- Hyundai wants global sales up 35 percent to 5.55 million by 2030.
- Several models are expected to use its new body-on-frame platform.
- US plants could build these trucks and SUVs for export to other markets.
Hyundai’s body-on-frame ambitions will extend beyond a single mid-size pickup truck and could include several new models that’ll be built in the United States and exported overseas. These are expected to consist of pickup trucks and SUVs.
Company boss Jose Munoz unveiled an ambitious new product plan earlier this week as Hyundai seeks to boost global sales by 35 percent to 5.55 million vehicles in 2030. The car manufacturer believes that entering new segments, including body-on-frame vehicles, will account for half of its expected growth over the next four years.
More: Hyundai Is Coming For The Bronco, And A Patent May Have Given The SUV Away
We know that a mid-size pickup truck will be the first model to use the new body-on-frame platform. It’s been in the works for quite some time and will likely hit the market as a traditional hybrid or perhaps a range extender. A launch date has yet to be confirmed, but Auto News expects it to be released in 2029.
Hyundai has previewed its rugged-vehicle intentions with the recent Boulder and Crater Concepts. Of the two, the Boulder perhaps turned the most heads, previewing a vehicle aimed squarely at the Ford Bronco and using the company’s Art of Steel design philosophy.
A Family Of Ladder-Frame Models
Speaking at the Hyundai Investor Day event, Munoz said he wants to see families of models built on all of the company’s new platforms. It’s possible that Kia and Genesis could also receive their own models using the ladder frame architecture.
Read: The Boulder Is Hyundai’s Answer To The Ford Bronco, And A New Pickup Is Behind It
“We want to develop a family of products capitalizing on platforms,” Munoz confirmed. “You would typically see several models derived from the same platform and will try to maximize the volume.”
The company is already considering production sites in the US. One possible production location for these models would be the Metaplant in Georgia, which already builds the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 9, and Kia Sportage Hybrid, and is also set to build several Genesis models. Rugged new models built in America won’t only be sold in the US, though.
“Definitely the United States could be not only the place to produce for domestic but also for export, as we see definitely other regions benefiting from these new segments,” Munoz revealed. “We’re working on the economics, the sourcing, on which markets could be part of that expansion.”
