Last year, something
like 3.3 million pickup trucks were sold in the U.S. alone. Only four
percent of them, or 126,529, were Toyota Tundras, vs. upwards of 30 percent,
perhaps a million, units for the market-leading ford big pickups.
So why is it that
the Japanese company which markets the best-selling passenger car in the
U.S. can't make more of a success with its highly acclaimed full-size
pickup?
Indeed, Toyota
and Nissan have made repeated attempts over the years to make a significant
dent in the U.S. big pickup market, so far with dismal results.
Hyundai has
had plenty of time to study the huge truck market and thinks it can get
a slice of the pie by offering the most truck for the money,the same way
it worked with passenger cars a decade ago. obviously, Hyundai would focus
its attention on the Big 3 trucks, Toyota's Tundra and Nissan's Titan.
The question
here is not if, but when? The truck market situation in the coming months
will tell!
The new pickup’s
styling leans on the Talus HCD9 concept crossover shown at the last Detroit
Autoshow. It features a power clamshell hatch with undulating exterior
lines. Take a good look at the Talus, because this is where Hyundai’s
truck design is likely headed.
The new model
could be outfitted with a 4.6-liter V8 mated to a six-speed automatic
transmission.
