Kia’s New Pickup Truck Tasman
What if Hyundai Joins the Game?
Concept Rendering Sparks Excitement
The debut of Kia’s first-ever pickup truck, the Tasman, has stirred up the pickup truck market in Korea. It signals the end of the KGM Rexton Sports series’ dominance and the beginning of true competition in the segment. After four years of careful development, the Tasman is generating significant interest, though critics have reacted mixed to its unique front-end design.
Meanwhile, Hyundai, which already markets the compact Santa Cruz pickup in North America, is reportedly preparing a new pickup truck following the launch of the Kia Tasman. Automotive enthusiasts wonder: what would it look like if Hyundai’s new pickup shared the same platform as the Tasman? A recent virtual rendering has brought this concept to life, drawing widespread attention.
Virtual Hyundai Pickup Concept Based on the Tasman
Australian automotive media outlet Drive published a virtual rendering of a Tasman-based Hyundai pickup truck. The virtual truck shows traces of the Tasman in the side mirrors and cabin, but the rest of the vehicle has been significantly modified to reflect Hyundai’s identity.
The front of the virtual Hyundai truck borrows its family look from the Santa Cruz, featuring angular, bold pixel-type daytime running lights (DRLs) arranged in an ㄱ shape. The matte black Hyundai emblem is integrated into the grille, creating a unified and sleek appearance. While the central part of the front bumper closely resembles Tasman’s design, the sides are redesigned to connect smoothly with the wheelhouse cladding.
Refined Rear Design with Modern Touches
The rear also stands out for its design differentiation, which is not excessive. Like the front side, Tasman’s thick wheelhouse cladding has been eliminated, and a character line has been added to reduce the flatness of the side of the cargo area. In the case of the tail lamp box, it has been simplified into a square shape, and a light strip has been added to the cargo area door, adding to its sophistication. In the case of the wheel, the one from the Santa Fe North America-only off-road-specific trim XRT has been applied.
You can also see parts that seem to have been used as is from Tasman. The step-shaped bumper that improves accessibility to the loading compartment and the matte black panel on the upper part, including the tailgate handle, are representative examples. However, a separate mold for the tailgate seems needed due to differences, such as the light strip across the middle and the Hyundai emblem.
What Pickup Truck Is Hyundai Preparing?
Hyundai is expected to introduce a new pickup truck under its Ioniq series, as evidenced by the recent trademark filings for Ioniq T7 and Ioniq T10 in Australia in late 2023. While prototypes of the vehicles have not been spotted, industry speculation suggests that the Ioniq T7 will compete in a similar segment to the Santa Cruz. At the same time, the Ioniq T10 will be positioned in a segment comparable to the Tasman.
