Hyundai’s bold ‘Boulder’ concept hints at rugged new ute – but will Australia get it?

This is not a future Jeep. It’s not even a Toyota LandCruiser.

It is actually a Hyundai and, despite being unveiled as a ‘concept’, it’s clearly headed for showrooms.

It’s also another clear pointer to a future ute being developed by the South Korean carmaker.

So the giant question for Australia is if – or when – the Hyundai Boulder will come down under.

As yet, there is no news from Hyundai Australia in Sydney and the omens are not good. Hyundai has previously developed a compact pick-up which was a hoped-for contender in Australia, but the Santa Cruz was too small, had no working-class credentials, and was only ever made with left-hand drive and US owners.

In the case of the well-named Boulder, left-hand drive is the biggest hurdle as Hyundai is focussing its new off-roader on buyers and workers in the USA.

The Boulder would clearly get a positive reception from local off-road adventures, and suburban battlers, with an old-school mechanical package and chunky styling that advances the latest boxy look already seen on mainstream Hyundai models including the Santa Fe.

It has just been unveiled at the New York Auto Show in the USA with plans for production and sales by 2030.

Hyundai describes it as a “stout” design study with an old-fashioned ladder-frame chassis, although there is no news on powertrains – internal combustion, hybrid, EV or any combination of the three.

“This SUV design study previews the brand’s first fully-boxed body-on-frame architecture, a new platform confirmed to underpin a production midsize pickup to be delivered by 2030,” Hyundai said, giving a firm timetable for the Boulder and also its new ute.”

There is predictable back-slapping from senior executives in the announcement of the Boulder, but the US themes will be familiar to off-roaders in Australia.

“Our . . . Boulder Concept SUV is a four-wheeled love letter to the dynamic, off-road way of life that many customers have been asking us for in our future-focused research,” said SangYup Lee, the executive vice-president leading design at Hyundai and Genesis.

“This is a design concept built on American values and American life, tailor made for those looking to confidently blaze new trails with security and purpose.

Body-on-frame vehicles are the backbone of American work and adventure, and we intend to compete in the midsize pickup segment with everything we have.”

The Boulder concept was developed by Hyundai’s design studio in California, which has been responsible for a long string of preview cars starting from the HCD-1 two-seater roadster in the 1990s.

Looking beyond the Boulder, Hyundai is now talking openly about the future ute that will be used to challenge the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, and the other pick-ups that dominate sales in Australia.

“Developing a robust mid-size pick-up is a significant growth opportunity for Hyundai in the United States,” said Randy Parker, the CEO of Hyundai Motor North America.

“Body-on-frame trucks play a central role in this market, and we see a clear opportunity to bring customers a new alternative that reflects how they work, explore, and live. The Boulder Concept SUV signals our approach to this segment and how we are thoughtfully developing our midsize pickup with the needs and expectations of US customers at the core.”

What it all means for Australia is unclear, but the lobbying has already begun and there is plenty of time for both the Boulder and ute before production begins at a US factory in four years time.