Pickup trucks are a hot market in North America. With SUVs and trucks increasing in their share of sales year over year, you’d expect to see more variety on the streets. But alas, there are still some models of trucks not sold in America.
There’s a world of trucks out there – specifically, small and midsize trucks – that we wish we could get in the United States. There are a lot of reasons why they aren’t available in the United States. But rest assured, if it made economic sense for the manufacturers, they would be on lots right now.
One of the biggest reasons is something called the “chicken tax.” Back in the ’60s, as a response to foreign tariffs on American chicken exports, the United States government slapped a hefty tariff on imported light trucks, among other things. So hefty, it isn’t cost effective for foreign auto manufacturers to bring their trucks over here.
Automakers could, in theory, manufacture these trucks in the United States to avoid the tariff, but again this doesn’t make much economic sense. Companies would have to build entirely new facilities, or completely overhaul their current plants, to produce these new trucks. Moreover, the profit margin is much thinner with small trucks compared to full-size pickups.
What’s more, why would they want to build something that American consumers just doesn’t have much taste for? But tastes could be changing, or auto makers are willing to test the waters at least. Ford, for one, has announced plans to bring back the compact Ford Ranger to the American market after being discontinued in 2011.
Who knows, maybe some of these other trucks not sold in America right now will get a shot one day. Until then, here’s a look at some of the other trucks available around the world.
This has been one of the most popular midsize trucks for nearly four decades. Known by many other names in the past including the well-known L200 name, the Triton is a rock-solid pickup and one of the largest personal vehicles on the roads in many foreign countries. It’s powered by a 2.4-liter turbo-diesel engine with 188 horsepower.
The engine might be a reason it’s not coming to the U.S., as buyers prefer gas. It could also be because of a 25 percent chicken tax if it were imported. But most importantly, the Triton or L200 won’t be coming because the Jeep Wrangler pickup is on its way.
The Toyota Hilux name has been around since 1968. It used to be available in the U.S. with an engine that made 84 to 109 horsepower, depending on the year. It morphed into the 4Runner and then was discontinued as a pickup when the Tacoma arrived in 1995, but the Hilux was never abandoned in other parts of the world.
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Today, the Toyota Hilux enjoys immense popularity around the globe. It looks sharp with available box stanchions and has basic but thorough hardcore off-roading packages available. And it no longer resembles the Tacoma.
From time to time, we hear the Volkswagen Amarok is coming to the U.S. Unlike most small pickups, the VW Amarok is a body-on-frame design, making it more capable than its competitors.
All but one of its six engine options worldwide burn diesel fuel, and the Amarok can be equipped minimally or like a high-end Audi, depending on where you live.
Like the Mitsubishi Triton, the Cold War-era chicken tax is a major factor in bringing the VW Amarok to the U.S. VW would need to build a plant in North America somewhere to make sales viable in this market, and who knows if that will ever happen.
You might’ve heard the Ford Ranger is making its North American return in 2019, and we’re so glad it is! But what you might not know is that it’s been in constant production in other places on the planet. It’s available all across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe. In fact, the Ford Ranger was even the best-selling pickup truck in Europe for 2015.
When it comes out for the 2019 model year in the U.S., the Ford Ranger will likely be a gas-powered truck with EcoBoost options. It’s a body-on-frame design too, and could be capable of towing up to 7,000 pounds. Along with the Jeep Wrangler pickup, it might be the most anticipated vehicle release of the year.
Just one year ago, Mercedes-Benz released their first pickup ever, the X-Class. It’s called the only luxury pickup but there are some high-level trim packages that could rival it. And while it’s built alongside Nissan and Renault, it’s distinctly German. You could picture yourself in a GLC-Class SUV and be pretty close.
It won’t be coming to North America, though, because the Germans don’t think we have a market for it. That’s kinda funny, isn’t it? Nowhere else in the world do they sell as many pickups. But maybe we don’t have a market for trucks that will never be used as a hauler.
Do you remember the Isuzu brand? Other than cargo trucks and cube vans, the Isuzu brand has been out of the U.S. since 2009. But they still make trucks, just not for sale here. The Isuzu D-Max is a wide-range pickup truck that’s sold in Australia, Europe and South America.
You won’t find the Isuzu D-Max truck here in the United States, but you’ll find something very similar. The D-Max pickup shares much of its composition with the Chevrolet Colorado.
The dreams of the El Camino and Ranchero live on down under. Car-based pickup trucks are certainly not all the rage in the U.S., but they still are in Australia. The deftly-named Holden Ute is one of them.
It looks like a midsize sedan up front and a small pickup truck bed in the back, resembling a nouveau El Camino.
The style isn’t all that impressive for the North American market, but what’s under the hood might pique some interest. It can be equipped with Chevy/Holden’s 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine with 408 horsepower.
It’s completely different than the luxury Land Cruiser you’ll find at the American Toyota dealership. The Land Cruiser pickup is styled much more utilitarian. It has a tall passenger cabin available in either two- or four-door variants. It’s rugged and has straight lines inside and out. The box could pass for that of a military truck in its rudimentary appearance. You can even opt for an air intake snorkel.
The Land Cruiser lineup is the top of Toyota’s price range. That means the Land Cruise Pickup would be the most expensive vehicle they would sell in North America. That doesn’t take into consideration that Toyota already has the Tundra and Tacoma pickups, which would take a hit if the Land Cruiser pickup made its way onto American roads.
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