Aimed to meet the lifestyle needs of millennials Hyundai refers to as "urban adventures", the Santa Cruz, in concept form, came powered by a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine developing 140 kW and 407 Nm of torque, and featured suicide opening rear doors, expandable loadbay, yellow Brembo brake calipers and specially designed Michelin tyres.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Hyundai merely stated that the Santa Cruz "has been green lighted for development and is planned for the US market", but declined to provide an exact date or any further details.

"It’s still too soon to discuss market timing or further product details, but this innovative offering will be inspired by the well-received concept vehicle and bring a fresh utility vehicle interpretation to fit the lifestyles of a new generation of buyers," the statement read.

According to US based website trucks.com, the Santa Cruz will likely compete against the Honda Ridgeline in the so-called urban pick-up segment in the States, and provide an alternative to other "mid-size pick-ups" such as the Chevrolet Colorado / GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier (Navara) and forthcoming Ford Ranger.

"I doubt it will sell in big volumes but it will likely garner a following. The truck trend is strong right now and this segment can accommodate another player," analyst Michael Ramsey told the site.