VW trucks heading stateside?

The VW dealer in Halifax has a Caddy for a parts delivery vehicle, not sure what engine it has or what year it was.

NAFTA, you would think that would have eliminated the chicken tax on Mexico built trucks?

Canada is very close to signing a free trade deal with the EU, interesting to see what effect that would have on auto trade. Likely take 10 + years to kick in I am guessing.
Don

The car companies want to build pickups with 4 doors and lots of options and lots of profits.

The new Colorado is a good example of what they want to do in the "small" truck market- it is fairly large and heavy, still smaller than the full size pickups, but still large when it comes to parking them at the mall and parallel parking them. If the fuel economy and reliability is there, and the price is 10-15% lower than the Totota, etc., GM have a very good opportunity to fill a niche in the medium size trucks space. They'll probably screw it up though.

If you look at what is now selling in large numbers, its smaller "SUV" or small tall wagon vehicles based on a car chassis, like a smaller Tiguan. Why is that? In my opinion its utility (room for stuff), fuel economy, price, cost of ownership. Based on these units, maybe a move to a smaller pickup would fit and sell well. Something the size of the old 80's Nissans, Toyotas, S10"s.

The market for large pickups will continue for a long long time in North America but the Iphone/Samsung Galaxy/VW TDI crowd won't be buying them. That is likely the fastest growing demographic?

Hyundai and Kia, they seem to have the ability to move to market fast with new product at a good price and with substantially improving quality. Maybe thet'll come to market with a TDI pickup the right size.

Don

I know I really like my '00 Frontier. Hell of a lot easier to drive and park than the brodozer I got stuck driving for almost a year (NOT MINE, I had to drive a subordinate around because he got his driving privileges revoked and I didn't have a vehicle anyway)
I sure wouldn't mind a resurgence of the small truck market. I'm in the south, where everyone gets huge vehicles just because it's cool, and hang those truck nutz on them, and now that I'm out of an SUV and into a wagon I can't see a thing because of all the ultra-high vehicles around me!

From a US truck site review of the new Chev Colorado:

Nevertheless, an extended-cab 4x2 four-banger can be had for less than $30,000.

Way too expensive for a plain jane gas pickup.

Don

One of the advantages I see with the new Colorado, besides the Diesel engine next year, is that you can get the crew cab set up with a full sized bed. Probably make it harder to park, but at least your not penalized for wanting seating for five by only being able to get an unusable bed.

Now I see that as a disadvantage. Unless they make the version with the rear axle almost under the back of the cab, but then you couldn't carry anything heavy or it would become unstable. In the small p/u segment a crew cab is almost exclusivly a short bed or encroaches on the the full size segement.

Jason

And now Europe gets the Dacia Duster 4x4 Diesel!

http://m.autoblog.com/2014/10/10/da...al-photos/?post=1&icid=autoblog_river_article

Too small to be used as a "truck". The payload is nice to have but I'm not giving up my 6.5 foot bed.

Dacia's Duster is like VW's Saveira. It is a car with a "bucket" instead of a back seat. Unibody, with loading capacity of a hatchback.

There is no market for this little toy in North America.

A real pickup has a frame, onto which components like the cab, bucket, drivetrain (engine and suspended axles) are mounted. It doesn't have to be able to move a horse trailer or a HOUSE, but currently in NA, that seems to be what auto manufacturers think.

More reasonably, MOST non-commercial pickup buyers need to be able to haul bicycles, maybe a half-ton trailer load with a wave runner or two, a load of cement, 40-50 inch lawn mower or two and lawn care equipment, or a bass boat.

4 cylinder TDI engines are totally up to the task. V8's usually just suck excessive amounts of fuel and typically haul one stupid human and a bucket load of air, or sometimes tiny little loads like the ones I just described. They are usually in the way of everyone, and themselves.

dubStrom said:

4 cylinder TDI engines are totally up to the task.

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I find the 4 cyl gas engine in my Canyon to be adequate for most of what I've asked to do. If I've got more weight than motor can handle, then I also have more weight than the truck is built for. With the 5 speed manual, I can get about 25 mpg on the interstate with cruise set at 70.

kjclow said:

One of the advantages I see with the new Colorado, besides the Diesel engine next year, is that you can get the crew cab set up with a full sized bed. Probably make it harder to park, but at least your not penalized for wanting seating for five by only being able to get an unusable bed.

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The disadvantage will be when it doesn't come out next year.

SilverGhost said:

Now I see that as a disadvantage. Unless they make the version with the rear axle almost under the back of the cab, but then you couldn't carry anything heavy or it would become unstable. In the small p/u segment a crew cab is almost exclusivly a short bed or encroaches on the the full size segement.

Jason

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Why move the axle forward? From the GM/Chevy websites, it looks like the truck will have two wheel bases. One for both the standard extended cab and the crew cab with short box. The longer box adds 12 inches to the wheelbase and overall length.

Mike_04GolfTDI said:

The disadvantage will be when it doesn't come out next year.

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That chance is always there. However, I think with the success of the Ram 1500 diesel, GM will have to offer something.

Those Rams are very expensive, might as well buy the Cummins.

Don

I always see crew/long boxes as impractical anywhere except a job site. Forget a little more difficult, they are darn near impossible to park in the modern suburban environment. While the super short box that is wider than long is pointless, a full length box makes the truck nearly as much so if you drive into town(shopping center/mall, not gas stop).

As for the axle forward it makes maneuvering much easier, and in some cases, even possible. It works fine if you carry bulky, but not so well for overly heavy items. But if you regularly(who does anymore) carry a real load in the truck then it would be better to forgo the crew for an extra or regular cab.

I guess my point is why put up with the hassle for the rare occasion when you actually need both? And not necessarily at the same time. Better solution might be the shorter bed and a trailer for the occasional larger load.

Jason

I dunno . . . I drive a Ram 2500 crew cab with an 8' bed, and manage fine pretty much anywhere. I have only found one place that is really too tight for comfort in three years. Ironically, that's at Lockheed in Fort Worth, TX . . .they apparently resized thier parking for clown cars - it takes a three point turn to get around the ends of some of the lots! Malls and other public places, not a problem.

dubStrom said:

4 cylinder TDI engines are totally up to the task. V8's usually just suck excessive amounts of fuel and typically haul one stupid human and a bucket load of air, or sometimes tiny little loads like the ones I just described. They are usually in the way of everyone, and themselves.

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Actually, my Avalanche is far faster and more agile than my Jetta.

Sorry, not in the way.

I have a 11 and 13 foot kayak and use the truck almost every weekend as either a drop of vehicle or a pick up vehicle. Anything shorter than a 6.5 foot bed would mean that more than half of the kayak would not be supported. After looking at the length of the crew cab and long bed, the bigger issue I see is that there is no way that I'll ever get it into my garage.

Perfectreign said:

Actually, my Avalanche is far faster and more agile than my Jetta.
Sorry, not in the way.

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Not sure I would agree with the avalanche being more nimble, I agree that it was sure faster than my 2000 tdi beetle. Not sure how it would compare to either the JSW or the golf.

Most people with kayaks, I have seen, carried them on the roof. That includes Nissan Frontiers, ironically a crew cab short box.

On a related note the wife and I watched a lady making a 20 point turn backing her F150 Crew out of a Starbucks parking spot. And just about everyone with larger trucks(long bed crews, newer extra cab and full length beds, etc.) around here park at an angle across spots and either stick out too far or hang across the spot in front of them. This is not only here but just more prevalent, but it is where/why my opinion is formed.

If you need one then by all means. I'm not saying don't but if you need it. But it seems a lot of people over buy based on what they need once and a while.

Jason

I put my kayak in the hatch of my Golf. Inflatable baby!

SilverGhost said:

Most people with kayaks, I have seen, carried them on the roof. That includes Nissan Frontiers, ironically a crew cab short box.

On a related note the wife and I watched a lady making a 20 point turn backing her F150 Crew out of a Starbucks parking spot. And just about everyone with larger trucks(long bed crews, newer extra cab and full length beds, etc.) around here park at an angle across spots and either stick out too far or hang across the spot in front of them. This is not only here but just more prevalent, but it is where/why my opinion is formed.

If you need one then by all means. I'm not saying don't but if you need it. But it seems a lot of people over buy based on what they need once and a while.

Jason

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What gets me in addition to what you listed are those trailer hitches that stick out almost a foot into the drive area or across the sidewalk.

I have roof racks for both cars and a kayak trailer but lifting the kayaks onto the roofs is most as easy as it once was.

I can understand the lifting part. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a while back. It took both my wife and I to heave the two person kayak, that we borrowed, onto the roof rack of my Golf.

I did see a bike rack a few years ago that you put the bike on the carrier on the ground or near to, then swung the whole thing up onto the roof. No more fiddling with getting the bike in place and secured above your head. Wonder what happened to it and could it be applied to a kayak rack?

I don't have the oversized ball mount on my car but, after getting bumped in heavy traffic, I leave mine on to protect from inattentive drivers. A Volvo 740 wagon made a loud bang trying to squeeze in for a left turn free way on ramp. Not having a possible $1800 or so repair bill made keeping the ball mount worth it.

Jason

SilverGhost said:

I always see crew/long boxes as impractical anywhere except a job site. Forget a little more difficult, they are darn near impossible to park in the modern suburban environment. While the super short box that is wider than long is pointless, a full length box makes the truck nearly as much so if you drive into town(shopping center/mall, not gas stop).

As for the axle forward it makes maneuvering much easier, and in some cases, even possible. It works fine if you carry bulky, but not so well for overly heavy items. But if you regularly(who does anymore) carry a real load in the truck then it would be better to forgo the crew for an extra or regular cab.

I guess my point is why put up with the hassle for the rare occasion when you actually need both? And not necessarily at the same time. Better solution might be the shorter bed and a trailer for the occasional larger load.

Jason

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A truck without an 8' bed is not worth having....can't haul anything standard sized and you can't get any length in them either.

If I needed to buy a new one I would get standard cab or extended, the crew cab thing drives me nuts.

Crew cab trucks are now just the full sized car of the 80's. 1) Most owners do not use them on farm / work site / heavy work. 2) they usually have tonneau cover installed (aka trunk) 3) never seen a dirt road. That to me sounds like a large car albeit with 4wd.

Trucks are now an expensive proposition. They didn't use to be when they were less frilly than they are now but manufacturers figured out that average people (who don't need trucks - aka lady parking crew cab at star bucks 20 pt turn) wanted a truck so they started building them in numbers and at high prices.

I have a truck, a very old Chevy truck. I don't really like having it, it rarely gets driven and yet it still needs maintenance. I'd be happier without it until I needed to move something.

The truck buyer I like the least raises his NEW TRUCK a mile in the air, mashes the go pedal to hear the turbo and extends his obnoxious towing mirrors all the way out even when he's not towing anything.

SilverGhost said:

I can understand the lifting part. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a while back. It took both my wife and I to heave the two person kayak, that we borrowed, onto the roof rack of my Golf.

I did see a bike rack a few years ago that you put the bike on the carrier on the ground or near to, then swung the whole thing up onto the roof. No more fiddling with getting the bike in place and secured above your head. Wonder what happened to it and could it be applied to a kayak rack?

I don't have the oversized ball mount on my car but, after getting bumped in heavy traffic, I leave mine on to protect from inattentive drivers. A Volvo 740 wagon made a loud bang trying to squeeze in for a left turn free way on ramp. Not having a possible $1800 or so repair bill made keeping the ball mount worth it.

Jason

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Yakima and Thule both make a rack that loads to the side and then rotate on top. I have a roller for the end of the rack that also makes it easier to load.

Steve Addy said:

Trucks are now an expensive proposition. They didn't use to be when they were less frilly than they are now but manufacturers figured out that average people (who don't need trucks - aka lady parking crew cab at star bucks 20 pt turn) wanted a truck so they started building them in numbers and at high prices.

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THIS!!! This is why the Ranger is dead, and the S10, and the toyota pickups (hilux) and every single other small truck with few frills for people that need a pickup on occasion but dont need a behemoth like a mega-cab...

car manufacturers cut out the cheap base truck from the lineup and leave only fully loaded monster trucks for us lowly consumers to choose from on the lot. Even the current f150 seems massive compared to the f150 of my childhood (im 26 now).

maybe i was just ruined by terrible electronics in early 1990's cars but i DO NOT think that more electronic amenities make a car better or worth more, i think it makes every little switch and relay an expensive liability...

Remember that those big trucks are also big on profits. Helps keep the big 4 in money.

ferrari or tdi truck! Common!!!!

tdi truck!

Steve Addy said:

The truck buyer I like the least raises his NEW TRUCK a mile in the air, mashes the go pedal to hear the turbo and extends his obnoxious towing mirrors all the way out even when he's not towing anything.

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You forgot to mention the paddlewheel-style exhaust stack planted right in the middle of the 8-foot bed, ready to roll coal at a touch of the pedal....

Steve-o said:

You forgot to mention the paddlewheel-style exhaust stack planted right in the middle of the 8-foot bed, ready to roll coal at a touch of the pedal....

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Yes, I did forget that, there are several of those running around town here too.

Worse though is the coffee can sized exhaust tip angled out from behind the rear tire that blasts you with soot when they drive by you and punch it.