Hyundai Australia The first foray into the emerging dual-cab market will be several years away, according to the Korean brand’s local operations manager.
Speaking to the media, Hyundai Australia Chief Operating Officer Gavin Donaldson said the brand’s rival to the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux is expected to launch around 2028.
“Strategically, it’s still a work in progress. It’s expected to be in the works in a couple of years… and it’s still being developed in collaboration with the U.S.,” Donaldson said.
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Asked whether Hyundai would even want to compete in the double cab market in 2028 as more players enter the segment, Mr Donaldson highlighted the importance of such a product in Australia based on volume alone.
“It’s 20 per cent of the market, so you’re not involved in one in five cars being sold (in Australia). Then the secondary part… it makes that second car in the driveway easier to sell,” he explained.
“When you have a product portfolio like Hyundai, it will actually complement all the other vehicles we offer – I think it gives us volume opportunities from that perspective.”
“We’re not moving away from a ute, we still want a ute. We’re in good consultation (with Hyundai Motor Company). I think ultimately it’s (now) about the powertrain we want to bring into the country.”
In a follow-up interview with Daily SparkzHyundai Australia product planning and development manager Tim Rodgers echoed local CEO Don Romano’s recent comments that the brand’s upcoming dual-cab model won’t just be a rebranded Kia Tasman, for example.
“We want to get this Right ute, not just any ute,” Mr Rodgers said, “Australian buyers have very specific needs that we want to address, but we also know we can’t arrive with exactly the same ute that everyone else has.”
Mr Donaldson and Mr Rodgers were then asked whether the Hyundai Ute would be more conceptually based on the Tasman as a ladder-frame heavy-duty vehicle or more similar to the Santa Cruz-based Tucson-based unibody ute available in North America – and the answer was interesting.
“The concepts we’re pursuing cover both bases,” Rodgers said.
Mr Donaldson added: “I think we need to look at body on frame to be competitive.”
Bill Thomas, Hyundai Australia’s head of public relations, then added some further context.
“I think the Santa Cruz is an interesting vehicle – it has been the subject of the largest research program our company has ever undertaken anywhere in the world,” Mr Thomas said.
“It was extensive market research and they realized there was a gap in the market for this type of vehicle; a lifestyle vehicle with more utility that wasn’t a so-called body-on-frame pickup in the US – and they sold every example they could make and are still doing quite well with it.”
“I think we always feel the urge to look at the market and fill it with certain products. I know that in Australia we have been sending extremely detailed reports and inquiries to Hyundai Motor Company for a number of years and that will continue (for the future).”
“We now have more certainty about what is coming and when. There are still a few options that (global headquarters) could consider, but we are well on the way with this,” Mr Thomas added.
Hyundai’s mysterious dual-cab model has been a topic of discussion for more than a decade, but as of this writing it won’t be based on the Kia Tasman and it’s unclear whether it’s part of a multi-product partnership between Hyundai and General Motors.
The development of a dedicated electrical device has already been confirmed, and trademark applications for the Ioniq T7 and Ioniq T10 nameplates appeared last year. There could also potentially be a 4WD ladder-frame SUV built on the same platform.
“We can’t really get into it at the moment, but we have an option coming to market. It’s not necessarily a plug-in hybrid, but it will be a different type of hybrid, that’s all I can say,” Don Romano explained in November, suggesting the ute could be offered as an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV).
“We’re in a relationship with General Motors and we’re exploring that relationship. But it’s not a done deal yet. Maybe we’ll go it alone. We asked ourselves, ‘Do we share a platform?’ And I’m not going to rule it out as an option, but it would have to be different than what they’ve put out there because, again, it comes down to differentiation.
“Now you’ve got MG out there with the ute, you see the (BYD) Sharks driving around – I mean it’s getting harder and harder and I think we really need to think differently,” Hyundai’s local boss added.
“And I think José Muñoz (CEO of Hyundai Motor Company), who is leading this push, thinks very differently. I wish I could speak to you in more detail at this point – I can’t, but I can tell you with confidence that it is happening.”
“My work permit is valid for another two and a half years. I’m not leaving until that happens… We’ll meet and I’ll talk to you about it.
“It is guaranteed, here is the date, here is the vehicle, here are the differentiators, and if they implement what they are talking about at this stage and what we are working on, it will be stunning, it will be great,” Mr. Romano concluded back in November.
A whopping 212,513 four-wheel drive vehicles were registered in Australia in 2025, up 4.7 percent from the previous year.
At the top was Australia’s most popular car, the Ford Ranger, which accounted for 53,694 units – and that doesn’t include the 4×2 versions.
The Toyota HiLux accounted for 43,661 4×4 registrations, followed by the Isuzu D-Max with 21,085. Meanwhile, despite great hype before the market launch, only 3924 units of the Kia Tasman were sold.
Hyundai Australia is clearly taking its time to ensure its first dual-cab model doesn’t follow the Tasman’s mold, with differentiation from key market players a top priority for its upcoming model.
For now we have to wait and see what happens. Stay tuned Daily Sparkz for all the news.
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