Honda, Lincoln and Mitsubishi plan pickups
By Tom Strongman

DETROIT — Trucks are hot and keep getting hotter. Honda, Lincoln and Mitsubishi rolled out pickup truck concepts at the North American International Auto Show, and Toyota and gave us a peek at what the next-generation Tundra might be like.

Honda SUT Concept

It wasn’t all that long ago that executives at American Honda said they would never build a truck, but how times change. Honda debuted a sport-utility truck concept that reaches for a different segment of truck buyer. Based on a unibody chassis, the SUT is built for personal use rather than serious hauling. It has four doors, an SUV-style interior, a five-foot pickup bed and V-6 power. Target buyers are folks who haul camping gear, motorcycles, bicycles, ATVs or watercraft. It will be built in Canada on Honda’s global light truck platform.

The SUT is designed to meet the “changing tastes of a new generation of truck buyers,” said Tom Elliott, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co. “It takes this evolution to the next level with higher levels of refinement and sophistication in a sporty and socially responsible package,” he said.

The SUT Concept has chunky styling, as if it was machined from a solid piece of metal. Features such as a sunroof, speakers in the bed, independent suspension, side-curtain airbags with rollover sensors and all-wheel-drive set it apart from more mundane trucks.
The production version will introduced in 2005.

Mitsubishi Sport Truck Concept

Mitsubishi’s sport truck has its roots in the Dodge Dakota. It has V-8 power, body-on-frame construction and all-wheel drive, but the styling is what gives it the most distinction.
The cab-forward look is enhanced by monstrous wheels, muscular body forms and a windshield that wraps around the truck like the visor of a racing helmet.

Four doors open wide, giving easy access to the interior. The concept’s cabin features a rear seat that slides rearward into the bed. The rear window opens to become a windshield for the rear seat. This “jump seat” idea is clever, but not likely to make it into the production vehicle.

At the rear, the tailgate has four positions for carrying different loads. It even slides under the bed to provide convenient access to the cargo area.

Toyota FTX

Toyota’s next full-size Tundra will be big. The concept shown in Detroit is big, bold and beefy, with a grille that would make an 18-wheeler envious. The extended-cab concept clearly points the direction to the next truck, which will be built in an all-new plant in San Antonio. It has fenders that bulge like biceps in order to cover massive wheels. The bumpers look like aluminum girders. The interior is wild, with a huge console that sweeps through the center of the cabin and splits right and left. The design is too wild for production.

The FTX is a full-fledged body-on-frame, super-cab four-wheel-drive pickup truck. It has the interior room of a double cab, yet suicide doors open 90 degrees for easy entry.

“The FTX concept was developed to make a bold statement about Toyota's future full-size pickup truck plans," said Jim Press, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales. "It is a statement that promises the brute-power to match its bold styling and ample proportions. And it's a statement we mean to back up.”

The concept truck showcased a gas/electric powertrain with a V-8 engine, which is a good sign that a production version similarly equipped will follow.

Lincoln Mark LT

Lincoln’s first attempt at a pickup, the Blackwood, was not successful, partly because it did not offer four-wheel drive, and partly because the tiny, covered bed was not suitable for hauling anything bigger than a couple of suitcases.

So, Lincoln plans to try another truck, the Mark LT. Based on the new F-150, the Mark LT takes luxury to a new level. It will be available in two-wheel- and four-wheel-drive models, with four full-size doors and a 5.5-foot pickup bed.

The concept’s interior had yards of soft, supple leather punctuated with aluminum trim. It was as plush as a Navigator and almost as spacious.

The engine is a 300-horsepower, 5.4-liter V-8 capable of carrying 1,620 pounds or towing 8,900 pounds.

The production version goes on sale in early 2005.

To get in touch with Tom Strongman, send e-mail to tom@tomstrongman.com.