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2003 Auto Shows: Truck Wars
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| Competition for truck sales is now a global game |
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| Updated |
Mar 17, 2005 19:41:50 |
| Rating |
 89 ( -10 -11.23% ) | | Author | Kate McLeod |
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Description:
The pickup truck war used to be strictly American: GM versus Ford versus
Chrysler. Not anymore. Toyota and Nissan are joining in-and firing some clean
shots. Tension is high, but rest assured, Ford isn't going to relinquish a single buyer without a fight. And it is Ford that leads the pack at the moment, with the big new F-150 pickup.
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Features
Photo Gallery:
Detroit
Los Angeles
The Lucky Seven
Our Best Bets for Success
Designer Vehicles
New vehicles Take Aim at Low-Volume Markets
Truck Wars
No Longer a Civil War
Lux-o-mite!
Have automakers lost their minds?
Chicago Headlines
Chicago's not the place to showcase fuel economy
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Minivans and super sedans
Toyota's big truck, Suzuki's big move and the VW GTI
Detroit Headlines
Nissan Titan, GM's Big Day
Mustang's
Back, Nissan on a Quest
Luxury,
Performance and Utility
F-150,
Endeavor and FX45
Maybach,
VW and Aston Martin
Fantasy
and Practicality
General Motors Dominates Final Day
North American Car and Truck of the Year:
Mini Cooper/S
Volvo XC90
LA Headlines
Toyota's Scion launches the xA, xB.
Debuts and Previews
Future Drivers
The Future World of Cars, according to teenagers...find out what car they think President George W. Bush should drive.
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What is a Scion, anyway? And why is Pontiac debuting a GTO when fuel economy's the thing? Click here and register you opinion!
Big pickups. Few things make more money for automakers. Large trucks account for almost a fifth of GM and Chrysler unit volume, and close to a fourth of Ford's. And trucks produce very good profits. The numbers: Ford F Series, 813,701, Chevrolet Silverado 652,646 plus GMC Sierra 202,045; a GM total of 854,691, and Dodge Ram, 396,934. They also produce other
vehicles off the big truck platforms, so they become huge money makers. Example: the T-800 platform of the GM pickup is used on the Tahoe, Yukon and Suburban SUVs, and even the Hummer H2. GM generates $1.6 million off that single platform. At $5,000 pretax profit, that's $8 billion.
Ford F-150
During the 2004 Ford F-150 series preview at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, commander-in-Chief Bill Ford was very clear regarding the importance of the F-150: Three times, he chanted to an audience of media and Ford employees, "The importance of the F-150 truck series to the Ford Motor Company cannot be overstated." Ford wants to sell 1 million F- Series trucks. If they do it, Ford will be well on the road to recovery.
And they just might, because the 2004 F-150 is a changeling. There's a workhorse XL, a sportmobile STX, and a good family car that can handle a workload XLT. (This model is expected to produce 50% of F-150 sales volume.) The F-150 is also a 4x4 with a new 300 horsepower V8 engine for image conscious off-road aspirants-the FX4.
It is a luxury mobile for the affluent buyer who wants a truck, but only if it has premium appointments-the Lariat. For buyers, this is good. There are many improvements and changes. The new frame is stiffer in torsion rigidity. A sleek modular overhead rail storage made by Johnson Controls, allows customers to customize their storage with CD, DVD, and sunglass cases and first aid units. The
interiors--one with top-stitched black leather and one with yellow leather are worthy of Armani or Chanel. The dash and consoles were equally as stunning. The cargo box is higher (and we wonder about trying to load and unload over this higher box) and there are three box lengths offered. Offering these many different options means more production costs. Ford isn't going to risk boosting the price out of reach of their customers, especially with the competition closing in -- so they'll probably sacrifice margins.
If the F-150 is still on top - and getting stronger - how will the competition fight back?
Nissan Titan
Nissan unveiled their sensational new full-size Titan truck on January 8 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This new entry, from a plant now under construction in Mississippi, goes on sale around December 1, has much to offer-a 300+ horsepower V8, 5-speed automatic
Last Year's Highlights
It was a year to take notice for even the most non-enthusiastic car shopper. A show season of landmark debuts and promising previews, with very few boring cars sweating under the showroom lights. From the controversial BMW 7-Series to the Nissan 350Z, the Ford GT-40 and the Toyota Corolla, automakers put on a show that will be hard to beat in 2003...
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2003 Show Gallery
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transmission, pulling power of 9,400 lbs., design innovations like a new type of bed lining that protects against dents and scratches.
The box holds some unique and thoughtful
storage options too. There is even a nifty storage drawer under the box
tucked between the rear wheels.
The rear doors have a special hinge that allows the door to fold flat against the cargo bed-a needed innovation. The truck has powerful stylish looks, tailored and elegant, not brutish. Nissan figures it must price its new truck
below Ford and concentrate the sales effort in only 30% of its dealers at first. The goal: 100,000 sales a year once production has reached normal levels.
General Motors
GM has its share of the brand loyal truck market. But they aren't showing anything new. A product cycle for trucks is generally six years as opposed to three for cars, which keeps those profits rolling in. The GMC Sierra and the Silverado are both fine trucks but they will look a little dowdy next to the new Ford and Nissan. GM can fight back with price. Example: a cut-price $2,500 for the exclusive four-wheel steering package. And GM will compete with incentives and pricing.
But GM is thinking ahead to the next product cycle. The GM concept truck, the Chevrolet Cheyenne, had some innovations that indicate directions for what will be an all- new future design, including secure pull-out storage drawers in the cargo box. There are doors in the cargo box for easy access and best of all the panels house containers for storing liquids. "These ideas represent costly choices for the consumers," says Lynn Myers, head of GMC/Pontiac. That means don't expect to see them soon.
Dodge
Then there's Dodge, who started all this sexy truck stuff back in 1993 with Bob Lutz (then Chrysler president, now GM vice chairman) dropping the all-new Ram from the ceiling in front of startled reporters at the Detroit Auto Show. The Ram is still hot and gaining respect with its powerful 'Hemi' engine and is pushing harder into the "heavy duty" part of the market.
Toyota
Toyota sold 99,333 of its big Tundra pickups last year, close to all it could build in its Indiana plant. The answer: A new truck plant will be announced in a few months, probably to be built in Texas. This will enable Toyota to broaden the line. Domestic pickups come with two doors, four doors, extended cabs, two or three box sizes, several gasoline engines plus diesels, two- and four-wheel drives, six wheels and the big heavy duty models. More capacity and a wider line are keys to growth.
Ford's new truck looks good, a winner. But the competition won't lie down. It used to be a civil war. Now with Nissan and Toyota, it's a world war. |
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