A pickup truck is a light truck with an open-top rear cargo area. Many pickups have short rigid sides and an opening rear gate, while others have a flat tray back.
Nissan officially revealed the details of the 2009 Frontier mid-size pickup, a model that receive numerous refinements for the new model year. The new Frontier is scheduled to arrive at Nissan dealerships nationwide in mid-July 2008.
The 2009 Nissan Frontier, a no-compromise pickup forged with premium hardware, extraordinary power and off-road athleticism, continues to be a leader in the mid-size truck segment. Improving its already impressive packaging, the 2009 Frontier gets updated with a new front fascia, grille and headlight design and new 16-inch and 18-inch wheels.
Additionally, a new PRO-4X off-road model is added, along with new Frontier Crew Cab LE/PRO-4X Value Truck Packages (VTP) that offer an array of popular optional equipment at a greater value than if purchased separately. Other enhancements include a new center radio and HVAC stack (V6 models), new seat cloth for LE models and two new exterior colors – Red Brick and Navy Blue.
The 2009 Frontier will be offered in King Cab and Crew Cab body styles and in 4x2 and 4x4 driveline configurations. Under the hood there will be a 4.0-liter DOHC V6 engine that delivers 261 hp and a peak torque of 281 lb-ft. The Frontier King Cab 4x2 model will use a 2.5-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine, with 152 hp and 171 lb-ft.
The BBC’s best automotive journal, Top Gear, has a problem with proper German sports saloons built for businessmen and that is that they are all just too similar. So that is why Richard Hammond decided to introduce a pair of very special GM cars from Australia. First up was the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst Edition. Aside from being the most popular track on the V8 Super car calendar, it is also a blindingly fast version of what we here in America have come to know as the Pontiac G8. The Bathurst comes complete with a set of racing stripes on the hood and a supercharger underneath it. The VXR8 wears some very race inspired bodywork to go along with the 560 HP and the bargain £44,995 price tag.
Top Speed had the pleasure of trying out a greener option for that other necessary item in any weekend racers garage, a work truck. Sure its nice to have a classic Ferrari or a an all out race car in your garage, but what good are they if you cannot get them to an appropriate environment. That is where our GMC Sierra 2WD Hybrid Crew Cab comes into play, this pick up can haul up to 6,100 pounds of trailer and seat six individuals inside the cab. Aside from the nice touches like the 18 inch chrome rims and larger than life front grill, the Sierra Hybrid has the benefit of being an alternatively fueled vehicle.
The full sized trucks 2-Mode Hybrid/Electric power train is tuned to get as much as 21 MPH when driving around town, impressive for any vehicle that weighs over 5,000 pounds. Don’t let the size discourage you, the Sierra Hybrid is easy to drive and the power adjustable front seat allows the driver to find the perfect vantage point.
The truck uses a combination of an electric module and a 6.0 Liter Chevrolet small block to make 332 HP, but you most likely won’t have to use much of those ponies, we found ourselves driving the Sierra around on electric only power most of the time, negating the need for any of the eight pistons. It was nice to know that they were there when we needed them like when passing on the highway or pulling a heavy load. One thing was for certain, the GMC Sierra Hybrid is working hard to give trucks a good name again.
No it will not be called Robust! Volkswagen has chosen for their new pick-up the Amarok name. It comes from the language of the Inuit, who live in northern Canada and Greenland, and means wolf. The Inuit, one of the Eskimo peoples, regard the wolf as the king of the wilderness, an impressive figure due its strength, robustness, endurance and superiority.
It will be launched as a double-cab pickup with four-wheel drive. The single-cab version will be available at a later date. The pickup features not only state-of-the-art, robust engineering but also efficient engines and current Volkswagen styling.
The new pick-up will be launched first in South America and Central America in Spring 2010, followed by Russia and Europe as well as Africa and Australia.
We here at Top Speed like the Kia Soul for its fresh boxcar styling, loads of creature comforts and its energetic fun to drive attitude. So, any vehicle that has the ability to take all those things we find attractive and turn up the volume, is something we are looking forward to. Revealed back in January at the North American International Auto Show, the Kia Soul’ster did all those things and while it was just a concept back then, it could soon become a production vehicle appearing as early as the second half of 2010.
The reactions at the Detroit Auto Show were very positive, but at the time, the Korean automaker refused to reveal any information about the vehicle’s possible mass production. If the Soul’ster does make it into production, we can’t wait to have to have an open air, Jeep inspired Soul in the Top Speed test fleet.
What exactly does the high-performance R/T badge mean. In the 1960’s on musclecars like the Dodge Coronet it meant Rapid Transit, I’ve also heard that it meant Real Trouble for anyone who would dare to challenge any Mopar at the strip or at a streetlight. In the 1990’s with the birth of the Viper it meant Racing Technology. But today on our 2010 Dodge Ram Sport, the R/T badge stands Road/Track, and although I couldn’t imagine any Chrysler Engineers clocking a Nurburgring time I’m sure the new coil spring rear suspension should be up to the job. One thing is for sure; the restyled aggressive exterior would be right at home in any NASCAR paddock Full story
Toyota announced prices for the facelift version Tundra and Sequoia. The prices for Tundra will range between $22,960 for the Regular Cab 4x2 standard bed with a V6 engine and equipped with a Work Truck Package to $42,155 for the CrewMax Limited 4x4 with a 5.7-liter V8 engine.
Prices for Sequoia will range from $38,530 for the SR5 4x2 with a new 4.6-liter V8 engine to $58,905 for the Platinum 4x4 with a 5.7-liter V8.
Ford revealed prices for the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor. The new pick-up will go on sale this summer and prices will start from $38,995 for the 5.4-liter V-8 version and from $41,995 for the 6.2-liter V-8 Raptor.
Customers can choose from three additional packages: luxury package ($1,950) with 10-way power leather heated front seats, power adjustable pedals and a Sony audio system; exterior graphics package ($1,075) with "digital mud" decal; and the interior accent package ($395) with orange seat inserts and orange mesh trim on the dashboard and doors.
The last thing anyone would expect on a site called TopSpeed is a UPS truck, but this truly a special delivery. A German team rebuilt a seventeen-year-old package truck into a racer for the Essen Motor Show back in November.
Watch as the team not only swaps out the old four-cylinder engine for a 425 hp V8, but they also added a new rear axle, big brakes, Koni shocks, new springs and upgraded tires.
The only question now is what service brought all those parts to their doorstep?
Ford will unveil at the Geneva Motor Show the facelift version of its Ranger pick-up. This helps the design come in line with the Kuga SUV. NOTE: Ford makes two trucks called Ranger one for North America and one for Europe; this is the latter.
The new Ranger comes with a large horizontal three-bar grille, two black vertical nostrils either side of the grille plus the extended opening below the bumperline and large headlamps that wrap around each front corner create an instantly recognizable design statement. The lower bumper fascia also includes integrated foglamps.
Under the hood Ford placed two engines: either 2.5-litre or 3.0-litre. The 2,5 liters one delivers 140 hp and has CO2 emission figures of 227 g/km and 244 g/km respectively in 4x2 and 4x4 configurations and regular cab bodystyle. The 3.0 liters one delivers 154 hp.