Hyundai Previews First Body-On-Frame Pickup With Wild Boulder Concept

Hyundai has not been shy about wanting a body-on-frame truck. The automaker confirmed it would build one last year, but now we have our first look at the platform that will underpin it. It’s disguised as the Boulder Concept, a boxy SUV that the automaker might also make.  

The Boulder has a two-box silhouette wearing Hyundai’s “Art of Steel” design language, which debuted at this year's New York Auto Show. The automaker says the concept, which was designed in the United States, indicates the brand’s future design direction.  

The body-on-frame platform, the automaker’s first, will underpin a new midsize pickup arriving by 2030 and other future vehicles. This likely includes a future off-road-oriented SUV that will likely look quite similar to the Boulder, if Hyundai’s past concepts are any indication.  

According to Hyundai, the Boulder’s boxy design gives the SUV “aggressive approach, departure, and breakover angles” and features a “generous fording depth.” It wears 37-inch mud-terrain tires and features a full-size mounted spare on the tailgate. The tailgate features a double-hinge that opens in either direction and a power drop-down rear window.  

Inside, the Boulder has a retro-futuristic cabin. It lacks a traditional display for the gauges, instead showing vital vehicle information at the bottom of the windshield, like a full-width head-up display. The rounded dashboard features four small square displays with physical controls, rather than a single massive screen, which we hope is the future of in-car displays.

Hyundai makes no mention of possible powertrains, but we expect the platform to accommodate pure electric, combustion, and hybrid options. The automaker says it is in the “early days” of developing the body-on-frame platform, but the end of the decade is not far off, so we expect to learn more about the truck and other models soon.