Hyundai Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept Debuts at Detroit International Auto Show

In mid-January 2015, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Hyundai unveiled its new ground-breaking vehicle: the Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept. The unique concept speaks to a new way of viewing the usage of trucks for the young Millennial population, who now purchase the second-most amount of cars.

Santa Cruz Crossover: Not Your Average Truck

With an increasing cultural taste for adventure and urban aesthetics, the crossover lets Millenials use their vehicle for work, play, and outdoor pursuits. The need to innovate comes from the large impact that urbanizing has had on global markets. Young professionals face increased traffic and space restrictions over their parents' generation.

While these issues formerly stayed within large metropolitan areas like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, the urban trend is catching fire all across the United States. The urban adventurers are catching the eye of manufacturers, who are happily giving these young car owners the tools they need to stay involved in their communities and natural environments.

Santa Cruz: Changing the Focus

In order to cater to the needs of these urban dwelling adventurers, Hyundai hasn't focused on the old-school characteristics of standard trucks. Instead, the Santa Cruz is crafted to appeal to their wish to create, navigate with agility, and exercise maximum efficiency.

This lifestyle is reflected in the unconventional design that offers a striking body profile and confident look. The grill accents the headlights, which feature fog-resistant lamps and stunning grills of their own. The larger-than-average wheels represent this vehicle's ability to go wherever the driver dreams of next.

In the rear, the doors open from the back hinge to allow easy access to the back row of seats. When it's time to clamp valuable items to the roof, the bed rails and cleats offer a simple method for securing objects of every type. There's even an expandable bed — a must for comfortable camping or road trip naps.

Clearly an important consideration for this concept is the efficient use of powertrains. An eco-friendly 2-liter turbo diesel powertrain offers 190 horsepower and an impressive 300 lb.-ft. of torque. Even more stunning is the mpg: 35+ and counting. This is almost unheard of for a truck. Of course, the HTRAC All-wheel drive capability lets adventurers explore in the desert, the mountain snow or muddy valleys of their choosing.

Changing Lifestyle Needs

The researchers at Hyundai have discovered that people who would otherwise love a vehicle with a truck bed are opting for alternatives due to the typical downsides associated with it. For example, over the past decade, truck sales have dropped 5 percent, the largest decline belonging to the young Millennial generation. This phenomenon illuminates the changing lifestyle requirements of younger adults.

Previously, smaller trucks amounted to around 50 percent of total truck sales, and young purchasers were the largest demographic for them. However, the market for pickups is shifting, as Millennials who are still in their 20s represent less than 8 percent of truck buyers. This change in the market landscape has rendered demand for smaller pickups virtually non-existent.

Previously, the female demographic purchased more than 50 percent of smaller trucks, and have fallen to less than 11 percent of total sales. Hyundai hopes to fill the obvious market gap between what younger people want and what has historically been offered.

A growing population of explorers, adventurers, and urban creatives are taking a new perspective on the world. Santa Cruz aims to serve these open spirits who want all the advantages of a pickup truck, while meeting the needs of both their city and outdoor lifestyle choices.