Hyundai and General Motors unexpectedly joined forces a year ago, signing a Memorandum of Understanding for potential collaboration. Last month, the Korean-American duo revealed plans to co-develop trucks, cars, and vans. The partnership also covers joint manufacturing, with output potentially exceeding 800,000 vehicles annually once production fully ramps up.
So, what’s Hyundai gaining from this deal? A mid-size truck developed primarily by GM. We’ve now learned the Ford Ranger rival will go on sale before the end of the decade. While additional details weren’t shared, the model is expected to feature a body-on-frame setup rather than the Santa Cruz’s unibody.
Logic suggests Hyundai’s workhorse will likely be related in some way to the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon to achieve economies of scale. It’s still too early to say whether electrification will be offered, given that GM’s current mid-size trucks remain ICE-only.
Hyundai does say it will launch extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) starting in 2027, though it hasn’t confirmed whether the mid-size truck will adopt that technology. Vehicles using this hardware are expected to deliver more than 600 miles (965 kilometers) of total range, with a fully charged battery and a gas engine acting as a generator to recharge the pack without directly powering the wheels.
2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT
Photo by: Hyundai
Once the truck reaches U.S. showrooms, it will face stiff competition not only from the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier but also from GM’s own products. Ram has also confirmed it will launch a new mid-size truck in the U.S. by the end of 2027. Widely reported to be a body-on-frame model, Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa says it will have “very good” technical specifications. If built on the STLA Frame platform, it could be offered with combustion engines, plug-in hybrids, and fully electric drivetrains.
The Hyundai-GM alliance extends well beyond this mid-size pickup. The first wave of co-developed vehicles also includes a compact car, SUV, and pickup, all led by Hyundai for Central and South America. In addition, the two automakers are working on an electric commercial van for North America, set to debut in 2028 and assembled in the U.S.
Although these models will share common platforms, they won’t be identical. Hyundai and GM are putting in the extra effort to “develop unique interiors and exteriors consistent with their respective brands.”
