Last year Hyundai confirmed that it would be coming out with a body-on-frame midsize pickup truck by 2030, likely with hybrid and EREV range-extender powertrains, but the Korean automaker has been pretty mum on any details since then. Back in September during that presentation, Hyundai did say there was the potential for an SUV to be based on the same body-on-frame platform, and now we know that wasn’t just a flippant remark. In a genuine auto show surprise in New York, Hyundai just pulled the covers off its new Boulder concept, a boxy SUV that looks pretty damn cool — and not at all far-fetched.
Hyundai says the Boulder is named after the town in Colorado, not the kind of rock, and it was devised by the Hyundai Design North America team in Southern California. President and CEO José Muñoz says Hyundai’s production body-on-frame truck (and whatever else that comes on that platform) will be designed in, developed for and built in America with American customers in mind, and using American Hyundai steel. Muñoz added that the Boulder “[reflects] a core American value: Freedom. Freedom of movement, freedom of expression, freedom to dream.” Though not officially confirmed for production alongside the truck that is confirmed, it seems like a sure bet that we’ll see something like the Boulder on sale in the next half-decade.
Boxy is better
There are certainly shades of the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler in the Boulder’s design, but I think it looks distinct and much better than either, even imagining what it would look like with all the concept bits taken off. Unlike actual boulders, the Boulder’s surfacing is pretty smooth and devoid of any excess lines or creases. It has extremely pronounced fenders housing stacked headlights and taillights, a twelve-hole grille with integrated lights, chunky bumpers with tow hooks, and a roof rack that can accommodate all sorts of modular accessories. Hyundai says the whole concept is designed around accessorization, and surely the production models will be as well.
Hyundai
The top edges of the doors have safari windows running along them, and the rear window will roll down like on a Toyota 4Runner. Like any good off-roader the spare tire is mounted to the tailgate, which is dual-hinged to open from either side, and the tires in question are 37-inch mud-terrains wrapped around 18-inch wheels. Some of the exterior elements, like the door handles and tow hooks, are made from a reflective material so they’re easy to see at night. Don’t expect the rear-hinged coach doors to make it to production, though.
Hyundai is serious about this
The interior is definitely more concept-y, but it’s pretty easy to see how it could translate to production — it’s already an evolution of the Crater concept’s interior, with a more realistic overall design. The dashboard has cylindrical controls for off-road functions, and four square screens with their own buttons and switches for things like the four-wheel-drive system, off-road navigation and media. Spanning the whole base of the windshield is a slim head-up display, but there’s no large touchscreen to be found. I like the very prominent shifter with exposed linkage in the center console, and the padding motif used throughout.
Hyundai
In the Boulder’s release, executive vice president and head of Hyundai design SangYup Lee says the Boulder “is a four-wheeled love letter to the dynamic, off-road way of life that many customers have been asking us for in our future-focused research, [and] we are confident that something like this ultra-capable Hyundai SUV concept could more than fulfill the needs of this exclusive group of adventure seekers.” Randy Parker, President and CEO of Hyundai North America, added that the Boulder “signals our approach to this segment and how we are thoughtfully developing our midsize pickup with the needs and expectations of U.S. customers at the core.”
So Hyundai really is serious about this, then. Five, ten, fifteen years ago, would you have ever guessed that Hyundai would be coming out with a U.S.-focused body-on-frame truck? I wouldn’t have. But I’m glad it’s happening, especially if it’ll look as good as the Boulder concept.
