Hyundai Tarlac Render Proposes Ladder-Frame Pickup Truck To Go After The Hilux And Ranger

Hyundai will soon launch its first-ever pickup truck, but the Santa Cruz won’t be your average workhorse when it arrives sometime in 2021.

The Korean automaker has decided to position the unibody pickup as a lifestyle vehicle that would not only compete with the similar Honda Ridgeline but also with SUVs. That’s not surprising given the fact that it’s based on the same platform as the Santa Fe SUV.

However, all automakers that are involved in the truck segment know the action is in the full-size and mid-size body-on-frame pickups. A second, ladder-frame pickup truck is something Hyundai is actually working on, though very little is known about it at this point.

This type of work truck is in demand not only in North America, but also in Southeast Asia, Australia, South Africa and other markets. Freelance designer Enoch Gabriel Gonzales explores a mid-size pickup truck from Hyundai that he named the Tarlac, after a region in his native country of Philippines.

The Hyundai Tarlac would go up against the likes of Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton/L200 and so on. It adopts Hyundai’s latest design philosophy, borrowing elements from SUVs like the Santa Fe and Palisade.

The “cascading” grille reminds of those models, as do the split headlights which are united by Z-shaped LED DRLs. The sides feature wide muscular fenders, highlighted by a pair of indented body lines. The rear is pretty basic and features vertical LED taillights and an indentation in the tailgate.

Enoch has not rendered the interior, though we can imagine a dashboard with an emphasis on functionality and durability instead of luxury. What do you think?

Thanks to Enoch Gabriel Gonzales for sharing the project with us!