Hyundai’s popular Santa Cruz pickup truck has been seen at the company’s Australian headquarters in Sydney. Despite the excitement surrounding the car-based ute’s arrival, it is unlikely to be an indication of any imminent market launch. The vehicle was spotted parked in plain sight, prompting an inquiry to the local communications manager, Guido Schenken, who confirmed that the automaker was evaluating the Santa Cruz’s potential in the Australian market. However, Schenken also stated that the company is unlikely to produce a right-hand-drive model.
Hyundai is known to bring in vehicles not available locally for research and engineering purposes, and Schenken emphasized that the two left-hand-drive Santa Cruz models seen in Sydney were not necessarily significant. The brand is simply assessing how the Australian market might respond to a similar offering in the future.
Australian buyers who are eagerly awaiting a Santa Cruz pickup truck may have to wait until 2026 for the next-generation model, if it happens at all. While Hyundai’s design chief, SangYup Lee, has expressed interest in seeing how the Santa Cruz would appeal to Australian buyers, there are currently no plans to produce a right-hand-drive version.
In the meantime, Hyundai’s sister company, Kia, is rumored to be developing a small ute based on the Santa Cruz, positioned beneath the confirmed ladder-frame ute that has been spotted testing. Hyundai may end up regretting not building right-hand-drive markets into its original Santa Cruz plan if the Ford Maverick, a potential rival to the Santa Cruz, makes its way to Australia.
Hyundai’s Australian Chief Operating Officer, John Kett, has promised that when the company finally releases a ute, “it had better be a ute.” The company is working hard to ensure that its eventual release is not just aesthetically pleasing, but also functional. While little has been said about the development of Hyundai’s Santa Cruz for Australia, Kia’s open testing of its Ranger-sized ute may soon force the brand to reveal its own plans.
