The Korean automaker had planned to create a mid-sized truck for the North American market. Slated for a 2011 launch, the pickup would have shared the unibody structure of the upcoming 2010 Kia Sorento SUV.
Hyundai's CEO Kim Dong Jin told Automotive News the obvious, saying high fuel prices and a sluggish market indicated to Hyundai that now "is not the right time to produce a pickup truck."
Plans for the Sorento's production in Georgia aren't affected, although the plant now has room for another model. Hyundai executives are considering building a passenger car in lieu of the pickup - possibly even the mid-size Optima.
Source: Automotive News