Ford, Chrysler Looking to Get Back in Small Pickup Market?

The Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, Ram 1500 and Toyota Tundra have all seen updates in the past year, but what about smaller pickups which are seen as more affordable and fuel efficient? Well, they may be on the way back to relevance.

Small pickups are a pretty tiny market segment right now, with the only offerings being the Toyota Tacoma and the Nissan Frontier. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that new small pickups from Chevrolet might spur further competition from Ford and Chrysler.

Indeed, General Motors is going to bring new small pickups to the US market with the new 2014 Chevy Colorado and 2014 GMC Canyon. This move will help more fuel conscious buyers, and help with GM’s corporate average fuel economy.

Ford has recently discussed the possibility of a truck to fit in below the F-150, a replacement for the old Ranger. Chrysler is also debating a replacement for its old Dakota pickup truck, perhaps on a more global scale selling in regions such as Asia and South America where smaller trucks are preferred.

SEE ALSO: Where Did the Compact Pickups Go?

Overall, small trucks need to be more compact (obviously) and more affordable than the half-tons. Before the Ranger and Dakota were discontinued, their growth in size and increasing price made buyers opt for the bigger vehicles like the Ram and F-150.

However, other market segments are seeing buyers flock to smaller vehicles. Toyota VP Bob Carter says that he anticipates small pickup interest will increase, especially with fuel prices increasing and more automakers getting into the fray.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

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