Excited to see what the future holds for Hyundai? If the Santa Cruz is anything to go by, that future looks promising.
Fresh off its surprise debut at the North American International Auto Show in January, the Hyundai Santa Cruz isn’t even a production model and yet it’s already winning awards. Recently, the Santa Cruz earned the prestigious title of Concept Truck of the Year at the 14th annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year (NACVOTY) Awards at the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s in Plymouth, MI.
The NACVOTY awards recognize vehicles most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry. More than two dozen jurors participated in a selection process that involved a total of 30 vehicles, each introduced to North America during this season’s auto shows in Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto and New York.
Despite going up against other inventive concepts, voters recognized the Santa Cruz for its innovative and exciting design, world-class materials, technology, market visibility, and market responsiveness.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz concept is a modern take on the classic American pickup truck. While rival manufacturers have introduced similar concepts and production vehicles in the past, the Santa Cruz is only model to successfully blend open bed utility with passenger car attributes.
Despite being a concept, the Santa Cruz offers a glimpse into a potentially new segment for the Hyundai brand; one that is in step with modern drivers looking for the utility of a truck, but the with comforts and flexibility of a compact car.
There is no doubt the Santa Cruz will appeal to a new breed of pickup drivers and urban adventurers, while offering enough conventional features to please more traditional fans of the segment.
Hyundai have yet to confirm if the Santa Cruz will make it to production, but we're hoping it does. Its eye-catching yet purposeful design is completely in-step with Hyundai's innovative personality, and is a really cool take on the traditional pickup.
For more information on future (and current) Hyundai models, contact us at 3Birds Template today.
Image: Hyundai
