"cazzyodo" (cazzyodo)
06/05/2014 at 16:42 • Filed to: Small truck rant
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"cazzyodo" (cazzyodo)
06/05/2014 at 16:42 • Filed to: Small truck rant | 1
| 7 |
(clearly this is not small but whatever)
He set me off on a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in regards to modern full sized trucks and how we can all agree a small to mid-sized offering is sorely missed.
Now, it can be argued that the market is not there for smaller trucks. It can be argued that we, the consumer, are more than happy with the Tacoma and Frontier. It can also be argued, though, that there is a market of an undetermined size and that many of us, the consumer, are excited that GM is bringing something to the field again.
This is great. Competition is good for the consumer and perhaps new offerings will lead to additions to this segment. Who knows?!?
But is there a market for this to happen? I would like to consider the example of the FR-S and BRZ. There was an outcry for an affordable, rwd, lightweight coupe and we were presented with two nearly identical offerings. The reception, reviews and sales led to us seeing concepts from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and even !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
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But what were the sales?
I didn't have much time to find month by month breakdown of sales but luckily there are people out there that !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ! 54,263 Toyobarus have been sold in two years...37,200 of which were of the FR-S flavor. So roughly 27k annual sales combined but 8,500 come from the BRZ.
That's fairly low volume...right?
Well, there's a market for affordable, small-ish, pickups. What number would make sense from a sales perspective? Would expectations have to be adjusted? Would sales be drained from the full sized market (yes)? Would the cumulative small and large pickup sales increase overall (quite possibly)?
I realize there are small truck offerings already so there is an acknowledgement that there is a market but it is more like something done out of tradition at this point. I am one of many who would welcome a resurgence in the small truck sector and feel that it is more than sustainable for manufacturers to compete in this area, especially with consumers focused on mpg, msrp and fuel prices.
duurtlang
> cazzyodo
06/05/2014 at 16:58 |
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This Ford is a 'small' truck? It's quite a large vehicle I'd say.
If the Ford is small, what's this Fiat then? I didn't pick this Fiat for nothing as this specific model will be introduced in the US shortly, as a Ram. But only as a van.
Cé hé sin
> duurtlang
06/05/2014 at 17:03 |
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American ideas of pick ups are different. So, indeed, is the use of the word truck. They call just about anything not a car a truck.
But yes, by American standards, a Hilux, default pickup in much of the world, is small. Their ones begin a bit bigger than this and get much bigger, with huge petrol engines of five or six litres or sometimes diesels of the same size. All automatics of course.
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duurtlang
> Cé hé sin
06/05/2014 at 17:07 |
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I noticed that as well. Another big difference is that where (for example) European work vehicles are utilitarian and economic the US equivalents seem testosterone-over-function and, dare I say it, immensely gaudy.
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cazzyodo
> duurtlang
06/05/2014 at 17:09 |
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I just want something smaller than what is currently being offered. That is still large, probably in line with what my family had 15 years ago as a full sized then.
I think that something slightly larger than the Ranger would be ideal (for me). I like the Tacoma but am not a Toyota fan (yes, there is bias).
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Cé hé sin
> duurtlang
06/05/2014 at 18:12 |
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The US pick up is a culturally specific thing which is why Ford have not applied their usual "one Ford" policy to them. America and an eclectic selection of other countries (Canada, Mexico, a few Caribbean islands where they drive on the right and, curiously, Iceland), get the F150 while the rest of us get the similarly sized but less gaudy Ranger. Ford have a whole range of Fs bigger than this but they're even more specific to their home market.
There are several treasons behind the American love of pickups, including cheap fuel, a liking for carrying vast quantities of stuff with them because they tend to drive to holiday destinations rather than fly to them and a tendency to see themselves as honest, hardworking, salt of the earth manual worker types who need all this carrying and towing ability. They can also use pick ups to distinguish themselves from the rest of the world with their small, effete hatchbacks and weird manual gearboxes.
V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!
> duurtlang
06/05/2014 at 19:06 |
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A full size say.....Ford F-450 with the diesel and a 5th wheel DOES have its uses and a market that needs it. Problem is so many buy them who do not and the manufacturers are more than willing to sell due to larger profit margins as opposed to say a Chevy Cruze.
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duurtlang
> V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!
06/05/2014 at 20:06 |
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Oh, I'm sure they're more than capable. No argument there. It's just that the design philosophy behind work vehicles is radically different between our two continents. I'm not that well versed into the world of the trucks, but I'd say the equivalent to the F-450 would be something like these two (the first available as a pickup as well)
