Genesis Isn’t Ruling Out Making a Luxury Pickup Truck

Success in Pickups Has Been Elusive

The Americans and the Japanese practically own the pickup truck space. It’s not just in the U.S, either, as the same sentiment can be applied worldwide. Sure, there are some Chinese marques giving it a crack, but the pickup market isn’t easily swayed by newcomers. If anything, it’s difficult to even break through it in the first place.

Case in point: the Hyundai Motor Group, which includes Hyundai and Kia, hasn’t found much success in the pickup field. The Santa Cruz has been soundly beaten by the Ford Maverick in sales, leading Hyundai to phase it out. On the other hand, the Kia Tasman has barely made a blip in the global pickup sales race, with the Toyota Hilux being unbothered by it.

Kia

Not Giving Up

Still, Hyundai in general can’t give up on that segment, as it’s a proven sales driver. The company is currently developing yet another pickup, and it’ll utilize a body -on-frame design. It could be revealed by 2027 for the 2028 model year.

Interestingly, Hyundai isn’t denying the rumors of a more luxurious Genesis version of the future pickup. Australian publication Carsales recently reported that Hyundai Australia’s chief operating officer isn’t ruling it out.

Autoblog (AI-generated image)

‘Never Say Never’

“I think you don’t rule out anything, and it’s got to meet the luxury level to what it is,” said Hyundai Motor Group Australia COO, Gavin Donaldson. The executive added, “If there’s an opportunity that it’s going to be able to create, build the brand, support the brand, build that luxury image, then you would look at what it is.”

Donaldson does admit that the likelihood of it actually pushing through is unknown, but the seed has been planted for that idea. That said, Hyundai needs to build up its future pickup first before exploring the possibility of going for a posher, Genesis-badged version.

The future pickup may be a collaborative effort between Hyundai and General Motors. The company could also use the chassis already used in the Kia Tasman. Either way, the South Korean automaker would like some form of electrified powertrain, be it a hybrid or a range extender.