The Korean brand is finally diving into the body-on-frame market with a steel-tough SUV designed for the American dirt—and they’re building it right here in the States.
(Photo: Hyundai)
Published April 1, 2026 11:00AM
If you wanted a proper body-on-frame off-roader, you had a handful of choices, and none of them were a Hyundai. That just changed.
At the 2026 New York International Auto Show, Hyundai unveiled the Boulder Concept, an SUV-shaped design preview of the Korean marque’s first fully-boxed body-on-frame architecture—a new platform that will be the base of the midsize pickup arriving by the end of the decade. Finally, a Hyundai you can beat up? Let’s hope so.
The two-box silhouette will be instantly familiar to anyone who’s spent time around a four-door Ford Bronco or a Jeep Wrangler. Hyundai calls its design philosophy “Art of Steel,” and it leans hard into exactly that—bold surfaces, clean lines, a stance that says it would rather be on a trail than in a parking garage. It seems heavily inspired by the Bronco, but a closer look reveals interesting off-road touches like safari windows above the doors, rear-hinged coach style doors for easier loading and unloading of gear (although these rarely make it to production vehicles), a rear window that rolls down (for a surfboard, or anything lengthy from Home Depot), as well as a tailgate that swings open from either side. The whole thing is finished in a color Hyundai calls Liquid Titanium, a name which seems ripe for a collab with Old Spice.
It rides on massive 37-inch mud-terrain tires wrapped around rugged 18-inch wheels, with aggressive approach, departure, and breakover angles. Under those tires: a solid rear axle and independent front suspension, plus remote-reservoir shocks.
Inside, it is futuristically rugged. Instead of one giant touchscreen dominating the dash, there are four individual displays with physical buttons beneath them—much easier to control when you’re bouncing over rocks. The steering wheel features scroll wheels not unlike what you’d find in a Rivian R2, and a heads-up display runs the full width of the windshield. A massive gear shifter anchors the center console, giving the whole thing a purposeful, utilitarian feel. Fold-out tray tables hidden in the cabin are a clever touch for trailside lunches.
Continuing a tradition of naming their cars after iconic American places—Santa Fe, Santa Cruz, and over at corporate cousin Kia, the Telluride—Hyundai has landed on Boulder, Colorado, as its muse. It fits. Rugged and outdoorsy with a touch of sophistication. And frankly, smarter than it first appears.
Hyundai CEO José Muñoz put it plainly at the reveal: “Body-on-frame vehicles are the backbone of American work and adventure.” The company is backing that up with a commitment to design, develop, and build these vehicles in America, using U.S. steel. It’s a pointed statement in the current moment, and a savvy one—the midsize truck segment is one of the most lucrative in the country, and Hyundai has been conspicuously absent from it.
As for when you can get one? No word yet on the SUV specifically, though a production truck is eyed for around 2030. That seems like an eternity in this day and age. But if the Boulder Concept is any indication of where Hyundai is headed, it might be worth it.
