Could Scion ignite the compact pickup class again?
I can't believe that I missed this story, but somehow the fact that Scion might be considering a foray into the compact pickup segment was lost on me. Sometimes I'm just stuck in la-la (horrible!) land I guess. Anyway, check out the rendering that I found at PickupTruck.com for the possible truck. A while back, Autoblog ran a story lamenting that the Ford Ranger seems to just be left to die on it's own, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. The hole exists because, like most other auto-segments in America, the "compact" pickups have all outgrown the "compact" class and are now called "midsize" trucks. Our earlier post about fuel efficient pickups reminded me that since Dodge created the midsize class with the Dakota, the S10 was replaced by the Colorado; the El Camino and Ranchero are long-gone; the Rabbit pickup is history... and the list goes on. So, will Scion pick up the slack?
I suppose the the Subaru Baja could slot into this class, but it too is a four-door design and has limited capabilities. Something tells me that the Scion proposal probably doesn't include hauling and towing duties among its design priorities either. Which would be a shame, I think, because there are still buyers out there for the Ranger, old design and all.
[Source: PickupTruck.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mark f 1:59PM (7/05/2007)
"I can't believe I missed it ..." sounds more appropriate for an item that is at most a few days old, not 2+ week old 'news' of Scion pickup speculation.
Delightful, another Autoblog writer who does not actually read Autoblog - and AutoblogGreen wonders periodically why almost no one bothers to comment on their articles. Duh. mf
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William Crabtree 6:39PM (7/06/2007)
I guess I am in the same boat. I am a Scion owner and enthusiast. I haven't even spent the time to look at or read any of the speculation about a Scion pickup.
Few things come to mind...
1. I used to really dig the mini-truck scene. I even got Mini Truckin' the magazine. I'm all about use less when you can. So maybe that is one reason I have always had a soft spot for mini-trucks. I just think people need to down size their vehicles. Nobody needs a F-350 turbo diesel just to haul a load of mulch once a year.
2. I agree that (especially after seeing the new Scion xD and 2nd gen xB) that Scion will go with something more catchy and cliquey (if thats a word!). I had hope that Scion would do one "sporty" car, one "gas sipper", and one sort of in between vehicle. Well..they threw that completely out the window. So I can see a pickup where it would have a bunch of techy features for more eye appeal than real world use. ..which is sad. I imagine there are some sane people that would rather get a mini-truck that could do the dirt hauling and trailer pulling over a giganto $20k+ truck.
I think that if Toyo stepped up and put a new, fresh, and usable mini-truck on the market it would sell like hot cakes. Again..it has to be a good value, something people want to look at, and able to do the work that people normally might use a truck for.
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blake 1:00PM (7/06/2007)
I'm a carpenter who yearns for a smaller sized pickup. I work for a company, so many materials are picked up either by our dedicated driver, or delivered to job sites by the lumber yard. Most of the people I work with have toyotas, a range of them, from 1984 to brand new 2007 tundras. I keep seeing the guy with the 1984 truck doing more actual carrying with it than the newer trucks. I want the safety and economy extras with newer engineering, but I can't stand the gas guzzling and giganticness. If this truck came out, I would seriously consider it, even though I am not really into the scion brand.
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