Bakkies are big business in South Africa and when we attended a media trip to Hyundai Head Quarters in Seoul, South Korea, last year; we inevitably enquired about the future of a Hyundai Bakkie, or ‘pick-up’ as they like to call it over there. Volkswagen plucked some market share from Toyota, Ford and Isuzu; why don’t Hyundai try the same?
South Africa makes up just 1% of Hyundai Automotive’s global sales figures; so rather understandably, they didn’t exactly jump to attention at the mention of our bright spark idea. The company appears to be just as undecided about building a bakkie as before. With the carmaker’s VP for international sales, Lee In-cheol, recently saying that it would consider a truck for the US market; however, John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai USA, has contradicted this by stated that the move won’t happen anytime soon. So, unfortunately, it appears to be business as usual for Hyundai, but until it makes up its mind about developing a bakkie, how about these renderings to give you an idea of what the vehicle could look like if it ever gets the green line?
A Hyundai Santa Fe frontend with a Ford Ranger-esqe backend; bakkies are bakkies and you can’t stray too far from the ideal recipe, or you’ll end up with a Mitsubishi Triton. Hyundai is becoming more active in most segments of the market but despite improved success over the last few years, the disciplined company won’t rush into approving a project it can’t guarantee is feasible. Until then Toyota’s success in the local bakkie market is till assured.
