Automakers envision milder, sleeker pickups - USA TODAY
Automakers envision milder, sleeker pickups After years of seeing Detroit's Big 3 automakers compete to make the most aggressive-appearing pickup trucks, a backlash may be afoot. Mercedes-Benz released a drawing this week of a midsize pickup truck that Check out this story on USATODAY. ly/1FIIQeo After years of seeing Detroit's Big 3 automakers compete to make the most aggressive-appearing pickup trucks, a backlash may be afoot. Mercedes-Benz released a drawing this week of a midsize pickup truck that it plans to build with Nissan that is distinctly sleek in its appearance, more like a crossover SUV, than a typical muscle-bound pickup. South Korea's Hyundai showed the Santa Cruz pickup at Detroit's big auto show in January. That truck was aimed more at families who haul flower pots instead of construction workers who fill their truck beds with gravel. The Mercedes is built off a rugged Nissan pickup meant for the rutted roads. When it comes to sleeker pickups, the two would appear to be going in the direction of Honda's Ridgeline. The next version of the pickup truck comes next year. "There exists a segment of buyer who can benefit from the capability a pickup truck has to offer, but don't need the sold axle body-on-frame," says Honda spokesman Sage Marie. Source: www.usatoday.com
