Hyundai to launch pickup in US to counter dip in sedans

Seoul

HYUNDAI Motor plans to launch a pickup truck in the United States as part of a broader plan to catch up with a shift away from sedans in one of the South Korean carmaker's most important markets, a senior company executive told Reuters.

Michael O'Brien, vice-president of corporate and product planning at Hyundai's US unit, told Reuters that Hyundai's top management has given the green light for the development of a pickup truck similar to a show vehicle called the Santa Cruz that US Hyundai executives unveiled in 2015. Hyundai currently does not offer a pickup truck in the United States.