Hyundai and Honda Target Millennials with New Trucks

February 18th, 2016  |  Auto

With the best selling vehicles in the country being pickup trucks it’s no surprise that Asian automakers want to crack into the traditionally domestic-dominated market.

The classic image and ethos behind pickup trucks has been ruggedness, heavy duty utility, and the ability to handle any terrain it could find itself on. Just look at any truck commercial ever.

But for the modern millennial driver, such things really aren’t all that important. Instead, millennials want slick interior and exterior design, forward thinking connectivity and smart technology, and enough space for all of life’s needs as many of them begin to start families. It’s because of this that we’ve seen such an increase in the popularity of the crossover SUV. And as gas prices drop the pressure to have a small, gas-sipping compact is evaporating.

The Honda Ridgeline has enjoyed moderate success in its lifespan so far, but it’s always sort of existed on the fringes of the market. However with manufacturers actively shifting factory priorities to their midsize vehicles as smaller car sales begin to wane Honda is positioning the crossover pickup as a leaner, more aggressive alternative to traditional crossovers.

And Hyundai may seem like it’s jumping on a bandwagon with its Santa Cruz concept, but it’s blazing the trail for this kind of truck in its own way with a design aesthetic that’s more car-like than anything else.

Both trucks are turning heads at the Toronto auto show this week and it’ll be interesting to see what they bring to the road later on this year.