A new design patent surfaced that may offer a closer look at Hyundai’s upcoming body-on-frame SUV.
Hyundai patent hints at off-road SUV design
Hyundai unveiled the Boulder Concept at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, a preview of its first body-on-frame vehicle in the US.
While the first will actually be a midsize pickup, the concept is an “SUV-shaped design preview,” according to Hyundai.
The Boulder Concept is “a four-wheeled love letter to the dynamic, off-road way of life,” as SangYup Lee, Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Center, described it.
Hyundai’s design team in Southern California led the efforts with a singular focus: Catering to off-road enthusiasts. The concept looked like a souped-up Ford Bronco, like the Badlands edition with oversized 37″ tires, safari-style fixed upper windows, coach-style doors, and plenty of other off-road upgrades.
A new design patent in India surfaced that looks nearly identical to the Boulder Concept, but with a few slight design changes.
It retains the boxy, upright SUV design and most features, including the coach doors and massive oversized tires.
The grille is now mostly closed off, compared to the Boulder’s open, slotted design, hinting it could be a battery electric vehicle (BEV). It also has slim LED headlights, unlike the bigger stacked vertical ones on the Boulder.
The design patent, filed by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation, was filed on May 19, 2026.
Hyundai’s body-on-frame pickup will be one of 36 new vehicles Hyundai plans to launch in North America by 2030. When, or if, we will see the production version of the off-road SUV remains up in the air.
“Body-on-frame vehicles are the backbone of American work and adventure,” Hyundai Motor’s president and CEO, José Muñoz, said after unveiling the concept in April, adding, “we intend to compete in the midsize pickup segment with everything we have.”
Hyundai has yet to confirm powertrain specs, but the midsize pickup will ride on a new platform that’s expected to offer purely electric, plug-in hybrid, and extended-range electric vehicle variations.
Would you buy Hyundai’s off-road SUV over the Ford Bronco or Jeep Wrangler? Let us know your pick in the comments below.
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