Hyundai officially says that a body-on-frame midsize pickup truck is coming to the United States market by 2030. The company unveils the Boulder SUV Concept as a design study for their body-on-frame off-roader. What could it mean for their upcoming pickup truck? Would you buy something like this over a Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, Ford Ranger, and others? Let’s dig in!
The midsize pickup truck market is very competitive and it continues to grow and become more popular. The entire segment grew by 10.2% in Q1 2026 when compared to the year prior.
Hyundai needs to get it right in order to compete. It appears like they are on the right track. The Boulder concept vehicle has an aggressive look. It’s wide and rolls on 37-inch all-terrain tires. The concept is showing a solid rear axle with outboard coil-over suspension and dampers with remote reservoirs. The concept appears to have an independent front suspension.
How Big Should It Be?
The production pickup truck has to be the correct size. It means it needs to match the footprint of the current Toyota Tacoma or Chevy Colorado crew cab. We are taking about chassis with a 131-inch wheelbase. This pushes the wheels further to the corners for great approach and departure angles. It should offer a spacious interior for five people. It can accommodate a 5-foot bed.
Tires?
Does it need 37-inch all-terrain tires? The current Ford Bronco Raptor is rolling on 37s. It’s very capable and looks great. However, a Hyundai midsize pickup truck doesn’t need to go that far. If it has a choice of 33-inch or 35-inch all-terrain tires, this should offer plenty of ground clearance and an attractive stance. If they want to go wild with a halo XRT model – then 37s could work for that.
Suspension?
Since the concept is very off-road focused, the Hyundai truck’s suspension needs to be sophisticated and capable. The current benchmark is the FOX Live suspension setup underneath the Ford Ranger Raptor. While other manufacturers offer capable off-road suspensions, the Ranger Raptor offers the active adjustability for a wide range of conditions and terrain. General Motors could be switching to an actively adjustable DSSV dampers for their next generation of their pickup trucks.
Powertrain?
Hyundai Boulder’s concept interior renderings show interesting design and wide heads up display. This rendering shows “Fuel” range, “Loud” exhaust setting, and “Baja” suspension setting. It appears that the concept’s intention is to be powered by an internal combustion power-plant. It could be a gas/electric hybrid or a range-extended electric unit. While it’s possible that a base pickup truck could have a naturally-aspirated V6, the premium choices are likely to be hybrid.
This is where the industry is moving. Ford is saying that most of their vehicles will soon have a hybrid powertrain. This includes the Bronco and the Ranger. Toyota is currently offering a gas/electric hybrid Tacoma.
Whatever the case may be, the top of the line Hyundai off-road pickup truck should have over 400 horsepower.
Don’t Forget About the Payload?
If they are building a pickup truck, it still needs to work and play like one. This means it needs to have close to 1,500 lbs of payload capacity for most configurations. This is very difficult to do, but it’s important for any work tasks and for recreation as well. What happens if you and your three friends want to load up all the camping gear and tow a small trailer for a weekend adventure? It needs to have well over 1,000 lbs of payload.
It means the pickup also needs to have a tow rating between 6,000 – 7,700 lbs for most trim levels. Towing a large trailer is less of a priority for a midsize pickup truck, but it’s great to know you can do it. If it has a hitch and a towing package, it must have an integrated trailer brake controller.
What do you think? Would you buy a Hyundai midsize pickup truck if it had all these specs?
