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Report: Rumored Jeep pickup far from a done deal

Filed under: Truck, Jeep, Rumormill, Off-Road

2005 Jeep Gladiator Concept

2005 Jeep Gladiator Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Please join us in a collective sigh of exasperation. According to Automotive News, the much-rumored Jeep pickup that had us all salivating earlier this year may be little more than hyped-up vaporware. It would seem that while Chrysler’s off-roading arm is game to create a small pickup once again, the vehicle isn’t as writ in stone as we were all led to believe. From what we can tell, Jeep is facing some grief from the Ram squad for wanting to play in their sandbox. Additionally, all of Chrysler is staring at a pretty hefty dearth of engineers, so adding another ground-up build to the company’s already sizable honey-do list isn’t exactly on the table.

And what of the military-spec Jeep truck currently on sale elsewhere around the globe? Automotive News says that Chrysler thinks it wouldn’t be worth the effort (or money) to try to dilute that vehicle down far enough for civilian duty. Maestro, cue up the sad trombone, if you’d be so kind.

That means that we can probably scrap the notion of seeing Jeep pickup by next year as we were initially led to believe. If the vehicle does manage to get past all of the hurdles before it, the pickup likely won’t see the light of day for a good long while.

Gallery: 2005 Jeep Gladiator Concept

[Source: Automotive News]

Report: Rumored Jeep pickup far from a done deal originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford F-150 SVT Raptor named Four Wheeler 2011 Pickup Truck of the Year

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Ford, Off-Road

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2 – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s good to know that there’s still some sense left in the world. The minds at Four Wheeler have announced that of all the excellent pickup trucks for sale right now, the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2 is king of the heap. The magazine has officially crowned the big Blue Oval as its Truck of the Year, saying that the go-fast off-roader is every four-wheel-drive enthusiast’s dream machine straight from the factory. After our stints behind the wheel of the Raptor, we’re inclined to agree.

Four Wheeler has been choosing a truck of the year since 1989, and to classify, a model must be new or significantly revised compared to its predecessor. This year, the magazine lined up the Raptor alongside the Ford Super Duty Power Stroke Lariat FX4 and the Chevrolet 2500 Silverado Z71, but it was the Ford’s bird of prey that came out on top. You can check out the full report in the March 2011 issue of Four Wheeler, which is set to hit the stands in January, logically.

Gallery: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2: Review

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2

[Source: Four Wheeler]

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor named Four Wheeler 2011 Pickup Truck of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Farmer Knows Best: Pickup sales boosted by booming agrarian economy?

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Dodge, Ford, GM, Toyota

2011 Ford F-150

2011 Ford F-150 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Through the first nine months of 2010, the auto industry is on pace to increase sales by 10 percent versus 2009, and pickup trucks are leading the charge. Bloomberg reports that bedded haulers are up 14 percent on the year, led by increased demand from the farming industry. Farmers have seen their revenues increase by $9 billion over last year, with both prices and demand rising in part because of droughts in Russia and Canada. Farmers are using their new-found dollars to invest in their businesses, and trucks are among the biggest and best tools in the ~~box~~ barn.

Automakers are beneficiaries of this investment, as truck sales climb and profits soar. Analyst Joe Barker of IHS Automotive claims that automakers can make up to $15,000 on each pickup sold, a figure that holds firmest when incentives are down. And with sales up, incentives have dipped. Edmunds shows that trucks have an average MSRP of $34,235, or about $2,000 higher than in 2009. Supply and demand really does work.

The biggest recipient of the increased demand for pickups has so far been Ford, which has seen its F-Series pickups jump by 31 percent. Chevy Silverado sales are up 17 percent as well. Even the Toyota Tundra, which has struggled in the U.S. market, is up 21 percent. The Ram appears to be the only truck suffering through the pickup truck boom, with sales down one percent year-over-year.

Gallery: 2011 Ford F-150: First Drive

2011 Ford F-150

[Source: Bloomberg]

Farmer Knows Best: Pickup sales boosted by booming agrarian economy? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Oct 2010 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mazda shows off new BT-50 pickup in Australia

Filed under: Truck, Work, Mazda, Off-Road

2011 Mazda BT-50

2011 Mazda BT-50 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Now that the global Ford Ranger has received its debut, Mazda has taken the time to show off its take on the mid-sized pickup at the Australian International Motor Show. The Japanese automaker calls its version the BT-50, and it wears plenty of the company’s Nagare design language. Along with the swept nose and headlights, Mazda has thrown in similarly fluid taillights out back that remind us of the units on the CX-9 crossover. Mazda says that the company was going for a “sophisticated beast” look. We’ve certainly heard stranger marketing claims, but it the image of sasquatch in a suit does make us chuckle.

And what, pray tell, is under that shapely hood? Mazda isn’t saying at the moment, but we’d be surprised if the company didn’t plan to share power plants with the 2011 Ranger. If that’s the case, buyers can expect to choose between a thrifty 2.2-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder with 150 horsepower and 276 pound-feet of torque and larger displacement diesel and gasoline options backed by six-speed gearboxes.

Sadly, it looks like you can forget about seeing the BT-50 in the States. Just like the Ranger, this pickup won’t be gracing our shores in any official capacity. Hit the jump for the press release.

Gallery: 2011 Mazda BT-50

[Source: Mazda]

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Mazda shows off new BT-50 pickup in Australia originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: ’76 Mazda pickup is the perfect base for a Radio Flyer wagon. Who knew?

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Mazda, Toys/Games, Humor, Specialty

Radio Flyer pickup

Radio Flyer truck – Click above to watch the video after the jump

If you’ve ever thought about picking up a yellow Hummer and painting the word “Tonka” across the side or building a working replica of your favorite Hot Wheels fantasy car, have we got a story for you. An elderly couple in Alaska has built a jumbo Radio Flyer wagon out of an old truck, and what’s more, they drive it around Anchorage on a regular basis.

The underpinnings were borrowed from a 1976 Mazda pickup which Judy Foster (not to be confused with the Silence of the Lambs star, Jodie) inherited from her father. After they took possession, her husband Fred Keller started an eleven-month project to turn it into an overgrown childhood dream. The result is reportedly fully street legal and gets nothing but smiles wherever it goes. Fred and Judy will just have to watch that eight-foot tall handle clearing any low ceilings in parking garages. Follow the jump to watch the KTUU video segment for yourself.

[Source: KTUU]

Continue reading Video: ’76 Mazda pickup is the perfect base for a Radio Flyer wagon. Who knew?

Video: ’76 Mazda pickup is the perfect base for a Radio Flyer wagon. Who knew? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Jeep pickup coming in 2012

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Jeep, Rumormill, Off-Road

Jeep Gladiator concept

2005 Jeep Gladiator Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Adding fuel to the rumormill fire that Jeep is keen to introduce a small pickup based on its ever-popular Wrangler platform is a new report from our reliable friends from PickupTrucks.com that the project has been given the green light. The news comes just after we heard that just such a machine was shown to dealers with a wink-wink, nudge-nudge-style display.

According to PickupTruck.com’s sources, the light-duty hauler would debut in 2012 with a design heavily based on the Jeep Gladiator concept from 2005. To get the necessary length, Jeep is said to be utilizing the four-door Wrangler Unlimited chassis with the deletion of the two aft doors and the addition of a short truck bed.

Here’s hoping the final design, if it indeed reaches production, retains the external spare wheel and tire. While we’re wishing, we’ll cast a vote towards a removable hardtop as well. Regardless, this is one of those cases where we feel pretty confident in saying, If you build it, they will ~~come~~ buy.

Gallery: 2005 Jeep Gladiator Concept

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Report: Jeep pickup coming in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pickup, crossover and RWD coupe being considered for Scion?

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Truck, Crossover, Hatchback, Scion, Toyota

Toyota A-BAT Concept – Click above for a high-res image gallery

Scion is about to expand its initial three-model lineup with a rather intriguing new vehicle that’s set to take on the Smart Fortwo as the microcar of choice for those looking to downsize as far as humanly possible. While the upcoming iQ is a pretty nifty machine, it won’t be quite practical for a large number of drivers here in the United States.

Hence, it’s not entirely surprising that Scion is reportedly considering a possible fifth, sixth or even seventh model. As before, talk of a small pickup truck is apparently on the table. Interestingly, Scion vice president Jack Hollis suggests that something like the Toyota A-BAT concept could be revived in Scion guise.

Another possible Scion model could be based on the love-it-or-(more-likely)-hate-it Hako Concept from the 2008 New York Auto Show. Finally – and certainly most interestingly for enthusiasts – a small, rear-wheel-drive sport coupe is also on the table for consideration. We know where we’re casting our vote…

Gallery: Detroit 2008: Toyota A-BAT Concept

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Pickup, crossover and RWD coupe being considered for Scion? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM discovers flaw with HD pickup hill-hold assist, fast-tracks fix

Filed under: Truck, Safety, Technology, Work, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

Last week, PickupTrucks.com held one of its periodic load lugger shootouts where it brings together the heavy haulers from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler to see which pickup truck is the top dog. After running acceleration tests at Milan dragway, editor Mike Levine and the crew moved the fleet of nine trucks to the GM Proving Ground in Milford, MI. During towing evaluations on the 7.2 percent hill, Levine discovered an issue on the Chevy Silverado 2500 while the gas-engined 3/4 ton truck was towing 10,000 pound trailers up the hill.

The GM trucks incorporate a hill-hold feature into the stability control system. Hill-hold is supposed to detect when the vehicle is on an incline with the brakes applied. When the driver releases the brake pedal, the valves in the stability control unit retain the pressure in the brake lines for up to 1.5 seconds. Once the timer expires or the driver applies the accelerator, the valves release the brake pressure.

During testing, Levine discovered that the system was not holding the pressure on the 7.2 percent hill for any of the GM trucks and notified the engineers on hand. Oddly, a later test found that the system was working properly on the steeper 16 percent grade. GM engineers investigated the issue with engineers from system supplier TRW and found an incorrect calibration value in the control software for the accelerometer used to detect inclines. This prevented the system from correctly detecting the smaller hill.

The code was corrected and updated software began rolling out to the production line this past Monday, July 19. The same software update is also going out to dealers so that trucks in stock on lots and in for service can also be updated. GM is still considering whether to issue a recall or a technical service bulletin for trucks that have already been delivered to customers.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com, TRW]

GM discovers flaw with HD pickup hill-hold assist, fast-tracks fix originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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