Here is the latest rendering of Hyundai’s new dual-cab ute, and we can also share the latest details.

CHECK THIS out: industrial designer Enoch Gonzales has rendered what the inaugural Hyundai dual-cab ute will look like, and we think it looks good. 

The Philippines designer has even named the creation Tarlac, after a local region. While there are plenty of different trims and colours – check them out here – imagined, we think this blue model with a non-chrome grille that’s plain black looks the goods.

And this isn’t hot air, as we reported last year, a Hyundai Australia spokesperson told Practical Motoring that the local arm has already been planning a dual-cab ute for Australia.

“As much as we can we’re trying to convince the head office that we need a certain type of pickup, that we need a certain type of powertrain, we need the vehicle to be competitive in all sorts of different ways and we’ve been putting submissions through to head office on what the vehicle needs to be for probably a decade,” they said.

And since that time, things have percolated even further. We now know that the new straight-six diesel turbo engine used in the Genesis GV80 (a brand under Hyundai’s wing) could be on the cards for the ute. It currently produces 205kW and 588Nm, meaning it would take the South Korean ute to the top of the tree as a powerhouse on the Australian market. Kia also tells us that it will introduce its own spin on the ute, so there’ll be two different makeups on offer on the same ladder-frame platform development.

We should also expect a 3.5-tonne towing capacity, one-tonne payload, great packaging and refined on and off-road manners, according to our source:

“We’ve been very detailed in our request of what a competitive pickup for us would look like. So, for us, that’s something that is very clear from our side. This is requirements from what it needs to do, this is the dimensions of the load bay, this is the what it needs to tow, etc.”

It will compete directly against the sales leading Toyota HiLux and the second best-selling Ford Ranger, likely looking to fill a hole left by the defunct Holden Colorado and fight with third-placed Mitsubishi Triton.  And let’s not forget the incoming next-gen Isuzu D-Max – it’s a tough market! The real product should be with us by 2023.

As for the name, Tarlac isn’t a bad option but we’re wondering if Hyundai might look to Australian islands for inspiration, maybe the Kangaroo… or the King.

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