Hyundai builds a pint-size pickup truck for urban adventurers (pictures)

DETROIT -- Hyundai has built a pickup truck. Crazy right? The Korean brand isn't exactly the first marque that most think about when looking for a truck, but the Santa Cruz concept is proof that the automaker is at least thinking about diving into this space.

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The automaker states that the concept is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine that is good for 190 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is estimated to be in the "high 30 mpg range."

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The Santa Cruz also offers Hyundai's HTRAC all-wheel drive system, a useful addition for the sort of muddy/dirty/snowy situations that pickup trucks often find themselves in.

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From nose to tail, the Santa Cruz looks about as long as Hyundai's Tucson crossover. That sort of compactness in a four-seat pickup doesn't leave a whole lot of space for the bed.

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For those times when the Santa Cruz needs to accommodate longer items, the rear tailgate is able to slide out and rearward -- not unlike a drawer.

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Fully extended, the bed's length is said to be similar to that of a midsize pickup.

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The highly stylized pickup even features tires with unique, futuristic tread patterns. This is pure show-car stuff.

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Hyundai claims that the Santa Cruz offers a blend of the convenience of a compact city crossover and the utility of a small to midsize pickup truck.

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LED headlamps, fogs and taillights are handsome and high-tech elements that I'd like to see on Hyundai's production cars.

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The Fluidic Sculpture design of the automaker's crossovers and SUVs can be observed. The Santa Cruz offers a more aggressive take than anything we've seen this side of the Veloster.

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Tie-downs, tow hooks and mounting rails are hidden and integrated all over the Santa Cruz's body, bed and roof.

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If I were to play the "looks like" game, I'd say that the Santa Cruz's design looks like it would be just as comfortable wearing a Mazda badge. The headlamps and foglight recesses in particular remind me of the new CX-5 and CX-3.

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Lime-green accents and chrome brightwork add variety to the polished metallic body.

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