Late last year I had a chance to speak with Hyundai North America CEO John Krafcik, and in preparation I composed a list of questions that primarily tried to finesse some insight as to the future of its lineup. Krafcik said then that everything is always an option, and they talk about all kinds of possibilities, but there was a difference between strong considerations and speculative talk. Vague statements like this help an automaker cover its bases. But some things seem more certain than others; for instance, I asked, would we see a pickup truck from the automaker in the next few years? The answer was an immediate “no.” But that “no” softened to, “do we talk about it? Sure we do. But we talk about a lot of things. We talk about it, and we’re constantly revisiting ideas.”
So we’re unsure what to make of a report in Wards Auto suggesting that Hyundai may not be done in the large crossover, SUV segment. In it, Krafcik said the segment is “an intriguing space.” The Hyundai Veracruz, which will soon go out of production, never quite took off the way the automaker had hoped. Hyundai is a vastly different company, and its cars and the perception of its cars have shifted greatly since the initial release of the Veracruz. Hyundai is currently preparing to launch the newest iteration of the Sante Fe, which we got to take a sneak peak at a few weeks ago. The response to the Sante Fe could sway prospects for a large SUV in Hyundai’s ever-improving lineup. We’ll be following along.
Source: Wards Auto
