Hyundai has confirmed plans to enter the global midsize pickup segment with a new body-on-frame model. Revealed as part of the company’s , the upcoming pickup will target established products such as Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger.
Hyundai Hilux Rival Confirmed
Hyundai’s new midsize pickup will use a body-on-frame construction, marking an important expansion beyond the company’s predominantly monocoque SUV portfolio. The pickup is expected to arrive globally within the next few years.
Developing a new ladder-frame pickup also creates the possibility of an SUV derivative. Toyota follows this strategy with Hilux and Fortuner, while Isuzu has D-Max and MU-X sharing common underpinnings and mechanical components.
For Hyundai, an SUV based on its upcoming pickup could fill a major gap in its global portfolio. More importantly, such a vehicle could potentially be relevant to India, where Toyota Fortuner has established a strong presence in the premium three-row SUV segment.
There is another clue supporting this possibility. As part of its India product roadmap announced earlier, Hyundai confirmed plans to introduce an off-road-focused SUV in India by 2030. The company hasn’t revealed the identity of this product yet. This raises the possibility that Hyundai’s India-bound off-roader could be related to the newly confirmed body-on-frame programme.
Hyundai Boulder Could Hold The Answer
Adding another piece to the puzzle is Hyundai Boulder, which has already surfaced through . Reports have linked the Boulder programme with Hyundai’s upcoming midsize body-on-frame products, potentially comprising both SUV and pickup derivatives. If these reports prove accurate, Hyundai could adopt a strategy similar to Toyota’s Hilux-Fortuner pairing, with Boulder-based pickup and SUV models sharing their core architecture.
For now, however, Hyundai has not officially confirmed that Boulder will be the name of either vehicle or that its upcoming global pickup and India-bound off-road SUV will share a platform. The connection remains a possibility based on the company’s announced product plans and developments surrounding Boulder.
Lifestyle Pickup Segment Getting Interesting
Hyundai’s move also comes as Mahindra prepares its own entry into the lifestyle pickup space. A Scorpio-based lifestyle pickup ,giving Mahindra an opportunity to compete in a segment currently represented in India by products such as Toyota Hilux and Isuzu V-Cross.
This could make the midsize pickup segment considerably more interesting over the coming years. However, from Hyundai’s perspective, an SUV derivative could potentially hold even greater volume potential in India.
Toyota Fortuner has for premium ladder-frame SUVs despite operating at a significantly higher price point than mainstream midsize SUVs. A Hyundai alternative combining rugged body-on-frame construction with modern features and potentially a hybrid powertrain could bring a different proposition to this segment.