No, the Santa Cruz isn’t the first Hyundai pickup truck

The all-new Hyundai Santa Cruz brought a new and fresh perspective towards the Korean carmaker saying that the brand now seems to be ready to enter the pickup truck market. However, did you know Hyundai Motor Company was already manufacturing pickup trucks since the 70s?

In 1977, Hyundai introduced the first HD1000 which is available in South Korea with various configurations such as a minibus, ambulance, and double-cab pickup truck. Later in 1981, the nameplate HD1000 is replaced with Porter and it is now used until the present time.

The fourth-gen Hyundai Porter

The Hyundai Porter is currently on its fourth-generation model since 2004. It has a measurement that spans 4,810 to 5,175 mm (depending on the configuration and market) in length, 1,740 mm in width, and 1970 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,430 mm or 2,640 mm.

Here in the country, the Hyundai Porter is also offered through Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) but is named the H-100 instead. Powering the Hyundai H-100 is a 2.5-liter CRDi diesel engine capable of generating 128 hp and 255 Nm of torque. The engine is paired to a 6-speed manual transmission only.

A reliable workhorse from Hyundai for over 40 years

Moreover, the Hyundai H-100 with the 12-seater configuration option is also used as part of HARI’s PUV modernization program which aims to provide more environmentally friendly and more convenient jeepneys for Filipino commuters. Last 2019, the Hyundai H-100 received its Certificates of Compliance (COC) from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) alongside the Hyundai HD50S.

The Hyundai Porter, or H-100, may technically be the first pickup truck from the Korean carmaker, but the new Hyundai Santa Cruz is the first passenger pickup truck from the brand. There might be a chance that the Santa Cruz will be introduced by HARI in the country after dropping hints on its official social media account.

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