Hyundai Is Exploring Jeep-Style Removable Roofs for Future Pickups

Key Points

• Hyundai plans true body-on-frame pickups with innovative features by decade’s end.
• Patents reveal removable roof and doors, uncommon among pickups, enhancing open-air experience.
• The Korean brands need to find unique ways to stand out in the established pickup segment.

Hyundai’s only truck in the United States is still the compact Santa Cruz, but more are coming before the end of the decade, and these are expected to be proper body-on-frame models; the Santa Cruz has a car-based unibody design. In designing these new pickups, Hyundai seems committed to introducing some of the coolest truck features. We’ve already seen plans for a midgate, and now the automaker has filed a patent for a removable roof for one or more future trucks. It’s a rare feature in the pickup world, although Jeep and GM have both implemented something similar.

Open-Air Off-Roading At Its Best
While a sunroof provides some degree of natural light into the cabin, a removable roof completely transforms the outdoor experience. Hyundai’s patent—first discovered by CarBuzz and filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office—focuses on the sealing mechanism of the roof panel. The automaker highlights blocking external noise (when the roof panel is attached) and moisture as potential issues its roof panel overcomes.

It’s a manually-removable panel, so there are no complex electronics adding weight to worry about. Presumably, the panel can be easily removed and stored when not in use. Besides the roof, the patent also mentions removable doors, which is something most pickups don’t offer at all. The Jeep Gladiator is an exception, and while GMC’s Hummer EV has removable roof panels, its doors can’t be removed.

It’s not known whether one or more of Hyundai’s future pickups will get the removable doors and roof, but a good candidate would be the expected midsized, body-on-frame pickup that will battle the Jeep Gladiator and Toyota Tacoma. This new pickup is expected to arrive before 2030.

Why It Matters
Hyundai—and by extension, the Hyundai Group—isn’t known for its prowess in the truck segment. In this category, perceived durability from trusted brands like Ford, Ram, Chevrolet, and Toyota drives sales more than perhaps any other factor. To play with the big boys, the Koreans really need to think outside the box.

The Kia Tasman was a first attempt to do that. A proper body-on-frame pickup, the Tasman boasts bizarre styling quite unlike any other pickup. But sales haven’t been great so far, so Kia’s gamble hasn’t paid off.

Instead of wild styling, Hyundai seems to be turning to innovation and practicality to set apart its future trucks, and that’s not a bad idea. And, rather than try to beat America’s mighty Big 3 in the towing and hauling stakes, Hyundai can set itself apart with fresh technologies and features that change how people use their trucks.