Hyundai Santa Cruz News

Sorry, Swifties. While we appreciate the cultural phenomenon that is singer/songwriter, artist and philanthropist Taylor Swift, this is not a paean to a great pop star, but, rather, a reference to the year that marked Japan’s stellar ascension as the biggest threat to the established carmakers of that time. Their fear was existential as well as actual.

It feels like, in recent years, all we talk about is the take-over of the dual-cab ute. The idea of a ute is nothing new but since the Toyota HiLux took over the best-selling accolade in 2016, they have changed dramatically in how they’re used. It isn’t farmers, miners or road-workers driving the Aussie ute boom, it’s those who use these vehicles for both work and play. For family duties and forest exploration, but the current crop of utes are tied to their commercial heritage and compromised as a result.Over the years there have been some takes that simply wouldn’t have flown here: the hideous 207-based Peugeot Hoggar, the Golf-based VW Saveiro and Chevrolet Montana don’t get the blood rushing like a Ford Ranger Raptor, that’s for sure. But this “half SUV, half dual-cab ute,” Ford bosses told CarsGuide of back in 2020? That could be revolutionary. About a year later, the new Ford Maverick was born based on the same underpinnings as the Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs. Pretty much since then, we’ve been asking why Ford hasn’t been able to bring Maverick Down Under. The Ranger is still the one to choose if you need carrying capacity, towing ability or extreme off-road ability but for city and suburban folk, the cleaner burn petrol engine and more SUV-like ride of the Maverick could be the perfect tonic. Oddly, Ford Australia is keeping very quiet about the Maverick. Apparently it’s too popular in the US to consider right-hand drive, for now. Hyundai, however, has trickled the scoop down to dealers that its Santa Cruz pick-up, based on the Tucson mid-size SUV, is coming to Australia some time in 2026. Like the Maverick, the Santa Cruz has proved a hit with US pick-up buyers, combining car-like comfort with outdoorsy styling and carrying ability in an affordable, fuel-efficient package. The other benefit of SUV-based utes is the ease of engineering a hybrid system. For Hyundai and Ford, plug-in and plugless hybrids already exist in their passenger cars. Next stop, funky utes.The Maverick and Santa Cruz could pave the way for Honda’s entrant, the Ridgeline. A tough-looking SUV-based ute.With a bit more size and punch, the Ridgeline is aligned more closely with Ranger and HiLux, rather than the smaller Santa Cruz and Maverick. That could change come 2026, when its expected replacement arrives.Then there are the models we haven’t seen yet. Most exciting might be the Renault Duster Oroch — otherwise known as the Dacia. The budget-oriented brand is eyeing an Australia launch in the near future and a ute could be the ticket to instant sales success. Gawky in its first-gen form, the new Duster design lends itself perfectly to a ute version. Just look at this speculative render by Kolesa of the Renault pick-up. A 650kg payload is targeted, about 300kg down on the dominant dual-cab segment but still plenty more than your average medium SUV. Finally, we’d love to see Subaru return to this segment with a Brumby revival — or Brat, for you North Americans. The ute name is an icon here and abroad and, with Subaru’s latest Outback taking a step closer to ruggedness, it would be the perfect spin-off. As always, we’re talking about this ‘new breed’ of utes as if they’re groundbreaking. They aren’t so much in Australia, with Ford and Holden both famous for car-based utes.Holden even tried to steal a bit of rugged HiLux love, dipping its toes (rather unsuccessfully, mind you) into the segment with the lifted Crewman Cross 8 and its HSV Avalanche relation. Toyota also toyed with a car-based ute with the vibrant X-Runner concept of 2003. 

Hyundai is set to be the first with the return of the car-based ute in Australia, with an evolution of its popular North American Santa Cruz series. As revealed by CarsGuide back in May, the company informed its local dealer network at a conference of plans for a future version to launch in Australia. Timing is vague, but we hear from around 2026. And Ford won't be too far behind with the Maverick

For the first time since the demise of the locally-made Holden VF Commodore Ute in 2017, smaller, sub-Ford Ranger-sized utes are returning to Australia, starting with the Hyundai Santa Cruz. CarsGuide understands that Hyundai previewed a so-called “Tucson Ute” at a recent dealer event, as part of a slew of upcoming new models earmarked for our market over the next few years.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz, a small ute built for the American market, has been updated for 2025 with a tougher variant that would be right at home on Aussie roads.

Giant American pick-ups like the Dodge Ram and Chevrolet Siverado are proving so popular right now in Australia, but the next big thing could be little utes with Suzuki’s Aussie boss contemplating a Jimny-based ute or even the return of the Mighty Boy.Speaking with Suzuki Australia’s General Manager Michael Pachota at the launch of the new Jimny XL, CarsGuide asked if the new little off roader could be turned into a ute, given the longer wheelbase.“The thought did cross my mind,” Pachota laughs. “Let’s cut the back off an XL and make it an X-Ute. Could be cool.“I’d love to say it’s a consideration for Suzuki Global but I’m just not that close to that side of things,” he says.Asked if there’d be enough buyers for a small Jimny ute in Australia to convince Suzuki’s head office to build it, Pachota said that he could see it being popular not just locally, but world-wide.“I think from a global perspective there’s enough demand to say that it's a good export model and/or local introduction.”It wouldn’t be the first time Suzuki had made a Jimny-based ute. A long-wheel based Suzuki Sierra ute called the Stockman was sold in Australia during the 1980s and ’90s.The Stockman had a wheelbase of 2375mm, while the Jimny XL's is 2590mm.The 1980s also saw a two-door micro ute called the Suzuki Mighty Boy cause a stir on Australian streets.  “I would love to reintroduce the Mighty Boy,” Pachota says. “Can you imagine a new spec of the Mighty Boy?"The Suzuki Mighty Boy measured just 3195mm end to end making it eligible for Japan’s smallest kei car vehicle category.Its tray measured 1100mm long, 600mm wide and 300 deep, and despite the obvious impracticalities the Mighty Boy was seen as a fun and cheeky island in the conservative automotive ocean of the 1980s. “It’s a similar story to the Jimny as well in terms of its popularity back in the day and really unique characteristics,” Pachota says. “If there’s one available I’ve definitely got my hand up for it, without a doubt.”If they are ever to become a production reality, the Jimny ute and new Mighty Boy could see the Australian automotive landscape return to a retro 1980s trend, with Subaru also thought to be thinking about bringing back its small Brumby ute which was sold in Australia from 1978 to 1994.A new-gen Brumby could be possible now that Subaru and Toyota are sharing technology. Toyota’s sub-HiLux Stout pickup could form the basis of a 21st century Subaru Brumby.If the enormous sales of Ford’s Maverick baby Ranger ute and the Hyundai Santa Cruz in the United States are anything to go by the same success could be seen in Australia.“Are we considering it from a global perspective? I don’t think so. We’re a small car specialist,” Pachota says. “We definitely see ourselves continuing that kind of type of brand philosophy in terms of being small car specialists.”So for now despite the jokes we probably won't see a Jimny ute or Mighty Boy, and Aussies will continue to buy big utes. But if the market does change Pachota says Suzuki will, too.“As different markets progress, there will be a difference in terms of the demand for size of cars, so we would adapt to the market.”

Nissan confirms it is working on a car-based small ute, but will Australia ever see it?

Australia has long been the home of the ute. Not only did the ute originate here back in 1934 but year-in and year-out the best-selling car in Australia is a ute. 

Toyota's mini-HiLux ute could be revealed as early as June this year, with the city-friendly truck primed to take on the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick.

Why can't Australians buy a new left-hand-drive car, when other nations that also drive on the same side of the road that we do allow for such things?