Latest news with #DonRomano
Motor 1
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Hyundai Is Building a Real Pickup Truck
The Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup debuted in the US in 2021, and it's been a solid alternative to the Ford Maverick ever since. But it's not a real pickup truck—it's a Tucson with a bed. Now, though, Hyundai has confirmed production of a real, genuinely capable pickup. It just probably won't be for America. Hyundai Australia CEO, Don Romano, confirmed to Drive that the company is working on a new mid-size ute—aka, a pickup truck. It will compete against body-on-frame alternatives in the region, like the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, and its cousin, the new Kia Tasman. 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Photo by: Hyundai "I'm confident a ute will be on the schedule," Romano said in the interview. "But I'm not certain on the time. The time will depend on the type of ute we develop. If we use a body-on-frame platform like the Tasman, that could be soon." The details are still murky, by Romano's own admission, and it's unclear what would even power the pickup. He floats diesel, hybrid, and even fully electric options as possibilities. Given Australia's ever more stringent emissions regulations, sharing a platform with the Tasman seems unlikely. But, Hyundai could look to General Motors for help; the duo recently inked a deal for joint truck and van production. "We would look at what is available from GM,' Romano told Drive. "My goal is to keep looking forward, and we have a strategic alliance with GM, but not just on utes. We want to have a number of options, and GM is part of that." Hyundai hopes to have its new pickup in production in Australia within the next three years. As for the Santa Cruz, don't expect any major changes to the compact pickup for the US. The tiny truck just recently got a facelift. 69 More Truck Stuff Is This Ram's Compact Truck for America? America Is Falling Out of Love With Huge Trucks: Report Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
How Hyundai Australia's new boss plans to reverse Korean brand's sales slide
Hyundai Australia has a new boss – Don Romano – and his mission is simple: turn the brand's fortunes around amid an onslaught of new challenger brands and the looming threat of federal emissions regulations. Mr Romano turned down retirement to join the local arm of Hyundai as the first-ever non-Korean CEO seven weeks ago, after successfully heading up Hyundai Canada for 11 years. By his own admission, he has faced a multitude of challenges in his roles elsewhere, but none quite compare to what he's up against Down Under. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. In 2025, auto brands in Australia have to contend with a saturated market containing no fewer than 60 separate brands – dozens more than you'll find in other major markets – with many more to come. Hyundai was among the nation's top brands until a few years ago, selling in excess of 100,000 vehicles between 2014 and 2016, before its sales declined to about 75,000 in 2023 and then 71,664 in 2024, placing it sixth on the league ladder behind Toyota (241,296 sales), Ford (100,170), Mazda (95,987), sister brand Kia (81,787), and Mitsubishi (74,547). Additionally, this year marks the start of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which includes a set of stringent emissions targets designed to reduce the carbon footprint of Australia's new vehicle market. Those factors, in combination with a host of other economic pressure points, render Australia a difficult place to do business according to Mr Romano. "There's nothing quite like it – you're talking 70 brands, whereas the markets I've worked in have had anywhere from 20 to 30 brands," said Mr Romano. "So we definitely have a unique challenge here that we don't see in other markets. I think the challenge is greater, but you also have a few brands that are very dominant here, more dominant here than they are in other markets. They're more dominant even though you have more brands, which is very unusual to me. "So the question is, how do you build a brand that can future proof itself sustainably against an onslaught of new entries?" "When it comes to NVES, there's going to be a lot of brands that are going to start falling apart because they're burying their heads in the sand." Mr Romano joins Hyundai Australia at an important juncture for the automaker, after annual sales declined by 4.7 per cent last year. Plans to reverse the trend include an injection of marketing investment, expansion of the model lineup, and a renewed focus on dealer engagement. Mr Romano will oversee the launch of several key models in the coming months and years, including the Inster compact electric vehicle (EV), the Ioniq 9 large electric SUV, and the next-generation Palisade large SUV and Nexo fuel-cell vehicle. Speaking with the media at the launch of the Inster, Hyundai's smallest and cheapest EV so far, Mr Romano said he planned to stop the sales decline and "not to go right up to 100,000, but to start growing again". "I'm not going to commit to any number other than growth – we're not going to go backwards," he said. "We've been going back for five, six years and we need to turn that corner. We're going to do it this year, and we're going to start going the other way sustainably and cautiously, through good brand management and ultimately new products." However, Mr Romano said the required sales growth wouldn't come from new battery-electric like the Inster and Ioniq 9 alone. EVs accounted for just 3.7 per cent of Hyundai's Australian sales last year, with a total of 2665 sales across its Kona, Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 lines. The clock is ticking for Mr Romano, who expects to hold the Korean brand's local CEO role for no more than three years before transitioning towards retirement. "We need to future-proof our business, and that's why I'm here," he told CarExpert. MORE: Everything Hyundai Content originally sourced from: Hyundai Australia has a new boss – Don Romano – and his mission is simple: turn the brand's fortunes around amid an onslaught of new challenger brands and the looming threat of federal emissions regulations. Mr Romano turned down retirement to join the local arm of Hyundai as the first-ever non-Korean CEO seven weeks ago, after successfully heading up Hyundai Canada for 11 years. By his own admission, he has faced a multitude of challenges in his roles elsewhere, but none quite compare to what he's up against Down Under. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. In 2025, auto brands in Australia have to contend with a saturated market containing no fewer than 60 separate brands – dozens more than you'll find in other major markets – with many more to come. Hyundai was among the nation's top brands until a few years ago, selling in excess of 100,000 vehicles between 2014 and 2016, before its sales declined to about 75,000 in 2023 and then 71,664 in 2024, placing it sixth on the league ladder behind Toyota (241,296 sales), Ford (100,170), Mazda (95,987), sister brand Kia (81,787), and Mitsubishi (74,547). Additionally, this year marks the start of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which includes a set of stringent emissions targets designed to reduce the carbon footprint of Australia's new vehicle market. Those factors, in combination with a host of other economic pressure points, render Australia a difficult place to do business according to Mr Romano. "There's nothing quite like it – you're talking 70 brands, whereas the markets I've worked in have had anywhere from 20 to 30 brands," said Mr Romano. "So we definitely have a unique challenge here that we don't see in other markets. I think the challenge is greater, but you also have a few brands that are very dominant here, more dominant here than they are in other markets. They're more dominant even though you have more brands, which is very unusual to me. "So the question is, how do you build a brand that can future proof itself sustainably against an onslaught of new entries?" "When it comes to NVES, there's going to be a lot of brands that are going to start falling apart because they're burying their heads in the sand." Mr Romano joins Hyundai Australia at an important juncture for the automaker, after annual sales declined by 4.7 per cent last year. Plans to reverse the trend include an injection of marketing investment, expansion of the model lineup, and a renewed focus on dealer engagement. Mr Romano will oversee the launch of several key models in the coming months and years, including the Inster compact electric vehicle (EV), the Ioniq 9 large electric SUV, and the next-generation Palisade large SUV and Nexo fuel-cell vehicle. Speaking with the media at the launch of the Inster, Hyundai's smallest and cheapest EV so far, Mr Romano said he planned to stop the sales decline and "not to go right up to 100,000, but to start growing again". "I'm not going to commit to any number other than growth – we're not going to go backwards," he said. "We've been going back for five, six years and we need to turn that corner. We're going to do it this year, and we're going to start going the other way sustainably and cautiously, through good brand management and ultimately new products." However, Mr Romano said the required sales growth wouldn't come from new battery-electric like the Inster and Ioniq 9 alone. EVs accounted for just 3.7 per cent of Hyundai's Australian sales last year, with a total of 2665 sales across its Kona, Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 lines. The clock is ticking for Mr Romano, who expects to hold the Korean brand's local CEO role for no more than three years before transitioning towards retirement. "We need to future-proof our business, and that's why I'm here," he told CarExpert. MORE: Everything Hyundai Content originally sourced from: Hyundai Australia has a new boss – Don Romano – and his mission is simple: turn the brand's fortunes around amid an onslaught of new challenger brands and the looming threat of federal emissions regulations. Mr Romano turned down retirement to join the local arm of Hyundai as the first-ever non-Korean CEO seven weeks ago, after successfully heading up Hyundai Canada for 11 years. By his own admission, he has faced a multitude of challenges in his roles elsewhere, but none quite compare to what he's up against Down Under. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. In 2025, auto brands in Australia have to contend with a saturated market containing no fewer than 60 separate brands – dozens more than you'll find in other major markets – with many more to come. Hyundai was among the nation's top brands until a few years ago, selling in excess of 100,000 vehicles between 2014 and 2016, before its sales declined to about 75,000 in 2023 and then 71,664 in 2024, placing it sixth on the league ladder behind Toyota (241,296 sales), Ford (100,170), Mazda (95,987), sister brand Kia (81,787), and Mitsubishi (74,547). Additionally, this year marks the start of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which includes a set of stringent emissions targets designed to reduce the carbon footprint of Australia's new vehicle market. Those factors, in combination with a host of other economic pressure points, render Australia a difficult place to do business according to Mr Romano. "There's nothing quite like it – you're talking 70 brands, whereas the markets I've worked in have had anywhere from 20 to 30 brands," said Mr Romano. "So we definitely have a unique challenge here that we don't see in other markets. I think the challenge is greater, but you also have a few brands that are very dominant here, more dominant here than they are in other markets. They're more dominant even though you have more brands, which is very unusual to me. "So the question is, how do you build a brand that can future proof itself sustainably against an onslaught of new entries?" "When it comes to NVES, there's going to be a lot of brands that are going to start falling apart because they're burying their heads in the sand." Mr Romano joins Hyundai Australia at an important juncture for the automaker, after annual sales declined by 4.7 per cent last year. Plans to reverse the trend include an injection of marketing investment, expansion of the model lineup, and a renewed focus on dealer engagement. Mr Romano will oversee the launch of several key models in the coming months and years, including the Inster compact electric vehicle (EV), the Ioniq 9 large electric SUV, and the next-generation Palisade large SUV and Nexo fuel-cell vehicle. Speaking with the media at the launch of the Inster, Hyundai's smallest and cheapest EV so far, Mr Romano said he planned to stop the sales decline and "not to go right up to 100,000, but to start growing again". "I'm not going to commit to any number other than growth – we're not going to go backwards," he said. "We've been going back for five, six years and we need to turn that corner. We're going to do it this year, and we're going to start going the other way sustainably and cautiously, through good brand management and ultimately new products." However, Mr Romano said the required sales growth wouldn't come from new battery-electric like the Inster and Ioniq 9 alone. EVs accounted for just 3.7 per cent of Hyundai's Australian sales last year, with a total of 2665 sales across its Kona, Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 lines. The clock is ticking for Mr Romano, who expects to hold the Korean brand's local CEO role for no more than three years before transitioning towards retirement. "We need to future-proof our business, and that's why I'm here," he told CarExpert. MORE: Everything Hyundai Content originally sourced from: Hyundai Australia has a new boss – Don Romano – and his mission is simple: turn the brand's fortunes around amid an onslaught of new challenger brands and the looming threat of federal emissions regulations. Mr Romano turned down retirement to join the local arm of Hyundai as the first-ever non-Korean CEO seven weeks ago, after successfully heading up Hyundai Canada for 11 years. By his own admission, he has faced a multitude of challenges in his roles elsewhere, but none quite compare to what he's up against Down Under. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. In 2025, auto brands in Australia have to contend with a saturated market containing no fewer than 60 separate brands – dozens more than you'll find in other major markets – with many more to come. Hyundai was among the nation's top brands until a few years ago, selling in excess of 100,000 vehicles between 2014 and 2016, before its sales declined to about 75,000 in 2023 and then 71,664 in 2024, placing it sixth on the league ladder behind Toyota (241,296 sales), Ford (100,170), Mazda (95,987), sister brand Kia (81,787), and Mitsubishi (74,547). Additionally, this year marks the start of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which includes a set of stringent emissions targets designed to reduce the carbon footprint of Australia's new vehicle market. Those factors, in combination with a host of other economic pressure points, render Australia a difficult place to do business according to Mr Romano. "There's nothing quite like it – you're talking 70 brands, whereas the markets I've worked in have had anywhere from 20 to 30 brands," said Mr Romano. "So we definitely have a unique challenge here that we don't see in other markets. I think the challenge is greater, but you also have a few brands that are very dominant here, more dominant here than they are in other markets. They're more dominant even though you have more brands, which is very unusual to me. "So the question is, how do you build a brand that can future proof itself sustainably against an onslaught of new entries?" "When it comes to NVES, there's going to be a lot of brands that are going to start falling apart because they're burying their heads in the sand." Mr Romano joins Hyundai Australia at an important juncture for the automaker, after annual sales declined by 4.7 per cent last year. Plans to reverse the trend include an injection of marketing investment, expansion of the model lineup, and a renewed focus on dealer engagement. Mr Romano will oversee the launch of several key models in the coming months and years, including the Inster compact electric vehicle (EV), the Ioniq 9 large electric SUV, and the next-generation Palisade large SUV and Nexo fuel-cell vehicle. Speaking with the media at the launch of the Inster, Hyundai's smallest and cheapest EV so far, Mr Romano said he planned to stop the sales decline and "not to go right up to 100,000, but to start growing again". "I'm not going to commit to any number other than growth – we're not going to go backwards," he said. "We've been going back for five, six years and we need to turn that corner. We're going to do it this year, and we're going to start going the other way sustainably and cautiously, through good brand management and ultimately new products." However, Mr Romano said the required sales growth wouldn't come from new battery-electric like the Inster and Ioniq 9 alone. EVs accounted for just 3.7 per cent of Hyundai's Australian sales last year, with a total of 2665 sales across its Kona, Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 lines. The clock is ticking for Mr Romano, who expects to hold the Korean brand's local CEO role for no more than three years before transitioning towards retirement. "We need to future-proof our business, and that's why I'm here," he told CarExpert. MORE: Everything Hyundai Content originally sourced from:
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
How Hyundai Australia's new boss plans to reverse Korean brand's sales slide
Hyundai Australia has a new boss – Don Romano – and his mission is simple: turn the brand's fortunes around amid an onslaught of new challenger brands and the looming threat of federal emissions regulations. Mr Romano turned down retirement to join the local arm of Hyundai as the first-ever non-Korean CEO seven weeks ago, after successfully heading up Hyundai Canada for 11 years. By his own admission, he has faced a multitude of challenges in his roles elsewhere, but none quite compare to what he's up against Down Under. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Current Hyundai models Credit: CarExpert In 2025, auto brands in Australia have to contend with a saturated market containing no fewer than 60 separate brands – dozens more than you'll find in other major markets – with many more to come. Hyundai was among the nation's top brands until a few years ago, selling in excess of 100,000 vehicles between 2014 and 2016, before its sales declined to about 75,000 in 2023 and then 71,664 in 2024, placing it sixth on the league ladder behind Toyota (241,296 sales), Ford (100,170), Mazda (95,987), sister brand Kia (81,787), and Mitsubishi (74,547). Additionally, this year marks the start of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which includes a set of stringent emissions targets designed to reduce the carbon footprint of Australia's new vehicle market. 2026 Hyundai Palisade Credit: CarExpert Those factors, in combination with a host of other economic pressure points, render Australia a difficult place to do business according to Mr Romano. 'There's nothing quite like it – you're talking 70 brands, whereas the markets I've worked in have had anywhere from 20 to 30 brands,' said Mr Romano. 'So we definitely have a unique challenge here that we don't see in other markets. I think the challenge is greater, but you also have a few brands that are very dominant here, more dominant here than they are in other markets. They're more dominant even though you have more brands, which is very unusual to me. 2026 Hyundai Nexo Credit: CarExpert 'So the question is, how do you build a brand that can future proof itself sustainably against an onslaught of new entries?' 'When it comes to NVES, there's going to be a lot of brands that are going to start falling apart because they're burying their heads in the sand.' Mr Romano joins Hyundai Australia at an important juncture for the automaker, after annual sales declined by 4.7 per cent last year. Plans to reverse the trend include an injection of marketing investment, expansion of the model lineup, and a renewed focus on dealer engagement. 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 Credit: CarExpert Mr Romano will oversee the launch of several key models in the coming months and years, including the Inster compact electric vehicle (EV), the Ioniq 9 large electric SUV, and the next-generation Palisade large SUV and Nexo fuel-cell vehicle. Speaking with the media at the launch of the Inster, Hyundai's smallest and cheapest EV so far, Mr Romano said he planned to stop the sales decline and 'not to go right up to 100,000, but to start growing again'. 'I'm not going to commit to any number other than growth – we're not going to go backwards,' he said. 'We've been going back for five, six years and we need to turn that corner. We're going to do it this year, and we're going to start going the other way sustainably and cautiously, through good brand management and ultimately new products.' 2025 Hyundai Inster Credit: CarExpert However, Mr Romano said the required sales growth wouldn't come from new battery-electric like the Inster and Ioniq 9 alone. EVs accounted for just 3.7 per cent of Hyundai's Australian sales last year, with a total of 2665 sales across its Kona, Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 lines. The clock is ticking for Mr Romano, who expects to hold the Korean brand's local CEO role for no more than three years before transitioning towards retirement. 'We need to future-proof our business, and that's why I'm here,' he told CarExpert. MORE: Everything Hyundai
7NEWS
6 days ago
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
How Hyundai Australia's new boss plans to reverse Korean brand's sales slide
Hyundai Australia has a new boss – Don Romano – and his mission is simple: turn the brand's fortunes around amid an onslaught of new challenger brands and the looming threat of federal emissions regulations. Mr Romano turned down retirement to join the local arm of Hyundai as the first-ever non-Korean CEO seven weeks ago, after successfully heading up Hyundai Canada for 11 years. By his own admission, he has faced a multitude of challenges in his roles elsewhere, but none quite compare to what he's up against Down Under. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. In 2025, auto brands in Australia have to contend with a saturated market containing no fewer than 60 separate brands – dozens more than you'll find in other major markets – with many more to come. Hyundai was among the nation's top brands until a few years ago, selling in excess of 100,000 vehicles between 2014 and 2016, before its sales declined to about 75,000 in 2023 and then 71,664 in 2024, placing it sixth on the league ladder behind Toyota (241,296 sales), Ford (100,170), Mazda (95,987), sister brand Kia (81,787), and Mitsubishi (74,547). Additionally, this year marks the start of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which includes a set of stringent emissions targets designed to reduce the carbon footprint of Australia's new vehicle market. Those factors, in combination with a host of other economic pressure points, render Australia a difficult place to do business according to Mr Romano. 'There's nothing quite like it – you're talking 70 brands, whereas the markets I've worked in have had anywhere from 20 to 30 brands,' said Mr Romano. 'So we definitely have a unique challenge here that we don't see in other markets. I think the challenge is greater, but you also have a few brands that are very dominant here, more dominant here than they are in other markets. They're more dominant even though you have more brands, which is very unusual to me. 'So the question is, how do you build a brand that can future proof itself sustainably against an onslaught of new entries?' 'When it comes to NVES, there's going to be a lot of brands that are going to start falling apart because they're burying their heads in the sand.' Mr Romano joins Hyundai Australia at an important juncture for the automaker, after annual sales declined by 4.7 per cent last year. Plans to reverse the trend include an injection of marketing investment, expansion of the model lineup, and a renewed focus on dealer engagement. Mr Romano will oversee the launch of several key models in the coming months and years, including the Inster compact electric vehicle (EV), the Ioniq 9 large electric SUV, and the next-generation Palisade large SUV and Nexo fuel-cell vehicle. Speaking with the media at the launch of the Inster, Hyundai's smallest and cheapest EV so far, Mr Romano said he planned to stop the sales decline and 'not to go right up to 100,000, but to start growing again'. 'I'm not going to commit to any number other than growth – we're not going to go backwards,' he said. 'We've been going back for five, six years and we need to turn that corner. We're going to do it this year, and we're going to start going the other way sustainably and cautiously, through good brand management and ultimately new products.' However, Mr Romano said the required sales growth wouldn't come from new battery-electric like the Inster and Ioniq 9 alone. EVs accounted for just 3.7 per cent of Hyundai's Australian sales last year, with a total of 2665 sales across its Kona, Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 lines. The clock is ticking for Mr Romano, who expects to hold the Korean brand's local CEO role for no more than three years before transitioning towards retirement. 'We need to future-proof our business, and that's why I'm here,' he told CarExpert.
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Hyundai to decide on ute future by the end of 2025
Korean automaker Hyundai will finalise its plans for a brand new ute by the end of this year, according to local boss Don Romano. Hyundai is one of the few mainstream automakers to have never offered a ute in Australia – a missed opportunity given the popularity of the body style Down Under. But after years of speculation, it appears the brand will soon nail down plans for a ute that will serve both Australian and overseas markets. "We're not there, we're going to be there this year," Mr Romano – the new CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) – told CarExpert when asked about plans for a pickup. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. 2020 concept render "We're going to come up with a solution that everybody can say, 'yeah, this works for me'. The nature of the upcoming model remains unclear, with several options still on the table. A battery-electric (BEV) ute is already in development, and its likelihood of being sold in Australia was bolstered by a trademark filing for the Ioniq T10 nameplate here last year. Alternatively, the new ute could be spun off the recently launched Kia Tasman, given Kia is part of the Hyundai Motor Group. Hyundai already sells the petrol-powered Santa Cruz (pictured below) – based on the Tucson SUV – in the US, but it hasn't been earmarked for right-hand drive production thus far. And, given the unfavourable exchange rate and impact of tariffs, that's unlikely to change any time soon. Mr Romano hopes for a mid-size, body-on-frame ute that can serve as a competitive rival to the best-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux in Australia. However, he remains open to other styles of vehicle if it will speed up the development process. "We're going to have to find that common denominator that's going to fit both Australia and global. So there'll be some compromise – that compromise could be a diesel, could be a hybrid, it could be a plug-in hybrid," said Mr Romano. "Whether we go with an electric ute, it would not be my preference, but I would take it and that is something that is already under development. "What I think we need is something that competes against the number one and number two in the market, and they're dominant players. "That's [mid-size, body-on-frame] what sells here, that's what customers want. I think every major manufacturer has one, and I don't think you can be a viable brand without one. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Tasman body-on-frame – it's a great infrastructure to build from. I have concerns with diesel, although I would take a diesel short-term if I know that the evolution was going in a different direction. "We know what we want to build, we could build it off of that. How long would it take? Probably longer than I have." While a decision is set to be made before the calendar flicks over to 2026, there are still plenty of boxes to tick before a ute with Hyundai badging arrives in local showrooms. Nevertheless, Mr Romano emphasised that the issue is a top priority for the marque. "Almost all my discussions, all the meetings that I'm having are to provide input in this area. They wouldn't be asking for the input at my level unless there was a serious need," concluded Mr Romano. "In terms of the timeline, I've never seen our company so committed to figuring this problem out and coming up with a solution, and that goes right up to the top." MORE: Hyundai ute: Do we finally have a name? Content originally sourced from: Korean automaker Hyundai will finalise its plans for a brand new ute by the end of this year, according to local boss Don Romano. Hyundai is one of the few mainstream automakers to have never offered a ute in Australia – a missed opportunity given the popularity of the body style Down Under. But after years of speculation, it appears the brand will soon nail down plans for a ute that will serve both Australian and overseas markets. "We're not there, we're going to be there this year," Mr Romano – the new CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) – told CarExpert when asked about plans for a pickup. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. 2020 concept render "We're going to come up with a solution that everybody can say, 'yeah, this works for me'. The nature of the upcoming model remains unclear, with several options still on the table. A battery-electric (BEV) ute is already in development, and its likelihood of being sold in Australia was bolstered by a trademark filing for the Ioniq T10 nameplate here last year. Alternatively, the new ute could be spun off the recently launched Kia Tasman, given Kia is part of the Hyundai Motor Group. Hyundai already sells the petrol-powered Santa Cruz (pictured below) – based on the Tucson SUV – in the US, but it hasn't been earmarked for right-hand drive production thus far. And, given the unfavourable exchange rate and impact of tariffs, that's unlikely to change any time soon. Mr Romano hopes for a mid-size, body-on-frame ute that can serve as a competitive rival to the best-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux in Australia. However, he remains open to other styles of vehicle if it will speed up the development process. "We're going to have to find that common denominator that's going to fit both Australia and global. So there'll be some compromise – that compromise could be a diesel, could be a hybrid, it could be a plug-in hybrid," said Mr Romano. "Whether we go with an electric ute, it would not be my preference, but I would take it and that is something that is already under development. "What I think we need is something that competes against the number one and number two in the market, and they're dominant players. "That's [mid-size, body-on-frame] what sells here, that's what customers want. I think every major manufacturer has one, and I don't think you can be a viable brand without one. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Tasman body-on-frame – it's a great infrastructure to build from. I have concerns with diesel, although I would take a diesel short-term if I know that the evolution was going in a different direction. "We know what we want to build, we could build it off of that. How long would it take? Probably longer than I have." While a decision is set to be made before the calendar flicks over to 2026, there are still plenty of boxes to tick before a ute with Hyundai badging arrives in local showrooms. Nevertheless, Mr Romano emphasised that the issue is a top priority for the marque. "Almost all my discussions, all the meetings that I'm having are to provide input in this area. They wouldn't be asking for the input at my level unless there was a serious need," concluded Mr Romano. "In terms of the timeline, I've never seen our company so committed to figuring this problem out and coming up with a solution, and that goes right up to the top." MORE: Hyundai ute: Do we finally have a name? Content originally sourced from: Korean automaker Hyundai will finalise its plans for a brand new ute by the end of this year, according to local boss Don Romano. Hyundai is one of the few mainstream automakers to have never offered a ute in Australia – a missed opportunity given the popularity of the body style Down Under. But after years of speculation, it appears the brand will soon nail down plans for a ute that will serve both Australian and overseas markets. "We're not there, we're going to be there this year," Mr Romano – the new CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) – told CarExpert when asked about plans for a pickup. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. 2020 concept render "We're going to come up with a solution that everybody can say, 'yeah, this works for me'. The nature of the upcoming model remains unclear, with several options still on the table. A battery-electric (BEV) ute is already in development, and its likelihood of being sold in Australia was bolstered by a trademark filing for the Ioniq T10 nameplate here last year. Alternatively, the new ute could be spun off the recently launched Kia Tasman, given Kia is part of the Hyundai Motor Group. Hyundai already sells the petrol-powered Santa Cruz (pictured below) – based on the Tucson SUV – in the US, but it hasn't been earmarked for right-hand drive production thus far. And, given the unfavourable exchange rate and impact of tariffs, that's unlikely to change any time soon. Mr Romano hopes for a mid-size, body-on-frame ute that can serve as a competitive rival to the best-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux in Australia. However, he remains open to other styles of vehicle if it will speed up the development process. "We're going to have to find that common denominator that's going to fit both Australia and global. So there'll be some compromise – that compromise could be a diesel, could be a hybrid, it could be a plug-in hybrid," said Mr Romano. "Whether we go with an electric ute, it would not be my preference, but I would take it and that is something that is already under development. "What I think we need is something that competes against the number one and number two in the market, and they're dominant players. "That's [mid-size, body-on-frame] what sells here, that's what customers want. I think every major manufacturer has one, and I don't think you can be a viable brand without one. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Tasman body-on-frame – it's a great infrastructure to build from. I have concerns with diesel, although I would take a diesel short-term if I know that the evolution was going in a different direction. "We know what we want to build, we could build it off of that. How long would it take? Probably longer than I have." While a decision is set to be made before the calendar flicks over to 2026, there are still plenty of boxes to tick before a ute with Hyundai badging arrives in local showrooms. Nevertheless, Mr Romano emphasised that the issue is a top priority for the marque. "Almost all my discussions, all the meetings that I'm having are to provide input in this area. They wouldn't be asking for the input at my level unless there was a serious need," concluded Mr Romano. "In terms of the timeline, I've never seen our company so committed to figuring this problem out and coming up with a solution, and that goes right up to the top." MORE: Hyundai ute: Do we finally have a name? Content originally sourced from: Korean automaker Hyundai will finalise its plans for a brand new ute by the end of this year, according to local boss Don Romano. Hyundai is one of the few mainstream automakers to have never offered a ute in Australia – a missed opportunity given the popularity of the body style Down Under. But after years of speculation, it appears the brand will soon nail down plans for a ute that will serve both Australian and overseas markets. "We're not there, we're going to be there this year," Mr Romano – the new CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) – told CarExpert when asked about plans for a pickup. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. 2020 concept render "We're going to come up with a solution that everybody can say, 'yeah, this works for me'. The nature of the upcoming model remains unclear, with several options still on the table. A battery-electric (BEV) ute is already in development, and its likelihood of being sold in Australia was bolstered by a trademark filing for the Ioniq T10 nameplate here last year. Alternatively, the new ute could be spun off the recently launched Kia Tasman, given Kia is part of the Hyundai Motor Group. Hyundai already sells the petrol-powered Santa Cruz (pictured below) – based on the Tucson SUV – in the US, but it hasn't been earmarked for right-hand drive production thus far. And, given the unfavourable exchange rate and impact of tariffs, that's unlikely to change any time soon. Mr Romano hopes for a mid-size, body-on-frame ute that can serve as a competitive rival to the best-selling Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux in Australia. However, he remains open to other styles of vehicle if it will speed up the development process. "We're going to have to find that common denominator that's going to fit both Australia and global. So there'll be some compromise – that compromise could be a diesel, could be a hybrid, it could be a plug-in hybrid," said Mr Romano. "Whether we go with an electric ute, it would not be my preference, but I would take it and that is something that is already under development. "What I think we need is something that competes against the number one and number two in the market, and they're dominant players. "That's [mid-size, body-on-frame] what sells here, that's what customers want. I think every major manufacturer has one, and I don't think you can be a viable brand without one. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Tasman body-on-frame – it's a great infrastructure to build from. I have concerns with diesel, although I would take a diesel short-term if I know that the evolution was going in a different direction. "We know what we want to build, we could build it off of that. How long would it take? Probably longer than I have." While a decision is set to be made before the calendar flicks over to 2026, there are still plenty of boxes to tick before a ute with Hyundai badging arrives in local showrooms. Nevertheless, Mr Romano emphasised that the issue is a top priority for the marque. "Almost all my discussions, all the meetings that I'm having are to provide input in this area. They wouldn't be asking for the input at my level unless there was a serious need," concluded Mr Romano. "In terms of the timeline, I've never seen our company so committed to figuring this problem out and coming up with a solution, and that goes right up to the top." MORE: Hyundai ute: Do we finally have a name? Content originally sourced from:
