Hyundai's 4x4 SUV reborn? Render reveals what electric Toyota Prado, Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender off-road rival could look like

Hyundai may not play in the off-road SUV space these days, but it has had a couple of attempts in the past.

Remember the Terracan? It’s understandable if you don’t. Back in 2001, Hyundai launched a rival for the likes of the Nissan Patrol, Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota LandCruiser Prado in the form of the boxy, upright Terracan before dropping it in 2008.

But before that, Hyundai sold a curious model in its Korean home market. Dubbed the Galloper, the 4x4 wagon was based on the first-generation Mitsubishi Pajero, which was evident in the Galloper’s design.

It ran across two generations - although the second-gen version was merely a facelift of the first - and was built from 1991 to 2004.

Given the clear gap in its line-up now, it makes sense for Hyundai to at least look at the possibility of offering a ladder-frame, off-road-capable SUV.

While the carmaker has not mentioned any plans for this, the design gurus over at NYMammoth have pulled together a rendering of what a reborn Galloper could look like.

The retro-inspired render is a clear homage to the original Galloper, which mirrored the look of the first Pajero.

The vehicle in the render is a two-door, harking back to the heritage of the Galloper that was available in four and two-door guise.

It carries the Galloper badge on the bonnet and retains the sharp edges of the original, while still looking modern. You’d be mistaken for thinking it was an early render of the reborn Land Rover Defender.

Of course, given Hyundai’s significant shift to electric vehicles, it won’t surprise you to know that NYMammoth designed the resurrected Galloper as a full EV.

If something like this was ever to get the green light at Hyundai, it would face off against an interesting range of electric off-roaders. Jeep is developing a fully electric version of the Wrangler, and Land Rover is rumoured to be working on an electric Defender.

There’s also the Rivian R1S SUV, while Toyota could well produce a version of the Compact Cruiser EV it revealed late last year that looks a lot like a reborn FJ Cruiser with an EV powertrain.