Hyundai Santa Cruz production is reportedly being cut and may end earlier than planned, according to Automotive News citing unnamed sources.
Automotive News said the run was originally slated to continue through the second quarter of 2027 but is now expected to end sooner, and that Hyundai has told suppliers it is halving Santa Cruz production this quarter.
The report links the move to weak demand and elevated inventory, noting the Ford Maverick outsold the Santa Cruz roughly six to one in 2025 as reported by industry figures, with Ford selling 155,051 units and Hyundai selling 25,499 units.
Sources quoted by Automotive News also said dealer stock for the Santa Cruz approached nearly five months at year end, and another report said Santa Cruz sales fell about 20 percent last year while Tucson sales rose 14 percent.
Hyundai declined to confirm Automotive News reporting, and a company spokesperson provided a statement to The Autopian saying the Santa Cruz has helped Hyundai gain valuable experience and visibility in the open bed market.
Implications And Next Steps
Reports say discontinuing the Santa Cruz would free assembly capacity at Hyundai's Montgomery Alabama plant, where the Tucson is also built, allowing more Tucson production slots as demand shifts.
Hyundai told media the Santa Cruz helped introduce Hyundai to a new U.S. open bed buyer and that learnings contributed directly to a confirmed midsize body on frame truck announced during Hyundai's 2025 CEO Investor Day, which the company said will arrive in the U.S. before 2030.
Separately, reporting has stated the forthcoming body on frame ute could be ready by the end of 2028 and may reach markets such as Australia, and that an SUV variant of that ute is under consideration.
The second report also noted Hyundai has a partnership with General Motors to jointly develop five vehicles, including a mid size pickup for Central and South America, though it is unclear if that model will reach Australia.
One of the sources explained the Santa Cruz was a unibody lifestyle dual cab introduced in 2021 and that it was not offered in Australia because it was built in left hand drive configuration.
