s debut?

Source: TFLTruck