Hyundai and General Motors have announced plans to co-develop at least 5 new vehicles, including 2 bakkies. And GM will lead development of the Hilux-sized model…
Back in September 2024, Hyundai and General Motors (GM) signed an agreement to “explore future collaboration across key strategic areas”. Now, the 2 companies have officially announced plans to co-develop at least 5 new vehicles – including a pair of bakkies.
In a joint statement, the South Korean and American brands say the move – which includes plans to co-develop an electric commercial van for North America – marks a “significant milestone” in their strategic collaboration.
The statement furthermore confirms the automakers will “co-develop 4 vehicles for the Central and South American market, including a compact SUV, car and pick-up, as well as a mid-size pick-up”, adding that all 4 will have the “flexibility to use either internal combustion or hybrid propulsion systems”.
General Motors – which pulled out of South Africa at the end of 2017 – has been tasked with leading the development of the mid-size bakkie platform, while Hyundai will take the lead on all the compact vehicles and the electric van. The two companies say they will share platforms but develop “unique interiors and exteriors consistent with their respective brands”.
According to the statement, design and engineering work is already underway on the new vehicles for the Central and South American markets, with launches scheduled for 2028. The electric commercial van, meanwhile, is set be manufactured in the United States from “as early as 2028”.
While the statement makes specific reference to regions in the Americas (all of which are left-hand-drive markets), it also adds that the 2 companies will “continue to assess additional joint vehicle-development programmes for global markets”.
That at least keeps the door slightly ajar for the new compact and mid-size bakkies to be developed in right-hand drive, too. In October 2024, the then-head of Hyundai Automotive South Africa confirmed to Cars.co.za that the brand’s local division was “in discussions” with its head office in Korea about the possibility of introducing a double-cab bakkie, though added “there are no definite plans” for now.
The announcement of a co-developed mid-size bakkie – set to do battle with the likes of the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max – is particularly interesting considering Hyundai’s sister company Kia already has its own ladder-frame contender in the form of the SA-bound Tasman.
Chevrolet’s new mid-size bakkie may well end up being the replacement for the global (as opposed to North American) version of the current-generation Colorado – known as the S10 in markets like Brazil – which dates all the way back to 2011.
Meanwhile, it’s not yet clear where the 2nd (apparently smaller) pick-up will fit into the picture, considering Hyundai already builds the unibody Santa Cruz in Alabama and GM makes the Montana in Brazil. There is, however, at least a chance that Hyundai’s version will serve as the 2nd-generation Santa Cruz.
More info as we have it…
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