Hyundai return looming

The Australian truck market is set to become that bit more competitive, with Hyundai trucks poised to return in 2016 with a range of light-duty and heavy-duty models.

Hyundai Australia decided to drop its truck division – Hyundai Commercial Vehicles Australia – in late 2014, but Dilip Kumar's Sydney-based Peninsula Motor Group secured the rights to the business earlier this year. Now, under PMG's care, HCVA is bringing the current Mighty range of light-duty trucks here early next year, followed by an all-new Mighty range from March and the heavy-duty Xcient line in the third quarter.

HCVA had originally intended to have its official launch in August 2015, but HCVA General Manager Anthony Hulme says the date was pushed back to encompass both the old and new Mighty ranges.

"We wanted to launch with the two different types of product together and it [the timing] suits our dealer network as well," he says.

"We've got our first round of dealers about to start business and we should have our second round of dealers on then [in March] too."

Hulme was formerly Hyundai Australia's Senior Manager, Sales and Marketing. He started with the firm at the inception of Hyundai trucks in Australia in 2010 and worked there for five years.

Now Kumar and Hulme are bringing Hyundai trucks back to our shores, where they will compete in the ultra-competitive light-duty truck market with the established Japanese brands and new players like Foton. Meanwhile the new Xcient, which broke cover at the Seoul Motor Show in 2013, will go head to head with the full gamut of heavy-duty brands.

Speaking recently with trucksales.com.au, Hulme was reticent to divulge details of the full scope of the returning Hyundai truck range, other than to say the Mighty models would span GVMs from 4.5 to 8.2t.

"We're still working that out," he says.

The Mighty range will utilise a 3.9-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, with the updated model benefitting from a power hike.

"It used to start at 140hp up to 160hp, but that will be increased in the new engine," says Hulme.

"We're still finalising the spec of the Xcient but the engine will have anything up to 520hp."

HCVA has confirmed the Xcient will be available in a 6x4 prime mover format – rigid examples may be a possibility further down the track.

Hulme says there are no plans to bring medium-duty models to Australia at this time, but that HCVA will bring the recently unveiled H350 van and bus models here from late 2017.

HCVA aims to have dealers in all Australian states and territories.

"Our plan is by the end of 2016 to have approximately 27 to 30 dealers," Hulme says.

It's a bold venture for the firm, but Hulme said HCVA is confident it will make its mark.

"First of all the Hyundai brand is a very well established brand here in Australia," he says.

"Also, we will have some ready-built trucks that we will be importing direct from Korea. To the best of my knowledge, I'm not aware of any brands that do ready-built pantechs, refrigerated vans and that sort of thing, so that will be our point of difference in the light-duty truck range."

Hulme says a ready-built tipper will also be a part of the initial line-up, with any of a wide range of other ready-built models to be assessed once the brand is successfully re-established.

Kumar, the owner of Peninsula Motor Group, is no stranger to the commercial vehicle world – he began his career selling trucks and was formerly a Hyundai trucks dealer under Hyundai Australia, while he has also been a distributor of Chinese-made Yutong buses.

"He's a truck man from way back; he's truly got truck blood running through his veins," says Hulme.

"He knows the needs of the market and the needs of the operation. I think together we're a good team; we certainly understand what we need to do and where we need to go."