Hyundai Santa Cruz finally takes shape: Tougher-than-expected renders will leave you craving the Korean ute

Yes, it's been a long time coming, but the Hyundai Santa Cruz is finally readying for launch, and now some revealing spy pics have led to fact-based renders that preview just what the Korean ute will actually look like.

The latest renders come courtesy of AtchaCars, with designers there basing on these best-so-far renders on the spy pics that surfaced earlier this week, when the Santa Cruz's finished body was snapped outside what appears to be a manufacturing facility. 

That picture was the most revealing we'd seen to date, and it's clearly inspired these accurate-feeling renders, up to and including the sharp, arrow-head body creases that cut into each of the two front doors.

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Hyundai Santa Cruz body uncovered: Your first look at Korea's baby ute!

Possibly the biggest change between the finished Santa Cruz and the concept that was revealed five years ago is that the Korean pick-up has morphed from what was described as a "lifestyle" vehicle into a proper-looking ute, despite being a unibody vehicle that will be smaller than a Toyota HiLux or a Ford Ranger.  Every new image we see shows a tougher-looking ute than we were expecting when the Santa Cruz concept was first revealed. 

According to international reports, the Santa Cruz will arrive with a choice between a 2.4-litre petrol and turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol, both borrowed from the US-spec Santa Fe and both paired with an eight-speed gearbox and AWD. If those numbers prove correct, the Santa Cruz would deliver some 137kW and 241Nm in 2.4-litre guise, and a considerable 175kW and 352Nm with the 2.0-litre turbo engine

Hyundai in Australia is yet to confirm the Santa Cruz for our market, though it has confirmed - as recently as November last year - that the new ute is now "under study" for Australia.