Somebody needs to build a $10,000 mini-truck

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May 2, 2006 | 09:39 AM

#31

Eric Bryant

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Joined: Aug 2001

Posts: 2,400

From: Michigan's left coast

Re: Somebody needs to build a $10,000 mini-truck

Quote:

Originally Posted by 91_z28_4me

Or when the Truck Tariff from Thailand is pulled. The truck market would be wide open then.

Good call - I had forgotten all about that. If indeed that tariff goes away, it could be an entirely different truck market for all of the current players. The domestics and most Asian brands have truck manufacturing locations in Thailand, as - if I remember correctly - that country is currently the #2 builder of pickups in the world.

May 2, 2006 | 10:33 AM

#32

Ken S

Registered User

Joined: Jun 1999

Posts: 2,368

From: OR

Re: Somebody needs to build a $10,000 mini-truck

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr00jimbo

They're fun and can be versatile.

Some of the downsides you pointed out remind of the F-body, but those are fun as hell right?

LMAO!!!! Oh man, okay you got the 1up there. lol.

But at least the f-bod's got a sleek shape, RWD (instead of wrong wheel drive and actual performance to back it up.

This minitruck, I honestly see no joy in drivng it.. Maybe you can set it up to hustle through some turns, but I have a feeling a actual car that size would do better.

May 4, 2006 | 02:29 AM

#33

AlfredB18

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Joined: Dec 2005

Posts: 280

Re: Somebody needs to build a $10,000 mini-truck

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Bryant

Yea, but why bother? Both GM and Ford were advertising full-size trucks recently for around $18K.

After visiting Korea last year, I think that Hyundai or Kia could wrap this market up if they had the desire. However, the import tariff on trucks is still very steep (25%), and I don't see Hyundai/Kia trying to tackle something like this when there's bigger fish to fry in the US (like full-size RWD sedans).

HyundaiKia is building a US plant in Georgia...they might be a step ahead of you on this point. They already have one in 'Bama.

www.theallineed.com/news/0603/13071744.htm

Otherwise, I've seen new Rangers listed at ~9,000ish for stripper models in the newspaper. I believe you have to live with the fact that GM, among others, has priced themselves out of that market. Bigger was not better in this case of keepin' with the Joneses. Now, when the Ranger eventually becomes a spin-off of the new Exploder or becomes what is currently the Exploder Sport Trac, there may be no choice anyway.

With GM already having about 15 rebadges of everything they sell, or so it seems, I don't see a mini-SSR or some HHR knock-off coming to fruition. If they trim the fat really heavily, maybe, but I doubt that happens for quite a while.