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We know that Hyundai is making a ute. However, we really don’t know much beyond that. While the technicalities will remain shrouded in mystery for the coming time, people with better Photoshop skills than us are free to imagine what the South Korean competitor Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux will be like.
That’s what designer Enoch Gabriel Gonzales has done, naming the name ‘Tarlac’ in the process.
Gonzales has given the Tarlac a nose inspired by the Sante Fe and Palisade, as well as the Sonata / i30 Sedan, with ‘Z’ LED DRLs and an evolution of the company’s corporate grille. It is upright and firm and it works, in our eyes.
Enoch Gabriel Gonzales / Stuff-co-nz
Honestly, the front end looks great. Those swoopy DRLs definitely set the Tarlac apart.
Wrinkles extending from each end towards the doors offer a bit of character in the profile, while a large amount of clearance between the wheels and the arches indicates a degree of off-road capability.
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Around the back there is a tray (surprise) and some ‘P’ shaped taillights. Gonzales did not specify how much storage the Tarlac has, but he can be sure it will be on par with the competition.
Enoch Gabriel Gonzales / Stuff-co-nz
The taillights also look good. How big the tray is is unknown, but you can be sure it will be competitive.
As for other crucial technical details, motoring.com.au acknowledges that there will be a variety of four- and six-cylinder options available at launch, including a 204-liter / 588-Nm, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder turbo diesel borrowed from the Genesis. GV80. That is way above the current Ranger Raptor and it also beats Volkswagen’s V6 Amarok.
During the launch of the Genesis GV80 in Korea, Hyundai’s R&D chief Albert Biermann said the new six diesel could be prepared for commercial vehicles.
“This engine … we can have many applications. We also make commercial vehicles, etc., so this engine will be there for quite some time, “he said.
Enoch Gabriel Gonzales / Stuff-co-nz
But crucially, would you buy this in a Ranger or Hilux?
A N-version of the Hyundai ute is rumored to give the V8 Raptor a run for its money that, if you use the Mustang’s 5.0-liter V8, it will be around 338kW / 539Nm.
Base models are likely to get a 2.2-liter, four-cylinder diesel engine from Hyundai, offering 147 kW and 440 Nm in the Santa Fe.
A four-wheel drive and ladder chassis is also expected, along with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Meanwhile, Americans will get the Santa Cruz, a truck more geared toward lifestyle shoppers. It will be smaller and less capable than the Tarlac, or whatever the ute is called, which should be a genuine one-ton designed for off-road work and tasks.
Australia can get both trucks, but we will probably get just the Tarlac, given our small market size.
