Hyundai considering pickup after good reaction to Santa Cruz | Day's Morgantown Hyundai

The Hyundai HCD-15 Santa Cruz pickup concept was one of the stars of the 2015 Detroit Auto Showand even earned fifth place on Autoblog's Editors' Choice list of favorite debuts. The strong response might have been enough to get it made.

Hyundai research and development director Park Byung-cheol said that the company was considering building the truck, according to Reuters. He warned, though, that there were still some obstacles in the way of the pickup arriving to showrooms without saying what those were.

Rumors about Hyundai considering a pickup in the US go back several years but were fruitless. The Santa Cruz's unveiling really reignited things, though. The North American arm of the Korean brand reportedly chose Detroit for the debut so thatforeign executives could see the media reaction to the concept. That gamble might have paid off.

Hyundai's pickup at dealers might not look like the Santa Cruz concept, though. The company said the version in Detroit had nothing production-ready about it and even lacked an interior. At the time, a platform still hadn't been decided on, and the brand had several internal design studies underway.

Hyundai launches Blue Link update for smartwatches | Day's Morgantown Hyundai

Hyundai released an update for its Blue Link app last week that makes it work through smartwatches.

The app is downloaded through Google Play and works with Android Wear watches. A version that's compatible with Apple smartwatches is under development, and Hyundai expects to launch it soon after the Apple Watch launches April 24, a spokesman said.

The Blue Link smartwatch app was revealed this year at the Consumer Electronics Show. Features include remote engine start and stop capabilities, remote door locking and unlocking, the ability to honk the horn and flash the lights and a function to call roadside assistance. All of the features can be done through voice commands.

Hyundai's smartwatch app will work with cars equipped with first and second generations of Blue Link. The smartwatch app is a companion feature, and it needs to be paired to the owner's smartphone that has the Blue Link app.

Blue Link launched on the 2012 Sonata and rolled out across Hyundai's lineup in 2013. The second-generation system is available on the 2015 Genesis, Sonata and Azera.

"Blue Link subscribers and gadget lovers will appreciate a more convenient way to interact with their Hyundai vehicles," Frank Ferrara, executive vice president, customer satisfaction, Hyundai Motor America, said in a statement.