With rising fuel prices and growing environmental concerns, most automakers are beginning to offer more compact cars, smaller engines, and crossover SUVs that are more like wagons and less like trucks. One segment that hasn’t seen too much downsizing so far is the pickup truck market. But that might be about to change, says Chrysler ’s Jim Press.
Earlier this month at a roundtable meeting with journalists, Mr. Press said he sees an emerging market for “very small, very fuel efficient” pickups, according to PickupTruck.com.
Press joined Chrysler in September 2007, after working for 37 years at Toyota . His former employer used the Detroit auto show this year to roll out the small A-BAT concept truck, while American automakers were busy launching their largest trucks — the 2009 Dodge Ram and 2009 Ford F-150.
In recent years, we can think of only one compact pickup from a Chrysler brand — the Dodge M80 Concept (pictured). If Mr. Press gets his way, might we see a vehicle like this produced in the coming years?
With Generals Motors expected to reveal a car-based GMC pickup concept early next month and an El Camino-like Pontiac model in March, we think Mr. Press is probably on to something.
