Looks like Hyundai is preparing a full SUV offensive for the US-market. Despite the new Kona, the new Santa Fe & future Santa Fe XL, the future Palisade or Leonis, today we have known that the next-gen Tucson, scheduled as 2020MY, will be built in the USA.
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According to the report, Hyundai Motor and its affiliates are in the process of updating the lines and supply lines of the Alabama plant, as the company has decided to produce Hyundai’s next generation Tucson (codenamed NX4) in 2020. Tucson will also expanding its line-up into pickup trucks and will be offer a pick-up derivative from 2021.
More than the 60 percent of the US auto market sales have chose a SUV, so that it’s why they will be producing the Tucson at its Alabama plant instead of the anticipated sales of Elantra and Sonata are decreasing. Currently, the Alabama plant produces only three models – the Santa Fe, the Sonata, and the Elantra (Korean name: Avante).
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama has built the first US-spec 2019 Santa Fe
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Hyundai has mentioned the possibility of a medium-size pickup truck several times. They finally decided to build a pick-up truck based on the next-generation Tucson (NX4) that will be available for the next-gen Tucson & Sportage with a longer wheelbase and will able to have a pick-up from the beginning.
The pick up is set to be named as Santa Cruz due to give it a higher image (directly from the Santa Fe). In terms of size, this new pick up will compete against Chevrolet Colorado or Toyota Tacoma.
The next generation Tucson is set to have the all-new Theta3 2.5-liter engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Hyundai plans to use the Theta3 N/A & Turbo 2.5-lite engine as its base engine in the US market.
Hyundai’s first pickup truck is planned to be produced in the United States in May 2021, and its introduction into other markets like South Korea has not yet been decided.
Source: (Motorgraph)
