Photography by Hans G. Lehmann/Hidden Image
Is America ready for the biggest Hyundai ever? Here it is caught during hot-weather testing here in the United States--a Tahoe-size Hyundai SUV that's even larger than the midsize Veracruz that Hyundai has already admitted is on its way. It's so big in fact that it wears six-bolt wheels that distinguish it from the Veracruz that runs five-luggers.
What else do we know about this machine? Not much. Though peeking under the rear bumper indicates a beefy all-independent suspension similar to that under the Ford Expedition or Nissan Armada. And it only makes sense that anything this big would run a V-8 engine of some sort. It's most likely that Hyundai's monster would be built at Hyundai's assembly plant in Alabama, since the market for such big vehicles is centered here in America.
If Hyundai is going to build a full-size SUV, it seems certain it'll build a full-size pickup to share some components and development costs. Even if it doesn't build a pickup as well, however, this is Hyundai's most direct attack on a traditional American market yet.
Can a full-size market already crammed with products from Ford, GM, DaimlerChrysler, Nissan, and Toyota handle even more entries from Hyundai? We'll find out next year when this biggest Hyundai ever goes on sale as a 2009 model.