Can Hyundai take down Toyota in the off-road war? It will be LandCruiser Prado versus Santa Fe XRT in the battle of the bush-bashers in 2024

Hyundai appears to have chosen its new battleground with Toyota, with the brand looking set to launch its XRT off-road sub-brand in Australia, pitting the Santa Fe against the LandCruiser Prado in this market.

Hyundai has now trademarked 'XRT' and 'Hyundai XRT' in Australia, both of which were filed with our patent office in late September, and which are due for acceptance in January.

Both tie neatly with the a message from the brand's international executives, identifying young people with a love of outdoor adventures as a global growth opportunity.

The same is surely true in Australia, where models like the Nissan Patrol, LandCruiser Prado and 300 Series, and adventure-spec Ranger and HiLux models, do big business.

And now Hyundai looks set to join them, with rumours  now growing stronger that an XRT sub-brand is on its way Down Under.

Trademarks aren't always a guarantee of a brand's plan to launch in Australia. Sometime, international HQ protect model names globally, whether they intend to launch or not.

But these "XRT" and "Hyundai XRT" trademarks were applied for by Hyundai Motor Company Australia, adding more fuel to the fire that the local arm has plans for our market.

The first to arrive could be the US-spec XRT models, including the Santa Fe XRT, which debuted in concept form as a Prado-challenging off-road SUV complete with lift kit, 30-inch all-terrain rubber, underbody protection, a rough-stuff-ready cargo carrier, exterior cargo boxes, a roof-mounted spare tyre and exterior off-road cameras.

The Santa Fe is due in Australia early next year, and an XRT version could follow it, with Hyundai said to have a "keen interest" in the model, though it has stopped short of confirming it.

According to US site Automotive News, Hyundai is operating off "big data" that reveals its customers have a strong interest in "camping and gear-intensive adventures", which is driving the shift to XRT-branded models.

Its American arm in the USA applies the XRT badge - with varying levels of style updates and functional changes - to several Hyundai models, including the Tucson and Palisade.