If you think of Hyundai as a purveyor of plain vanilla products you could be in for a surprise. As it prepares its biggest expansion program ever the Korean automaker plans to take things to extreme, with an expanding lineup of both off-road and performance models. More from Headlight.News.
Hyundai CEO Munoz shows off the Boulder Concept at the NY Auto Show.
While it’s yet to give the Boulder concept a formal green light, Hyundai insiders tell Headlight.News the big body-on-frame SUV that debuted at the New York Auto Show last spring is a sign of things to come.
Demand for rugged, off-road-capable products has grown sharply this decade, underscored by the success of the Hyundai Palisades XRT Pro trim. Going forward, company officials suggest, we’ll see XRT packages offered for virtually every model in the Hyundai line-up. And while some might dismiss these as “off-road light,” we can expect to see some serious trail-rated models including the body-on-frame pickup CEO Jose Munoz announced in New York.
Hyundai, it seems, is going to extremes. At the other end of the spectrum the automaker is also working up an expanded line of performance packages, some taking the next step beyond what we’ve already seen with its “N” models.
Hyundai heads off-road
The 2025 Hyundai Tucson XRT is one of an expanding lineup of XRT models.
The Hyundai Boulder was one of the big hits at the 2026 NY Auto Show. It’s one of the first designs to emerge from the “Sand Box,” a new facility set up at Hyundai’s advance design center in California. While a formal go-ahead for the angular SUV has yet to be issued, “We’re very serious” about building a vehicle based on the concept, Randy Parker, president and CEO of Hyundai North America, said in an interview. “The plan is to definitely embrace our off-road capabilities and be more adventurous.”
During Hyundai’s press conference, CEO Munoz did confirm plans to build a midsize body-on-frame pickup, with other products to share its platform.
What’s unclear is whether they will get a unique badge or adopt the XRT identity Hyundai first introduced for the 2022 model year with versions of the Tucson and Santa Fe. The Koreans stepped things up with the launch of the second-generation Palisade, the 2026 SUV offering an XRT Pro trim signifying improved off-road capabilities.
What’s next
Hyundai has yet to formally greenlight the Boulder for production.
Whatever the body-on-frame models are badged, it’s clear Hyundai is serious about expanding the availability of off-road trims. And for good reason. Research by firms like J.D. Power and AutoPacific, Inc., reveals a significant increase in buyer interest, particularly since the COVID struck. Many motorists saw them as a way to avoid pandemic lockdowns. Today, virtually all automakers have added more rugged models and trim packages – including Hyundai’s sibling brand Kia.
Now, the bigger of the two Korean makers wants to go a big step further.
“We’re considering factory-built XRT Pros or XRTs across basically any model across a range,” Jonathan Lam, a senior product planner, told Australian publication Drive.. “Whilst we can’t confirm what will be available globally from factory, we’re going to take a very close look at it.”
Sources told Headlight.News U.S. planners are exploring very much the same approach.
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Taking performance to new levels
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 N showing running track laps.
Hyundai interest in performance dates back even further, the i30 N package debuting in 2017. While that model didn’t make it the U.S., State-side buyers didn’t have to wait long, the Veloster N debuting in January 2019 at the North American International Auto Show and going on sale later that year. The N package featured by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine making up to 275 horsepower. Since then, Hyundai has introduced a number of N models, including a version of the all-electric Ioniq 5 that can deliver up to 641-hp for 10 seconds when its “N Grin” mode is engaged.
Taking a tip from the Germans, Hyundai has also launched what might be thought of as a “performance-light” series of N Line models. Essentially, they are more focused on sporty design features, rather than any major upgrade to their powertrains. The first of these, the Elantra GT N Line, also debuted in 2019.
Going forward, Hyundai is looking at ways to split the performance hairs – much like Honda has done with the Sport, Si and Type R versions of the Civic. During the Korean marque’s recent Investors Day event, officials said they’re studying the idea of adding another line that would fall somewhere between N and N Line packages – delivering more performance but at a more affordable price. Some have suggested we may soon see it debut as “N Lite.”
Could we also see Hyundai push for even higher levels of N performance? That’s something also reportedly under study. The challenge would be not to step on the new Magma line-up coming from Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis. The first production model, the all-electric GV60 Magma, was revealed in January and can punch out as much as 650 hp when “Boost Mode” is triggered.
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