The Hyundai Santa Cruz bakkie is finally getting a right-hand-drive (RHD) derivative, opening the possibility of a South African introduction.
According to a report by Australian publication CarsGuide, the Korean automaker recently debuted a “Tucson Ute” (Australian slang for bakkie) at a dealership event showcasing the future models planned for that market.
The Tucson-based pickup refers to the Santa Cruz, a unibody double cab that is constructed on the same platform as the Tucson midsize family SUV.
What to expect
The Santa Cruz has been in production since 2021, but up till now, it has exclusively been sold as a left-hand-drive model in North America.
The bakkie’s second generation is expected to debut in 2026, and it is likely that the carmaker is using this launch as an opportunity to introduce a RHD version to other markets.
It’s too early to say for certain that South Africa will be one of the countries benefitting from the double cab’s introduction, but there are a few key factors that support the idea that it will eventually come here.
The first is that the Santa Cruz appears to be all but confirmed for Australia, which is one of the most comparable markets to South Africa, especially in terms of bakkies.
The enthusiasm for “utes” in the Land Down Under closely mirrors our own and there is a long-running precedent of pickups making their debut in the Oceanic nation before coming here.
A recent example is the next-generation Mitsubishi Triton, which launched in Australia this February and is scheduled to land in South Africa in the third quarter of 2024.
Another important factor to keep in mind is that Kia will be entering the bakkie scene in both countries in 2025 with the new Tasman midsize double cab.
Kia and Hyundai are closely interlinked with the latter owning a controlling share of the former, so the fact that Kia is bringing a new model to our roads bodes well for a similar endeavour from Hyundai.
A camo teaser image of the Kia Tasman coming to South Africa in 2025.
With all that in mind, it’s worth taking a look to see what Mzansi motorists can potentially look forward to in the near future.
The current-gen Santa Cruz is 4,970mm in length, 1,905mm in width, and 1,695mm in height, making it smaller in every dimension compared to something like the Ford Ranger.
Since it is originally an American product, the current engine selection consists solely of petrol powertrains with no diesel options.
Buyers have a choice of two 2.5-litre, four-cylinder motors, starting with a naturally-aspirated unit that produces 142kW and 245Nm.
Alternatively, there is a turbocharged version of the 2.5-litre block that generates 210kW and 422Nm.
Front-wheel and all-wheel-drive layouts are available, and the non-turbo units feature an eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox while the turbo features a dual-clutch setup.
It has a maximum towing potential of 2,200kg and can haul a load of up to 725kg.
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