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NEW YORK – The pickups have become so big that maybe it's time to do something small.
With booming sales and rising prices for trucks and trucks, automakers are now on the verge of reviving the compact van to determine where they can go before buyers n & # 39; Say more.
On Wednesday, at the New York Auto Show, the Toyota Yaris Adventure zoomed in on the screen at a press conference, featuring an unusual mix of body styles.
"A subcompact car and a van coming together to make one?" Toyota's general manager, Jack Hollis, said. "Honestly, with the incredible reaction that has taken place, maybe we should do it for real!"
He was joking.
But like many good sages, there is a little truth in there.
In this case, the truth is that many builders have brought back the long-lost pickup truck, which died earlier in the century as pickups grew and larger trucks tightened their grip on the market. heart of American motorists:
The VW Tarok pickup concept exhibited at the New York International Auto Show.
(Photo: Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY & # 39; HUI)
• Volkswagen brought a pickup concept called the Tarok at the New York Auto Show "to gauge the market's reaction in view of a truly versatile and compact entry-level pickup."
• Hyundai is planning a mashup of a pickup and a small SUV after introducing a concept called Santa Cruz at the 2015 Detroit auto show. The vehicle will arrive "a little later" That's in 2020, said Brian Smith, Hyundai's general manager, and has not yet an official name.
• Ford is planning a compact pickup in the US to accompany its recently revived Ranger, which was once considered a compact but has become a mid-size model.
Taken together, these efforts represent the next chapter of pickup wars in the auto industry. First quarter pickup truck sales increased by 30% over the same period in 2014, reaching 659,105 vehicles, according to the council website for Edmunds car purchase.
Scott Keogh, CEO of Volkswagen North America, told USA TODAY that it might be worthwhile to create a compact pickup like the Tarok offering the "versatility of a pickup" with a "good value for money, good energy efficiency "and good packaging.
"We see a lot of these planners wanting to go out, and it's a smart vehicle to do it," he said. "An optimist might say there is no market, so let's go ahead, let's invent it."
One of the reasons this might work: Full-size and midsize pickups have become increasingly expensive in recent years, as they have become more popular.
Americans pay an average of $ 49,713 for big pickups in 2019, up about 47% from $ 33,828 in 2009, according to Edmunds. And they pay $ 34,322 for medium-sized trucks, up 45% over the same period.
"Small trucks have a good selling proposition" for buyers who do not want to break their piggy banks, said Edmunds analyst Jessica Caldwell.
But she noted that mid-size vans like the Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma can be bought at a price much lower than the industry average. Thus, a compact van should do much more than compete on price.
"People still want the functions of a pickup truck, not an original concept," said Caldwell.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz SUV-pickup mix aims to find the right place. "This will appeal to people who do not necessarily consider themselves to be pick-up drivers, but who want the utility of having an open bed," said Hyundai Smith.
The pickups give Americans a sense of freedom, flexibility and fun. They have the feeling that they can carry everything and go anywhere. So anyone trying to make a compact pickup will have to pay tribute to this state of mind.
"People want to feel outside," said Stephanie Brinley, automotive analyst at IHS Markit. "There is a sense of freedom and escape that people want to have."
Consumers are known for their loyalty to the traditional Detroit Three brands, including the Ford F, Ram, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra series.
According to Cox Automotive, about 7 out of 10 large pickup buyers prefer national brands. But only 3 in 10 medium-sized buyers are looking for national brands.
"Large buyers are the most loyal in the industry," said Autotrader Analyst Michelle Krebs in an e-mail. "The smallest truck buyers are the least" loyal, which is a gateway for newcomers.
"Until now, automakers were not willing to pull the trigger," Brinley said. "We can be in this space and this moment when it starts to make more sense."
Not everyone is convinced that there is an opportunity for a compact competitor.
At Honda, the mid-size Ridgeline pickup truck won the North America Truck of the Year award in 2017. But Honda does not dream of becoming smaller.
"I do not think so," said Henio Arcangeli, Jr., general manager of Honda in the United States. "I think it's America and people like big things."
Read or share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2019/04/19/new-york-auto-show-compact-pickup-mounts-comeback/3505905002/
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