Automakers stole the show when it came to Super Bowl XLVI commercials. However, behind the scene FoMoCo was complaining about a Chevrolet Silverado commercial that took a stab at Ford. Apparently, General Motors ignored a request from Ford to cancel the commercial before it made its television debut last night.

The ad, which shows the Chevrolet Silverado being the only truck to survive an apocalypse, takes a stab at Ford when one of the main characters asks about the fate of one his friends.

“Dave didn’t drive the longest lasting, most dependable truck on the road,” another friend tells him. “Dave drove a Ford.”

“What’s important is that Ford is proud to be the best-selling truck in America for 35 years, the best-selling vehicle for 30 years and the only brand with more trucks on the road with more than 250,000 miles — demonstrating just how durable our trucks are in the real world,” Ford said in a statement.

The General isn’t backing down, however. ”We stand by our claims in the commercial, that the Silverado is the most dependable, longest lasting full-size pickup on the road,” said Joel Ewanick, GM Global Chief Marketing Officer in a statement. In the meantime, people who are really worried about the Mayan calendar coming true should buy a Silverado right away.” Ewanick jokingly added.

Check out the commercial for yourself after the jump.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: CNNMoney

General Motors has released yet another commercial for Super Bowl XLVI called ’2012.’ The commercial is based around the Chevrolet Silverado and shows off how reliable the truck is in a 60-second.

The ad is focused around the Silverado navigating the devastation and destruction predicted to occur this year by the Mayan calendar.

Check out more news on the Chevrolet Silverado.

“A group of friends, who are Silverado owners, makes its way to the designated meeting spot but notice one of their buddies is missing, GM said about the ad in a statement. “The missing friend, unfortunately, drives another manufacturer’s truck and doesn’t appear to have made it to the meeting point.”

The ad also features a shot at the Ford F-150 but we won’t spoil it for you.

Make the jump to see the ad.

- By: Omar Rana

Whenever anyone thinks about America and the automobile industry, one of the first things that should pop-up into mind is the pickup truck: an automobile that is synonymously iconic to our culture like the small roadster is to Great Britain or the executive saloon is to Germany. And when anyone thinks of a pickup truck, the ultimate buy word in the segment would arguably be the proverbial Ford F150. That should be a given considering that the Dearborn-based manufacturer invented the automobile when they produced the “Ford Model T Runabout with a Pickup Body” in 1925. Not to mention, the F150 is indubitably one of automotive history’s most iconic automobiles, racking up some astonishing accolades such as America’s best-selling vehicle for 24-years and best-selling truck for 34.

That said, the Ford F150 can be considered the car that ‘built’ America, much like how Jeremy Clarkson showed the world that the Ford Transit had “built” Great Britain. No matter where you go, you’ll always find some generation and some sort of variant of the Ford F150 running about doing all things utilitarian. I can go on and on about the F150’s prominence, but that would be similar to me rambling on about how famous Mr. Henry Ford is himself—gee, thanks Captain Obvious.

But truth be told, I have very little personal experience with pickups for my short time on Earth. The first and last pickup truck that I had comprehensively driven in-depth was a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 with the 5.9L Magnum V8. And even though the Ram was uncomfortable, brash and tiresome to drive—on top of abysmal fuel economy that never went north of 15 mpg—the Ram’s commanding view of the road made it interestingly fun to drive and its practicality was hard to trump, considering that the Ram helped me move back and forth between college and home. Afterwards, the last pickup I ever drove entirely prior to this review was a 2005 Ford F150 King Ranch SuperCrew, complete with the top-of-the-line 5.4L Triton V8 during my time working at a used car dealer. Other than that though, pickup trucks never really appealed to my taste for refined and fun-driving performance and luxury cars. And that was due to their sacrifice for utilitarianism in place of luxury and driving pleasure. In other words, I felt one would be socially awkward pulling up to a fancy function in a workhorse pickup truck rather than a stately executive saloon.

2012 Ford F150 EcoBoost Lariat 4×2 SuperCrew V6 Specifications:

• Style: Full-size pickup truck.
• Drive Type: RWD / 4WD.
• Seating Capacity: 5.
• Base Price: $39,475.
• Price As Tested: $45,380.
• Engine: 3.5 liter twin-turbocharged, direct-injected EcoBoost V6 – 365-hp / 420 lb-ft of torque.
• Transmission: 6-speed automatic.
• 0 to 60 mph: 6.1 seconds.
• Top Speed: 100 mph (electronically limited).
• Curb Weight: 5,699 lbs.
• Fuel-economy (EPA city/highway – egmCarTech Observed): 16/22 – 17/19 mpg.

All Photos Copyright © Omar Rana - egmCarTech.

Social awkwardness aside though, over the years numerous others have proven to take Ford’s recipe for a pickup and have perfected it in their own ways, the Ram being one of them. And over those same years, manufacturers, including Ford themselves, have evolved the pickup to be not only a workhorse automobile, but one of the most versatile vehicles money can buy. In order to continue keeping up with the times of fuel economy-conscious buyers and strict CAFE regulations, Ford had decided to gamble with a new engine top-of-the-line option for the 2011 F150: a twin-turbocharged 3.5L EcoBoost V6. It’s a boosted mill that Ford hopes will help improve the brand’s CAFE rating and sway the traditionalists from the typical pickup powerplant, so that the gasoline-guzzling V8 can slowly fade away into the pages of history (Oh dear God please no), or at least be the second choice. So, how does it fare and does it have what it takes to meet Ford’s and the buyers’ expectations?

Exterior:

There’s really not much to discuss when talking about the aesthetic aspects of pickups. Their designs are pretty straightforward. Though what differs Ford’s F150 from the more chiseled-down looks of GM’s GMT900 pickups and the sleek, refined muscle of the Dodge Ram is the F150’s Tonka Truck Toy-like looks. But it’s not outrageously childish or terribly offensive. In fact, I like the way the F150 looks. It comes off as thoroughly American, rugged and masculine—as if it could take on anything you can throw at it. It has every visual trait a real pickup should have. And who’s to argue? And what makes me appreciate the F150 even more is that its looks are also civil enough that once you were done with your dirty work, you could just take a hose and some suds to it and drive it through town like a boss. In other words, I wouldn’t feel ashamed to pull up in a clean, modern F150—like the one we had—at a fancy function. I couldn’t exactly say the same thing with the Ford F150 from several decades ago and earlier. And I definitely couldn’t say that about the 2002 Dodge Ram I drove several years ago.

Interior:

The same Tonka-like characteristics can be found inside the F150 as well. Where as the F150s of yesteryear often had flat, boring and monotone insides, the F150 of today (and ever since the 11^th generation F150 from 2004 such as that 2005 King Ranch I aforementioned) dropped the straight-workhorse looks for some style, without any sacrifice or deviation from the F150’s tough, rugged utilitarian roots. And this latest F150 just takes it even a step further. So if you were like me, with the little experience I have with pickups, you’d be surprised to find a very comforting ambiance when compared to the F150s of the 1990s and prior. The responses elicited from me when I first stepped into the F150 were: “wow, this is pretty darn nice,” and “I’m really impressed.” Ford’s use of different colored materials is extraordinarily well executed making you think that you’re in a more civilized Expedition rather than an F150—and it’s definitely an exponential upgrade from that brash Ram. I simply love it.

Our tester was of the Lariat spec, which is one of the most commonly optioned trimlines of the F150. It surely isn’t the most luxurious model, nor is it the cheapest as Ford pins the Lariat just in the middle of the lineup, below (and in order from least luxurious and expensive to most luxurious and expensive) FX4, SVT Raptor, King Ranch, Platinum and Harley-Davidson Editions and above the base XL, STX, XLT and FX2. Ours was fully optioned up the wazoo complete with Microsoft/Ford’s collaboration called SYNC, their tow package, leather-trimmed 10-way heated and cooled seats with memory function—which also means the transmission shifter changes from a column stalk to a center console-mounted selector. All of the ergonomics were simple and easy to use. Admittedly, a lot of the equipment bespoke to pickups that help its owners tow and haul stuff did throw me off a bit. But I’m sure that’s purely from my lack of experience. Either way, Ford offers a lot of kit and the seats were wonderfully supportive and comfortable. Additionally, our F150 was optioned out with the 6.5-foot bed and the SuperCrew layout, which means four full doors and a rear bench to haul not just your friends or family, but their junk as well.

Performance:

Driving the F150 is where the real news is. For the first time ever, Ford’s iconic workhorse gets their latest twin-turbocharged, direct-injected 3.5L EcoBoost V6, which is the same engine that received some honorable mention and placement in cars like the current Taurus SHO and the Ford Flex EcoBoost. And even though the F150 EcoBoost V6 produces the same 365 horses as the Taurus SHO, the F150’s EcoBoost V6 produces 70 more lb-ft of twist for a whopping total of 420 lb-ft that’s best-in-class—and 90% of that is fully and readily available at 1700rpm, all the way through the rev range to 5000rpm. Mated to Ford’s SelectShift six-speed automatic, mashing the pedal from a standstill in the F150 EcoBoost would yield a 0-60 time of roughly 6.5 seconds, which is not shabby at all. In fact, during our week long test, Editor-In-Chief Omar Rana and I often found ourselves with our windows down in between quick stoplight drags with owners of older pickups and even some quick car drivers, all wondering what the hell just put them in the dust. And because that power is so readily available from the well-tuned and adjusted six-speed, highway cruising and overtaking is a breeze. Turbo lag was virtually nonexistent and traditional pickup purists would feel right at home with the EcoBoost V6. The only thing that would tell them that the F150 EcoBoost has two less cylinders would be the options list and the exhaust note, which was the sound of a muffled yet, meaty V6 with a slight hiss from the snails versus a throaty, rumbling V8. But for those who are truly committed to the seductive rumble of Ford’s V8 still have a choice to opt for their all-new 5.0L V8 mill—the same that debuted in the current Mustang 5.0—and 6.2L Boss V8, which is in the SVT Raptor. The only sacrifice with the V8s is for those seeking practicality in terms of tow capacity: the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost has the highest ratings out of all the other engine options.

Considering the F150 is no performance automobile, I completely relieved myself from any expectations of handling with the F150. But such a notion wasn’t exactly necessary because simply put, the F150 EcoBoost is truly wonderful to drive for being a full-size pickup. Sure, the handling is completely nonexistent when compared to something with a unibody and finely tuned suspension. But the F150, much like many other pickup trucks from the competitors, has thoroughly proven that utilitarian automobiles don’t have to be woeful to drive like they used to be. When compared to my 2002 Dodge Ram experience, the F150 felt like the Mercedes-Benz of pickup trucks. Refined, comfortable and composed describe the F150 EcoBoost’s ride and handling. The same could be said for the 2005 King Range Edition I drove too a while back. Highway speeds were quiet, relaxing and a complete dawdle making me think that it would be the perfect truck to take on a cross-country adventure. The steering for the entire F150 lineup except for the 6.2L Boss V8-equipped models was converted from the typical lifeless hydraulic setup to a more efficient electronically assisted power steering system. When comparing the two, the electronic system offered nothing in the way of feel next to the hydraulic setup I experienced in the 2005 King Ranch F150, but on the upside, the electric tiller was effortless with solid on-center feel, making any kind of maneuvering a breeze. Should you find yourself approaching a corner too fast, the F150 would respond with enough composure surprise to make you forget about the F150’s on-paper body-on-frame and solid-rear axle setup.

Unfortunately, for the time that we had the F150 EcoBoost V6, we weren’t able to put it in a situation to truly test the F150’s ability to haul or tow something. The closest we got though was a quick trip up into North Jersey to pickup a new couch for my apartment. And this trip led us to come up with a thing or two we could point out. Firstly, our fuel economy hovered around an average of 17-19 mpg, which is very respectable for a pickup truck and understandable when compared to the EPA’s rating of 16 mpg’s city and 22 highway. Though, we didn’t think it was much of an improvement over the alternative and more traditional engine, Ford’s new 5.0L V8, rated at 15 mpg’s city and 21 highway and even the 6.2L V8. That said, we were a little perplexed by the fact that Ford chose to opt for a traditional gasoline engine when diesel technologies are so readily available. Altogether, it raises a question for the brand itself too. Are they still betting on gasoline engines when 2/3rds of the world has been benefiting from the higher fuel efficiency of diesel-powered automobiles? Even on home turf, those who are well informed of the pickup market know that a Dodge Ram with a Cummins or a GM pickup with a Duramax, or even the Ford with a PowerStroke will yield far better fuel economy without a sacrifice in capability. Either way, I think “Big Oil” is still to blame. But that’s a whole ‘nother can o’worms.

Overall:

Altogether, I walk away from the F150 EcoBoost in complete awe as to how pickups have evolved over time. Forgetting my lack of experience aside, as a car guy, stepping into an F150 wasn’t overwhelming or intimidating whatsoever. The F150 was a breeze to get used to, especially for someone with my background…or lack thereof. In all, I see the F150 as a Swiss army knife, but one with a snakeskin holster that’s stylish and practical and is sure to elicit some conversation from others and you can take it anywhere without being terribly uncivil. And for that, I can now appreciate the appeal of pickup trucks and I’m sure those venturing into the market for the first time will too. You can haul your friends/family plus their junk and nearly go anywhere all while in good comfort and style of the mighty Ford F150. In other words, where as enthusiasts come to appreciate cars for their sense of value rather than how superior their performance and drive is, enthusiasts can appreciate the F150 for its gung-ho and do-nearly-anything capabilities. And even for those who are looking to buy the F150 for its utility, they are definitely going to feel right at home. Sure, the fuel economy may not meet the promises of exponentially better fuel economy like Ford is pitching. But Ford has apparently tested the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 to extreme ends so the V6 is sure to be as durable and reliable as the V8 it hopes to replace. Not to mention, those who are considering or have experience with pickups are used to getting cruddy fuel economy anyway. Let’s just hope that Ford’s push for the EcoBoost engines in this F150 and its other cars isn’t a harbinger of things to come, like the potential death of the V8. But simply put, the F150 is A+ all the way.

All Photos Copyright © Omar Rana - egmCarTech.

- By: Chris Chin

“The Ram Truck brand’s greatest strengths are our commitment to listen to customers and to understand what motivates them,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO, Ram Truck Brand. “We’ve successfully added Ram truck models designed for outdoorsmen, tradesmen, first-time buyers and ranchers. Laramie Limited is designed to meet the high expectations of affluent pickup truck buyers looking to combine capability with elegance.”

The Ram Laramie Limited comes with many premium features such as an interior filled with plenty of leather, piano-gloss black interior trim and much more. On the outside, the new Ram Laramie Limited adopts a “street truck” look, versus the traditional workhorse looks of the standard Ram—think Ford F150 Platinum and King Ranch editions.

The Ram Laramie Limited will be available in 1500 (1/2 ton), 2500 HD (3/4 ton), and 3500 HD single- and dual-rear-wheel (1-ton) form. They can also be found with Crew Cab and Mega Cab configurations, on both short- and long-wheel base models.

Prices have yet to be announced, but Chrysler said that the Ram Laramie Limited will launch in the second quarter of 2012.

- By: Chris Chin

Recently we mentioned a diesel powered Jeep Grand Cherokee for the US, it looks like the same diesel powertrain might be making its way into another mule: the new Dodge Dakota. Chrysler’s chief, Sergio Marchionne said that the company is planning on a new Dakota pickup and that there is a “better than 50 percent chance that it will be a unibody.”

If this news does not arouse you in all of the right ways, consider this: the diesel might be working its way into the Jeep Wrangler too.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

Source: Inside Line

With the upcoming release of GMC’s remodeled Sierra and the Chevrolet Silverado pickups, GM is considering taking the opportunity to upgrade the models’ market positions.

Both the Sierra and the Silverado are scheduled to go on sale next year, giving the automaker plenty of time to adjust options and pricing, and change its marketing plans to work in the same fashion as was used to separate the GMC Terrain and Yukon from the Suburban, Equinox and Tahoe.

GM North America president Mark Reuss says “Right now, there is about a $500 difference on a brand basis between the two,” and notes that the Sierra would be given more standard equipment then the Silverado. Reuss still admits that “A pickup truck is a pickup truck,” and that only so much can be done to give each a distinct identity.

Options and packages should differ between the two pickups, and Reuss also added that some changes to features and access will be made that may have proven difficult otherwise.

- By: Alexandra Koken

Source: Automotive News

Ford recently gave us something that used to be Euro-only: the Fiesta, and it has been well received, but they will be pulling the Ranger. Due to this gap, Nissan seems to think that it will capture the Ranger’s sales: “We’re really the beneficiary of Ford pulling out of the segment,” says Al Castignetti, Nissan Division’s U.S. sales boss.

This begs the question though: how long will the alleged gravy train last for Nissan? The next Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon will be coming out soon, and what is the Toyota ‘Taco then, chopped liver?

Ford’s truck sales figures as this question as well: Nissan thinks they have a fighting chance in the more roomy compact pickup segment, but when Ford sold over 70,000 now-discontinued Rangers last year (28% more than 2010), nearly 50,000 more than the number of Nissan’s full-size pickup, the Titan, it seems implausible that Nissan will fill the gap.

They might be punching through with an aggressive ad campaign to bring awareness of the company’s truck division, but as we have seen with the Suzuki Kizashi (they only sold 5,000-6,000 of them last year), aggressive advertising is not everything. Only time will tell.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

Source: Automotive News

“We at Smart love pick-ups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable,” said Smart’s CEO, Dr. Annette Winkler. “With the Smart for-us a petrol station is no longer required!”

The Smart For-Us compact pickup is powered by a 55 kW magneto-electric motor, which gets its power from a 17.6 kWh lithium-ion battery back that is said to take a maximum of eight hours to fully recharge when depleted using a basic household socket or charging station.

Now, we’re not exactly sure where Smart plans to go with concept, especially since the demand for compact pickups have literally fallen off of the face of the Earth. But either way, Smart said that we could expect this electric powertrain to find its way into the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive in the spring of 2012.

All Photos Copyright © Omar Rana - egmCarTech.

- By: Chris Chin

With fuel economy regulations tightening, Ford automakers may have decided to swap out some of the materials it uses to build its F-150 full size pick up.

Currently, the F-150 averages 17mpg/city and 23mpg/hyway, but for 2016 this number has to hit a better mark. In order to do this, it is rumored that Ford will be looking to cut down on the 4685 lbs, which can end up close to 6500 after fluids, fuel and passengers. The 2014 F-Series, currently dubbed the “P552” could be replacing some of its steel body parts with aluminum.

“We know our customers, and it’s all about the truck being a tool and they want it to be more productive and more efficient,” said Doug Scott, Ford’s truck marketing manager to Wards Auto. “So we have to keep moving the needle if we want to be king of hill. We’re always looking at all the ways of doing that going forward and we have a great strategy.”

No comments have been made to confirm that the way they will be going forward will, in fact, be aluminum, however.

With many automakers doing just that, it still is a valid option for Ford, especially with GM leading the segment in weight-reduction.

- By: Alexandra Koken

Source: WardsAuto

FoMoCo banked on a huge gamble when it decided to offer a fuel-efficienct V6 EcoBoost for its Ford F-150 pickup but that gamble turned out to be success as the turbo V6 F-150 hit a milestone of 100,000 units so far this year. According to Doug Scott, marketing manager for the F-Series pickups, the last time FoMoCo sold that many V6 pickups was in 1985.

In the past couple of months in 2011, around 40 percent of F-150 shoppers have been paying an extra $895 for the 3.5 liter V6 turbocharged EcoBoost engine that promises V8 power and V6 fuel-efficiency.

Ford started selling the V6 EcoBoost in late February. Demand for the model forced Ford to increase production of the EcoBoost engine a couple of months ago.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit News

This past week, Ford produced its very last Ford Ranger Sport compact pick up model, 28 years after the its first rolled off the line.

Ford’s Twin Cities Assembly plant in St. Paul, Minnesota was responsible for building the pick up, and nothing else, along with its 880 employees.

Along with the Ranger, Ford’s Cologne V-6 is also retiring after 49 long years, with 25 million units produced. So far, the models’ predecessor will not be released in the U.S., leaving American consumers with the F-150 option for the segment.

Launched in 1983, the Ford Ranger spent the years from 1987 to 2005 as the U.S.’s best selling compact truck, with a total of 7 million made. Sales were on the decline after that, with only 55,364 units sold last year, compared to the 348,358 figure for 1999.

- By: Alexandra Koken

Here comes another Ford F-150 recall. The Dearborn automaker has announced that it is recalling 2011 model year F-150 vehicles built from Sept. 9, 2011 through Sept. 22, 2011. The recall also consists of F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 Heavy Duty models manufactured from Sept. 12, 2011 to Sept. 22, 2011. In total, the recall covers 16,091 units

The NHTSA said that the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 114, which is theft protection. Basically, the transmission can be shifted out of park without pressing the brake pedal due to a brake shift interlock switch problem.

“This will allow the operator to inadvertently shift the vehicle into gear without the brake pedal being depressed, increasing the risk of a crash or injury to a nearby pedestrian,” the NHTSA said.

FoMoCo will start notifying customers later this month. Dealers will inspect the brake shift interlock switch and replace the switch if necessary. Owners can contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.

- By: Omar Rana

The 2012 Ford F-150 has been named Motor Trend’s 2012 Truck of the Year.

While the new F-150 wasn’t significantly redesigned for the 2012 model year, Ford did revamp its engine lineup with the V6 EcoBoost powertrain.

Click here for more news on the Ford F-150.

“The EcoBoost is the obvious orange in the apple crate here,” Motor Trend said. “Ford’s throwing a gasoline direct-injection, twin-turbo-fed V-6 under the hood of a full-size truck is almost enough to knock the earth off its axis. What’s even more shocking is that an engine that looks like it would be at home mid-mounted in a sports car is actually better than any of the eight-piston offerings in maybe any company’s lineup.”

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Motor Trend

The ladies and gents over at Edmunds.com appear to be running out of sensible and conventional vehicle tests, so they pitted two leaf blowers against a Ford SVT Raptor and a Fiat 500. Though the clip they produced may be sensationalized a la the National Geographic Channel or History, there is a clear method to their madness: emissions. The seemingly off-the wall test yielded some very interesting results, which are detailed at 2:22 in the video.

The Raptor beat the Fiat and actually removed hydrocarbons that were in the air beforehand; the results thereafter were somewhat predictable: the four stroke leaf blower beat out the two stroke.

Once again, the test brings up a significant point: due to pretty stringent emissions controls even on the 411 bhp single cam V8 in the Raptor, the US is at no risk of turning into a massive, smog-veiled Los Angeles. Obviously LA has a few other factors such as a mountain range-induced inversion layer, but I think you catch my drift.

Check out the video after the jump.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

At the 2012 Detroit Auto Show next moth, Smart will be showing up with what future urban pickup could look like with the new Smart For-Us Concept. Of course, Smart isn’t thinking of catering this to the common construction worker but instead is catering to the ‘young and young-at-heart with active lives.’

“We at smart love pick-ups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable,” said smart CEO Dr. Annette Winkler. “With the smart for-us a petrol station is no longer required!”

While Smart doesn’t say exactly how large the cargo area is it does say that the Smart For-Us has ‘plenty of room for two people and space for two smart ebikes behind them’ The bed in the trunk also has a docking station for the ebikes that lets them charge as you drive.

Of course that may take away from your total range on the Smart For-Us since it comes with an electric-drive system cnosisting of a 55kQ magneto electric-motor making 75-horsepower and 98 lb-ft of torque. No word on range but top speed comes in at 74.5 mph.

We’ll have more pictures and details for you from Detroit.

- By: Omar Rana

The last time Jeep produced a pickup truck was in the 1980s and early 1990s. The Jeep Comanche was a pickup that was based off of the original and successful Jeep Cherokee. However, because of its slow sales and offerings from corporate partners Chrysler and Dodge (the Ram), Jeep axed the Comanche in 1992.

Over the years though, Jeep had introduced several concepts that echoed a Jeep pickup truck. But none of them took production form. All in all, their various concepts represented that Jeep has continually showed interest in producing a pickup truck.

This past week at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, Jeep’s CEO Mike Manley had further expressed that Jeep is still dedicated to making a pickup.

“If we were doing something like that, for it to be monetized properly, we’d likely partner it with another, equally appropriate, platform,” Manley said during Jeep’s press conference at the auto show while standing next to a Wrangler-based Gladiator pickup concept.

“I wouldn’t want to come to market with anything that wasn’t Jeep capable, no matter where we’d sell it,” Manley continued.

Though, much like the issue with the Comanche, Jeep’s corporate parents Chrysler and Dodge still have the much more established Ram lineup and when asked the question as to whether a Jeep pickup could clash with the Ram, Manley replied: “No matter what we do, it will have to play to our Jeep strengths and be different than anything Ram would do.”

So either way, Jeep wants to do a pickup but of course, as many have discovered through automobile history companies who offer similar products under different names don’t always go so well. Regardless, it would be interesting to see what Jeep comes up with, especially with Manley noting that the Wrangler is pegged for a full redesign in 2014.

- By: Chris Chin

Source: PickupTrucks.com

We’re coming to the close of 2011, just about the time when all of the Japanese automobile manufacturers predicted to be back on track after the tragic earthquake that struck and crippled the nation earlier this year. However, some of the aftereffects are still being felt as Nissan has just reported that they’re delaying the redesign of the full-sized Titan pickup truck until 2013.

“We will come out a little later now,” said Andy Palmer, Nissan Motor Co.’s executive vice president for vehicle planning and program management during the Los Angeles auto show. “I made the decision.”

And it seems that the Titan has been experiencing issues for a while as Nissan had decided to outsource the Titan to Chrysler, who agreed to build the Titan in Mexico. But after Chrysler’s bankruptcy in 2009, Nissan had to improvise and bring the project in-house.

No other details have been announced for the next generation Titan.

- By: Chris Chin

Source: AutoWeek

Last year, Ford rolled 7,085 Raptors off dealer’s lots, and sales have been growing since. Through October this year, 8,105 Raptors have been sold, leaving dealers with little inventory, as the pickup only spends about 16 days, on average, in showrooms.

Click here for more news on the Ford F-150 Raptor.

Ford originally debuted the Raptor with a price tag of $38,995.00 for 2010. For the 2011 model year, the automaker upgraded the standard motor to the popular 6.2-liter V8 that makes 411-hp, along with the SuperCrew Cab variant, causing prices to climb along with the demand. Sticker price for the 2012 F-150 SVT Raptor Super Cab start at $43,565, and $46,465 for the SuperCrew Cab.

To keep up with consumer interest, Ford has increased production for the 2012 model from two units per hour to three.

- By: Alexandra Koken

Source: Inside Line