Chevy eyes Ford F-150 niche model success, including Raptor

A couple of weeks ago, Chevrolet rolled out its highfalutin' High Country trim (pictured above) for the 2014 Silverado, a clear indicator that parent General Motors is (finally) prepared to better acknowledge that America's full-size pickup segment is mushrooming in new and profitable ways. And Chevy isn't done expanding its new truck's portfolio, according to Edmunds – it's keeping a ready eye on Ford's successful strategy with its F-150, which has resulted in everything from a high-performance off-roader (SVT Raptor) to a co-branded lifestyle model (Harley-Davidson).

Edmunds quotes Chris Hilts, GM's manager of creative design for its full-size truck interiors as saying "... our leadership is very aware of not only the (Ford) Harley-Davidson pickup, but also the Raptor. There are a lot of halo vehicles at Ford. They do sell well and they do set a tone for the vehicle. We definitely are looking into that."

Although Edmunds doesn't say so, GM execs are probably keeping tabs on their Auburn Hills rival, too – Chrysler has done a pretty swift trade in locally minded co-branded pickups like its Ram 1500 Red Wings Edition, a package sold in Detroit-area dealers for fans of the city's NHL franchise. In fact, it's done well enough that the company is understood to be looking at other such opportunities. In addition, Chrysler also offers dealer-installed Ram Runner conversion kits to turn its 1500 pickup into a desert brawler, and it's said to be contemplating a high-performance production off-road model.

So, does all of this mean that we can look forward to a super Silverado Raptor rival? Well, we'd temper expectations on that one – Chevy doesn't have an in-house skunkworks to develop smaller-volume performance products like Ford's SVT or Chrysler's SRT, and we haven't seen any mules or prototypes to suggest such a model is in the works. Of course, with the High Country, GM has shown that it won't let GMC be the only brand to benefit from high-dollar 'statement' trucks anymore, so perhaps one could show up down the line. In the meantime, we wouldn't be surprised to see a co-branded truck or two.

Land Rover to offer 16 models by 2020

 by: George Kennedy

The Range Rover Evoque was a bold new direction for Land Rover that proved successful, but if reports are to be believed, it is only the beginning of an onslaught of new products. According to a report from Autocar, the brand associated with both opulent motoring and rugged off-road capability is embarking on a massive lineup expansion, with the goal of producing 600,000 vehicles annually and 22 million vehicles by 2020.

In order to accomplish this, a flurry of new modes are planned, including the expansion of the Freelander (LR2) lineup and the unveiling of a new Defender family. The former will include five-seat and seven seat models, while the Defender will also roll out five-seat and seven-seat editions, but also a crew-cab pickup model. Consider our interest piqued.

The Evoque family will also grow, including an Evoque XL, Evoque convertible, and a "baby Range Rover" that would slot underneath the Range Rover Sport. This amonts to a goal of expanding the Land Rover lineup to 16 new vehicles.

Jaguar/Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth has claimed "40 new JLR product launches in the next five years," according to the report. To accomplish this, JLR is throwing 2 billion pounds a year behind this expansion. Roughly 1.8 billion pounds will go to a new Chinese production facility capable of producing 130,000 vehicles per year. The strategic location of the plant can feed the Chinese and Russian markets, which have voiced a demand for more specialized, limited edition models.

This all may seem ambitious, and perhaps even present an overlapping of models. However, if the automotive marketplace has taught us anything in the last decade, it is that there really is no such thing as too many CUVs.

2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year Contender: Ford F-150

By: Frank Markus

Ford claims it sells more of its F-150 half-ton pickups to work and commercial customers than its competitors do, and Ford predicts this segment will grow to 45 percent of F-150 sales.

Toward that end, the new 2009 Ford F-150's fully boxed chassis is further fortified to provide best-in-class rigidity, payload capacity (up to 3030 pounds), and tow ratings (up to 11,300 pounds). As such, the new F-150 is well positioned to capture contractors migrating down-market out of Super Dutys to save money and gas (did we mention that a new six-speed automatic, a lighter, more aerodynamic cab, and other tweaks boost fuel economy by 12 percent with the 5.4-liter?).

Ford claims payload and towing numbers like that simply can't be had with a coil sprung rear axle, so it stuck with leafs but made them longer to smooth the ride and wider with new mounting hardware to improve lateral rigidity and roll control. Lateral grip of 0.70 g for both Fords bested all but the feathery base Dodge and Suzuki, and our rear-drive SXT scored the best stop at 133 feet from 60 mph (the three-ton Lariat needed 144 feet).

Status-conscious contractors will have eight F-150 models from which to choose (including the forthcoming SVT Raptor), which Detroit editor Todd Lassa reckons is "about four too many," adding, "If this Lariat is the third truck from the top, how much of a boudoir must the King Ranch and Platinum interiors be?" Judges praised the low noise levels and interior materials quality, though some found the design cartoonishly macho.

Still, handy features like the Tailgate Step, Box Side Step, a stowable bed-extender, and rear seats that fold up with one hand to reveal a broad, flat load floor help tally a strong superiority score. On the negative side of the ledger is Ford's aging all-V-8-engine lineup, which is composed of two- and three-valve 4.6-liters and a three-valve 5.4. SVT will bring a bigger 6.2 in the Raptor, and an EcoBoost V-6 is likely to join the lineup for folks who don't tow, but the diesel is on hold.

The base V-8 handily outruns and outhauls the V-6 Dodge, but sounds and feels strained doing so. Gearing that's a third shorter than the Dodge's kept our 5.4L 4x4 within 0.6 second of the big Dodge, but costs it at the pump, where both trucks averaged just 13.2 mpg over 500 miles of mixed driving. The new six-speed automatic features excellent tow/haul-mode programming (ordering downshifts with a tap of the brakes on downhill grades, holding lower gears, etc.), but in normal mode, it's lethargic to kick down, and there's no way to manually select the higher gears.

Both Fords tackled our off-road sand-loop with aplomb. The 4x4 transfer case engaged high-and low-range settings quickly and easily, with the message center confirming the shift was in process. We're disappointed, however, that there's no on-pavement AWD option as offered by Dodge and General Motors.

Will the 2009 Ford F-150 be crowned the 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year? Find out Tues, December 16.