Jose Munoz, chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor Co. speaks during the unveiling of the Hyundai Boulder concept at the New York International Auto Show on April 1, 2026.Jeenah Moon/Reuters
Hyundai came to New York with a surprise – a boxy, off-road SUV concept that signals the brand has its sights set on the North American truck market.
The South Korean automaker said last year it will build a mid-size body-on-frame pickup truck by 2030 – but it had never mentioned an SUV until it unveiled the Boulder Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show.
“I bet you thought it was going to be a pickup truck,” said SangYup Lee, head of Hyundai global design, onstage after the reveal.
Designed at Hyundai’s North American design studio in California, the Boulder – named after the Colorado city – is a rugged SUV like the Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco. It has 37-inch tires, steel bumpers and tow hooks and a dual-hinged rear gate that swings open in either direction.
The rugged Boulder SUV concept has steel bumpers and tow hooks.Jason Tchir/The Globe and Mail
The Boulder concept has a dual-hinged rear gate that swings open in either direction.Jason Tchir/The Globe and Mail
“This is our first venture into a vehicle with this level of [off-road] capability,” said Bradley Arnold, head of the North American design studio. “Whether you’re hiking, camping, surfing or perhaps the more frequent adventure of driving over parking lot curbs at Home Depot. Boulder leads the way.”
The concept has no interior, although mock-ups showed a dash without big screens.
Hyundai didn’t release many details, including whether it would be gas, electric or hybrid, and wouldn’t say whether they will build it.
The concept SUV is a design exercise and “one of many directions we’re exploring,” Randy Parker, Hyundai North America chief executive officer, said on stage during the reveal.
It looks like a rugged off-roader with a little extra style. If Hyundai does make it, it could be a contender for off-road buyers interested in Hyundai reliability – as long as it’s as least as capable as rivals.
In the nearly 43 years since the first Pony was sold in Canada, Hyundai has repeatedly proved that it can more than hold its own in new segments – most recently with EVs and its Genesis luxury brand.
Hyundai will build a body-on-frame truck to compete with the Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger. It will be the company’s first body-on-frame vehicle sold in North America.
“Body-on-frame trucks matter in America. They’re the backbone of small businesses, weekend adventures and everyday families,” Parker said. “[Ours] will be designed in America, developed for America and built in America using American Hyundai Steel.”
While Parker didn’t mention Canada, we’ll likely see the truck here, Hyundai Canada said.
“The American taste on some of these products, especially mid-size pickup trucks, is very similar for Canada,” Ken Maisonville, Hyundai Canada’s chief operating officer, said during an interview after the reveal.
Hyundai said it learned lessons from the Santa Cruz, which was essentially a Hyundai Tucson SUV with the back chopped off, and thinks buyers want a bigger, more capable truck. That truck, which will be one of 36 new or “heavily refreshed models” Hyundai will launch by 2030, will likely “look quite different” from the Boulder, Arnold said.
While there is no interior, one feature that helps the Boulder concept stand out is the 37-inch tires.Jason Tchir/The Globe and Mail
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
Shopping for a new car? Check out the Globe Drive Build and Price Tool to see the latest discounts, rebates and rates on new cars, trucks and SUVs. Click here to get your price.