Trucks that are #toptrending

With a growing number of youngsters craving them and more women open to driving them, pick-up trucks are gaining favour across demographics

In the early 20th century, pick-up trucks started off as workhorses with little creature comforts. In time, consumers began purchasing these flat-bed vehicles for lifestyle purposes as a way of projecting a 'rough and tough' image. And by the 90s, it was reported that only some 15 per cent used pick-ups for their utility. Today, in North America, the pick-up is mostly used for people-hauling and accounts for about 18 per cent of total vehicles sold. Believe it or not, the top three selling vehicles in that region are pick-up trucks, not Camrys or Accord sedans.
The popularity of these rolling billboards of machismo is growing in the Middle East too. Similarly, these buyers are neither farmers, engineers nor construction workers - just regular individuals looking for elevated road presence, who like to stream their 'Go anywhere, do anything' life on social media platforms like Instagram.
So, what is a pick-up truck and how did it come into being? A pick-up truck can generally be described as a light-duty vehicle with a truck chassis, an enclosed occupant cabin and, more importantly, an open-to-sky
cargo area with low-height side walls and a tailgate. Although the etymology of the term 'pick-up' is not clearly known, it was said to be used by automaker Studebaker, back in 1913. By the 1930s, 'pick-up' had become the standard term of reference.
In the early days of automobile manufacturing, it was common for vehicles to be sold not as a whole but as a chassis only, with third party manufacturers adding different bodies, depending on use. In 1913, the Galion Allsteel Body Company, an early producer of the pick-up and dump truck, built and installed cargo boxes on a slightly modified Ford Model T chassis - and later, in 1917, on the Model TT.
Dodge entered the fray in 1924 by introducing a 3/4-tonne pick-up with cab and body constructed entirely of wood. Ford
followed with a Model T-based, steel-bodied, half-tonne pick-up in 1925. Then, in 1931, Chevrolet produced its first factory-assembled pick-up. But by World War II, the US government halted the production of privately owned pick-up trucks.
Moving past the 40s and into the 50s, consumers began purchasing pick-ups for lifestyle rather than functional reasons, and so, visual appeal became critical. Car-like smooth-sided fenderless trucks were introduced and seen on the Chevrolet El Camino, the Dodge Sweptline and, in 1957, Ford's purpose-built Styleside. Pick-ups also began to feature comforts, like power options and air conditioning, and became more passenger-oriented, especially with the introduction of crew cabs - extended cabins - in the Toyota Stout and the 1962 Hino Briska. Dodge soon followed with a crew cab of its own in 1963, Ford in 1965, and General Motors in 1973.
In the US, the 1963 protectionist chicken tax distorted the light truck market in favour of American manufacturers, effectively "squeezing smaller Asian truck companies out of the American pick-up market". Over the next few years, Detroit rallied to protect the light-truck tariff, taking away the responsibility of producing less-polluting and fuel-efficient vehicles.
By 1973, the US government's Corporate Average Fuel Economy policy set higher fuel economy standards for cars than pick-ups. The relatively unrestricted emissions control in pick-up trucks helped them replace high-performance muscle cars. The gas guzzler tax, which taxed fuel-inefficient cars while exempting pick-up trucks, further drew the market in favour of pick-ups.
Today, pick-up trucks are dominating the sales pie in North America. Even in the Middle East, we see this segment of vehicles growing. The maturity of the segment also means there are a range of sizes, cabin-styles (such as Single Cab, Double Cab, Crew Cab etc), and powertrains (both petrol and diesel engines), making it a more feasible mode of transport. Let's take a look at some of our options in our region.

Ford F-Series
The Ford F-150 is the most talked-about pick-up truck and it's been America's best-selling vehicle for a while. The 2017 YM model has adopted aluminium body construction, dropping weight considerably for a truck that size and class, and can be powered by a choice of several naturally aspirated options or even a turbocharged 3.5-litre EcoBoost engine. It also comes with a 10-speed automatic, which is space-age technology for this class. But if you have aspirations of taking it off-road, we suggest the dune-bashing F-150 Raptor - which, with its unique decals, lift kit and off-road tyres, is ready to make an impression on- and off-road.
Starting Price: Dh139,000

Ram 1500
Previously known as the Dodge Ram 1500, the Ram 1500 is a towering wheeled beast, full of attitude. If the large emblem of a horned ram on the grille won't intimidate you, its sheer size surely will. Powered by an old school 5.7-litre V8 HEMI, it will make your trips to the malls quick and convenient, thanks to the abundance of space for those shopping bags. A truck it may be, but as far as refinement is concerned, it's top drawer!
Starting Price: Dh120,000

Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra twins
Completing the trio of US manufacturers is Chevrolet and their flag bearer-of-sorts, the Silverado. Its steel frame and build quality definitely echo the built 'Like a rock' slogan Chevy used in the 90s. The GMC Sierra is a rebadged luxury variant of the Silverado that sells in good numbers too. If that isn't emphatic enough, try the 3500 HD heavy duty variant - this is the one with four tyres on the rear axle for speculated load carriage duties - but we know they are there only to show off. The latter is powered by monster 6.6-litre Turbo-Diesel V8 and can tow over 10 tons.
Starting Price: Dh108,000

There are some others like the Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra, which are not available in this regional. However, there is a 2nd tier - as we call them - with an equally interesting set of vehicles like:

Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35
The base model D-Max makes a lesser-than-modest 78 bhp from its 2.5-litre diesel engine, which wins no votes. But there is a re-engineered version by tuner experts, Arctic Trucks, called D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35, that is creating a buzz in the region. It isn't the quickest off the line but handles the off-road bits quite well - and, more importantly, with all the extra props, it has rugged looks to go with those red tab jeans of yours.
Starting Price: Dh58,000;
Dh111,900 (Arctic Truck AT35)

Ford Ranger
A scaled down version of the mighty F-150, the Ranger is no compromise. In fact, it's been deemed as a more dynamic and purposeful vehicle by many - and may be all the truck you need. something you will learn when you try to park the F-150 in one of those tight parking spaces.
Starting Price: Dh115,000

Toyota Hilux
The Hilux, slants more towards its utilitarian roots, but it's more than a way to get around town for cheap. Given its new interior architecture, it's actually difficult to distinguish it from a sedan on the inside. It is available in a variety of cab style and drive wheels, front or all-wheel. You can even get the diesel engine that makes some 400 Nm of twist at the crank. Being a Toyota, this may be the more reliable alternative to the rest of the bunch.
Starting Price: Dh72,900

Nissan Navara
As stock, this is arguably the best-looking pick-up in the 2nd tier while, on the inside, it rivals its sibling: the Altima sedan. Mechanically, Nissan have given it the right credentials by lending it locking differentials and a limited slip differential. You can match it with a 6-speed manual or even, a rare 7-speed automatic. As for colours, you can choose from red, bronze and many others - which makes you think that this was definitely designed to be more than a workhorse.
Starting Price: Dh67,000

Nissan Patrol Pick-up Y61
Based on the Y61 Patrol SUV, which was - and still is - the halo car for the Middle East, it bears the same 280 bhp 4.8-litre V8 engine as the desert dueller sibling. Given its rugged reputation and mechanicals, this one will do the job and will demand respect from the off-road community too.
Starting Price: Dh117,000

Mitsubishi L200
The L200, takes Mitsubishi's slightly eccentric design into their pick-up segment. It is available either as double cab or single, and while it may not put out enough power, its turbo charged 2.5 diesel engine does make 343 Nm of torque - enough for your hauling duties. With low range gearing, you can take it for desert outings as well. While its interior may seem 'basic' and 'plastic', you have a host of exterior colours to choose from. Also, this one looks good when accessorised!
Starting Price: Dh53,000

There are plenty of Chinese and other South East Asian manufacturers that are making their way into the fold and are worth considering, like the Foton Tunland, Great Wall Wingle, ZNA Rich etc. Some of them may have interiors from the 80s and have the motivation of a household food processor, but you can't ignore their dirt-cheap retail price.
As observed, pick-up trucks are slowly but gradually gaining favour across demographics. And with a growing number of college students lusting after them and more women open to driving them, it may just be the vehicle of choice in the years to come.
Car Qs
My dad has booked a Porsche Cayenne Platinum edition for my mom but it looks too small and I am afraid that when we go out together as a family, he may opt to drive his current Land Cruiser over the Porsche. I'm sure that if we were buying a Range Rover Sport, he would surely opt to drive that around. However, my dad says it would be difficult for my mom to drive such a big car on her own; hence, the Porsche. I'd really rather go out in a new vehicle with the family, and I'm sure my mum can get used to the Range Rover soon enough. My question is: which do you think is the better choice here?
- Rizwan
Both the Porsche Cayenne and the Range Rover Sport are roughly the same size - space doesn't seem critical in this equation. While the Range Rover Sport does have an air of sophistication about it, the Cayenne has better build quality, residual value and offers equal or greater performance, depending on the trim. That said, the new and more manageable (size wise) RR Velar will be out later this year, so you might want to hang on to your cheque a tad longer!
wknd@khaleejtimes.com

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