Number One In Pickup Sales Per Capita? It's Not Who You Think

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

Well America may be the overall volume leader for pickup truck sales, the per-capita title belongs to Thailand, and they prefer a different flavor of truck as well.

Research for the Chrysler unibody truck story led to a Ward’s Auto report discussing the Thai pickup market. Buyers in the Asian country prefer double-cab midsize pickups, since they offer a good mix of both passenger and cargo space for families that must make do with one vehicle that must be versatile.

Chevrolet’s Colorado was developed in Thailand, and is built domestically, while Ford, Mazda, Isuzu, Nissan and Toyota all have their own truck nameplates. Patima Jeerapaet, president of the Thailand Automotive Institute, told Ward’s that double cab pickups alone account for 37 percent of Thai vehicle production.

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • El scotto El scotto on Jul 06, 2012

    GM has the Colorado/Canyon combo and that is good. Ford, especially Ford, and Chrysler executives should be locked in a room and forced to watch Barney and Sponge Bob videos until they bring small crew cab trucks to the US. Better yet, record the looks on their faces when VW or Fiat does it 1st. Tata diesel crew cabs? I'll believe it when the boat pulls into San Pedro.

    • See 1 previous
    • El scotto El scotto on Jul 06, 2012

      @84Cressida What's worse, I had Pinto in HS and drove K cars when I worked part time for a car rental agency. The Pinto had the durability and finesse of a tractor. I'd swear Chrysler sent guys to junkyards to drive stakes thru K car engines. I've driven much better cars since then.

  • 28-Cars-Later 28-Cars-Later on Jul 07, 2012

    "families that must make do with one vehicle that must be versatile." While this is a bit of common sense, I think the Thai are onto something here. The four door small pickup (with a real 4x4 transfer case) would probably be the most versatile family vehicle of all time. Load up a tourquey V6/I6 for towing and add cylinder deactivation for increased economy, and I think we have a winner.

  • TonyJZX TonyJZX on Jul 07, 2012

    there's a problem with these firstly they are relatively expensive... where i am you are talking $35,000 for a fairly basic model with 4 star ncap maybe $25,000 for a chinese one with no ncap they have horrible handling and lag in active safety gasoline ones drink too much as they are well over 4,000lb and have the aerodynamics of a brick diesel ones are ok but they dont usually have much of an auto option they are huge... although a step below an F150 they are still very big and you won't be doing anyone favours at the car park they have truck like interiors and finishing you usually sit bolt upright in the back the tub is usually not full size so basically its a compromise... you don't get a full tub and you don't get proper rear seat space ford/mazda and VW seek to address some of these complaints however i can't help but think maybe a monocoque truck with perhaps a space cab arrangement may also work... with passenger suicide doors like an rx8?

  • Niky Niky on Jul 10, 2012

    The ladder-frame keeps the prices down, and works better with heavy cargo. The newer pick-ups in this class have decent back seats. The back seat of the Mitsubishi Strada is actually as liveable as a Lancer, actually. My favorite of this bunch of Thai-made, Thai-market vehicles, though, is the discontinued Ford Ranger. A punchy, torquey three liter diesel with stump-pulling torque, an off-road worthy 4WD system and a rear LSD that provides hours of giggly fun in parking lots more than make up for the jiggly ride and horrible back seat.

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