Isuzu has probably jump started the culture of lifestyle pickup trucks in India, making them desirable cars instead of barebone workhorses. In the early years of the industrial boom in the automobile sector, the automakers such as Chevrolet had launched the pickup trucks, but due to the lack of marketing, they could not really influence the people into buying the pickup trucks as a daily driver or a lifestyle vehicle. Pickups were solely made for towing and hauling. Isuzu, however, seeks to shed the image pickups have in India, and their offering, the Isuzu D-maxV-cross Pickup, has already started interfering with the sales of other premium cars in India.
If other manufacturers were to introduce pickup trucks as competition to the D-MaxV-cross, there could indeed be a lovely new segment of cars for Indian consumers to choose from. Here is our pick of the five best pickup trucks we would love to see in India, and which could give a tough competition to the Isuzu Pickup.
2019 RAM 1500
Dodge has launched its latest iteration of the RAM pickup truckwhich is lighter than the rivals and consequently has a better fuel economy and better performance. The curb weight of the pickup truck is 5541 pounds which is lesser than the average curb weight of the pickup trucks. The acceleration of the car is also uncompromised. It can reach from 0 mph to 60 mph within a span of 6.1 seconds.
The length of the car isn’t too much by US standards, but quite large in India(over 230 inches). It can produce a torque of up to 410 lb.-ft at 3950 rpm. This could be an extremely popular vehicle among motorsport enthusiasts in India, a lot of who would take to the Himalayas with their pickup.
2019 Honda Ridgeline
Honda Ridgeline is one of the most handsome looking pickup trucks on the roads. It is not only beautiful from the outside but even the interiors are comfortable and aesthetic with the high-quality materials used for the construction. The car comes with a quiet and a cozy cabin loaded with the infotainment features which can be a little confusing to use. It also comes with a long list of active safety features.
The high base price and the lower towing ratings are the drawbacks that should be considered. Still, Honda has had more success with its premium vehicles than its budget offerings, which have failed to gain much popularity.It’sthe cheapest offering, Honda Brio, has now halted production, with no replacement in the pipeline currently. Honda’s premium offerings, like the City, Accord, CR-V and the upcoming Civic, will be the ones holding Honda’s fort in India. Introduction of another lifestyle product might just help Honda catch the eye of the consumer.
2019 GMC Sierra 1500
This vehicle is known for the beastly huge looks, even though it is a light-duty pickup truck.Making its way into the international market after the complete redesign in 2018, the new model is quite a looker. The car has good interiors compared to the other pickup trucks. It also offers a smooth and comfortable ride if you plan on using it for your daily commute from one place to the other. Another important factor is the space inside the cabin. The seats are spacious and thus offer comfort during the ride. A user-friendly infotainment system also does justice to the price tag of the car.
The Sierra features a 258 horsepower V6 petrol engine with a fuel economy of 17 mpg in the US, which probably won’t make its way to India. Another sad detail, GM probably won’t introduce any product in India in the near future, owing to the failure of Chevrolet in India, making this vehicle more of a dream than a dream car.
2019 Toyota Tundra
Toyota Tundra has been on the road since the year 1999, following on the footsteps of the legendary Toyota Hilux pickup. The models are continuously redesigned in order to make them better in terms of performance and the comfort of the passengers. The car features a massive V8 engine for the right amount of power required.
Fuel economy is one of the drawbacks of the car, and cars with low-efficiency figures do not usually gain much traction in the Indian market. Even the trim levels are not much, thusproviding lesser engineoptions. The towing and the hauling ratings are also not as good as its rivals.
2019 Ford F-150
The car is the benchmark that all the interested people set. It is a class that is leading to the top of the towing and hauling capacity. The primary reason for the good towing ratings is the powerful engine in the chest of the car. Moreover, the car also offers spacious interiors with comfortable seats in the cabin. The infotainment features are limited but are easy to use.
This vehicle might not be as upscale as other luxury cars you could buy for the same money, but this is a great buy if you:
- Want something bigger than an SUV
- Need plenty of space
- Like to go off-road as well
Also, Ford F-150 is the best-selling Pickup truck in the United States, which probably is for a good reason. Personal opinion: would definitely buy one if it ever came to India.
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