Truck Model Roundup Class 1-2
Torque War Continues For New '04 Models
Tom Berg
Equipment Editor
Pickup trucks have been hot in the automotive industry for years. Because they're highly useful and fun to drive, pickups sold well even during the recent recession, and manufacturers say that sales are now increasing at a healthy pace. New models, attractive features and ever-more-powerful engines keep buyers in the market. All the while, builders continue to play leapfrog — especially in horsepower and torque offerings.
The Big Three domestic builders of full-size pickups, recognizing that customers fully understand the propulsion value of pounds-feet, have waged a torque war with their modern diesels in the last several years. The Dodge division of DaimlerChrysler just fired the latest big-caliber round by announcing the Cummins "600" Turbodiesel, with 600 lbs.-ft. and 325 hp.
The Dodge-spec Cummins ISB was extensively reengineered in 2002, and its High Output version was rated at 305 hp and 555 lbs.-ft. The new HO 600's torque peak is 1,600 rpm — 200 rpm more than before — but 400 less than Ford's Power Stroke, which previously led with 565 lbs.-ft. at 2,000 rpm. The HO Cummins 600 is 50-state legal, so Dodge has dropped the Standard Output 250-hp version produced mostly for California.
General Motors almost simultaneously announced an uprating for its Duramax 6600 diesel, to 590 lbs.-ft. and 310 hp. Why not 600 lbs.-ft. or a little more, to match or beat Dodge? Because this is the best combination of power, economy and emissions performance right now, GM says.
When announced in 2000, GM's Duramax V-8 was the strongest light-truck diesel at 300 hp and 520 lbs.-ft. Dodge passed it in '02 with the HO Cummins, and within months Ford flew past both competitors with its 325/565 Power Stroke. Ford says it saw the latest Cummins HO coming and fully intends to remain "best in class" in engines. But it won't say how far its engineers and those at International Engine, which makes the 6-liter diesel V-8, will go to trump Dodge. Stay tuned.
About 90% of these diesels are sold with automatic transmissions, and builders say all are strong enough to take the engines' torque output. GM is using the Allison 1000 behind its DuraMax (and its 8100 gasoline V-8); Ford engineered a new TorqShift five-speed for the 6-liter Power Stroke; and a year ago Dodge has introduced a beefier 48RE 4-speed automatic for its Cummins TurboDiesel. These are also available with 6-speed manual transmissions, though there are few takers.
The diesel torque war is serious business: Ford and GM say two-thirds of their 3/4- and 1-ton pickups are sold with diesels; at GM it's one-half, and that should climb when it's able to increase Duramax production. Buyers are perfectly willing to pay a $5,000 premium for a diesel because they like the torque and power, and appreciate better fuel economy compared to gasoline engines.
Why Not Smaller Diesels?
With such enthusiasm for diesels out there, one would think they'd also make sense in 1/2-ton trucks. But none are offered, and if they're in the works, the builders aren't saying.
Several years ago, Ford seemed poised to drop a 4.5-liter V-6 version of the Power Stroke into the F-150 and Expedition SUV. International developed the engine, but Ford backed away from it, saying it couldn't make a "business case" for an expensive diesel in this truck class. Ford has extensive experience in Europe with small turbodiesels in cars and light trucks, and says it continues to evaluate their potential here.
International Truck is now preparing to use the V-6 in a lighter-duty version of its midrange 4000 series, and meanwhile is seeking military contracts to add volume to the program.
Aside from diesels, the Big Three have significantly improved their gasoline engines. For its new F-150 that was unveiled last summer, Ford extensively redesigned the 5.4 Triton V-8; it now has three valves per cylinder, variable cam timing, and special valves in the intake manifolds to modulate air flow based on engine speed.
In 2000, GM released an entirely new series of Vortec gasoline V-8s along with its new series Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras in 2000. The 4800, 5300 and 6000 replaced its 5700 — the venerable (though much-redesigned) 350-cubic-inch V-8 that traced its roots to the original 283-ci Chevy of 1955. GM also reworked and enlarged the old 7400 (454-ci) V-8 into the 8100; at 495 cubic inches, it's the second largest gas V-8 GM has ever built (there was once a 500-ci Cadillac V-8).
Dodge, meanwhile, is plugging its 345-ci Magnum Hemi V-8 in humorous TV commercials; they promote performance of the engine and mystique of the name, which originated with the early 1950s Chrysler/DeSoto/Dodge V-8s with their hemispherical combustion chambers. The current Hemi makes 345 hp and 375 lbs.-ft., and is offered in full-size pickups and the new, larger Durango SUV.
Alternative powertrains are also in the works. In the next few months, GM will build 500 pickups with "displacement on demand" V-8s for testing by fleets. Also called "variable displacement," the system's electronic controls shut off four cylinders when the engine's loafing, increasing fuel economy by 10 to 15%. The on-demand system is said to be far more sophisticated and reliable than Cadillac's mechanical "V-8-6-4" product of the early '80s. If successful, the on-demand system will be offered to consumers about a year from now.
Later this year, Dodge expects to offer its Contractor Special pickup, a 2500 with equipment to generate electric power for use at job sites. And Ford is working with Eaton on its Hydraulic Launch Assist, or HLA. It captures kinetic energy from braking and uses it to push the pickup into motion, reducing the need for engine power and saving fuel. Ford won't say when HLA might be offered.
Brand-New Models
The 2004 model year has brand-new entries from Ford and Nissan, and model expansions by others. Ford's new F-150 retains only one engine and little else from the previous model. Nissan's full-size Titan is just going into production, and is new from the wheels up; it shares the powertrain and forward portion of its cab with the Pathfinder Armada, a full-size sport-utility vehicle already on dealers' lots.
Toyota's 7/8-size Tundra now has a four-door crewcab version called the Double Cab. And General Motors has a 3500 model with single rear wheels (complementing the current dually) and a new 1500 crewcab with a short bed.
Ford's new F-150 boasts a stronger frame, larger cabs, more comfortable interiors, better ride and more power. Its styling resembles the Super Duty's and is more "truck-like" than the rounded contours of the previous 150.
The new truck is as vital to Ford's future as previous 150s were to its financial success. The 150 has long been the company's single most popular model — car or truck — while the F series in general (which includes all Super Duties up to the 550) has led industry sales for the past 27 years. The new F-150 is measurably better than the outgoing one, and should do fine against traditional and new competition.
Nissan is set to compete with its Titan, the company's first full-size product. Until now it made only compact pickups, so consumers quizzed during extensive pre-production research refused to believe that the Titan is a big truck, even when shown a full-scale mockup, marketers say. Anyone who looks at and drives a Titan will know that it's big, even compared to domestic full-size models.
The Titan will come as a four-door King or crew cab only; there is no regular cab because sales of those are shrinking, Nissan's research showed. The King has cleverly hinged rear doors that fold almost flat against the bed, allowing easy loading of parcels and other stuff in cramped parking lots. Beds can be ordered with a system of boxes, racks and tie-down rails, and can get a protective spray coating at the factory.
Titans get a new Endurance 5.6-liter V-8 with double overhead cams, 32 valves, aluminum block and heads and other modern features; it makes 305 hp and 379 lbs.-ft., but feels stronger than that to a driver.
Nissan builds Titans and Armadas in a new factory at Canton, Miss., while Toyota's Tundra Double Cab is assembled in a new plant in San Antonio, Texas (Tundra Regular and Access Cabs continue in production at Princeton, Ind.) Some components are imported, but most parts are domestically sourced. And the two companies are creating thousands of good-paying jobs for Americans. So these trucks are not "imports," and their Japanese-inspired quality should be tops.
However, even critics of the domestic manufacturers note that their quality scores have greatly improved in recent years. And Dodge, Ford and GM executives point out that no matter how good the new Nissans and Toyotas are, they're half-tonners, period. Only the Big Three have the depth and breadth of products to serve a wide variety of consumer and commercial customers.
A number of mini- and midsize pickups, which generally gross under 5,000 pounds, are work trucks. But most minis spend most of their time in personal use. So in this roundup we concentrate on full-size pickups in Class 1, with a cutoff of 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight and a payload (including passengers) of about 1,500 pounds; and Class 2, with payload of 1,500 to 2,500 pounds and GVWs up to 10,000 pounds.
Truck Roundup continued...
