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One way or another, we’re going to see a Tata vehicle here in the United States. Whether or not it’s through the Jaguar/Land Rover brands or something actually wearing the Tata nameplate, India’s top vehicle builder is moving aggressively to become a world player. To that end, Tata Motors has entered into a new deal with Chrysler, LLC to develop an electric version of Tata’s Ace mini truck for sale in North America. Chrysler’s Global Electric Motorcars division (GEM) is working with Tata to import fully-assembled vehicles that meet all the appropriate U.S. regulations. The battery-operated Ace has successfully navigated the required safety tests, and they’re reportedly ready for production. Tata wants to eventually export up to 50,000 vehicles to the US, but they’ve pegged the goal for 2008 at 10,000 units. This is definitely the year to keep an eye on Tata.

[Source: Reuters]

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Jim Press thinks that there’s an emerging market for small, fuel efficient trucks. You know, the kind of trucks his former employer, Toyota, used to build. Press put in 37 years at Toyota, and he saw the evolution of the HiLux into the Tacoma, which is no longer the diminutive hauler it once was. Press owns a second home in Thailand, and observing how trucks are used in that country leads him to believe that there’s a worldwide need for a small, versatile pickup. Dodge’s Dakota saw its sales drop by one third between 2006 and 2007, and Press thinks that’s likely due to buyers shifting to crossovers.

There’s not a whole lot of incentive to buy a midsize truck right now – they cost nearly the same as an entry level full sizer, the mileage is only marginally better, and the size differential isn’t that great. We can recall two Dodge concept pickups of the recent past that we think buyers who miss the small pickup market might take a liking to. First, there’s the 2006 Dodge Rampage Concept, which packed a lot of utility in a small footprint. Then there’s the 2002 Dodge M80 Concept, one of the few Chrysler concepts that got a great reception but wasn’t produced. Put the M80 into production on a unibody platform with some unique powertrain options, Jim. Trust us, you won’t be sorry.

[Source: PickupTruck.com]

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A couple of spy shots have been circulating the web today, purportedly confirming that Volkswagen is indeed developing a pickup truck. The Toyota Hilux shaped mule is sporting registration plates from Brunswig, Germany, where most of VW’s test vehicles originate.

Thankfully, Mr. Levine over at PickupTruck.com has parsed out all the possibilities for the new V-dub and has come away with two separate speculations. The first is that Volkswagen is going to sell a rebadged Hilux as its own, something that it’s done in the past when it partnered with Toyota to produce the Hilux-based Taro from 1989 to 1994. The other possibility is that VW is using the Hilux body panels as camo, with an original platform underneath.

World Car Fans believes the latter and expects the truck to go on sale towards the end of 2009, initially in Europe and South American and powered by either a gasoline or diesel mill, with the possibility of VW introducing the pickup to buyers in the U.S. at a later date.

[Source: Pickuptruck.com]

Again with musical accompaniment from the Young Lords, Maximum Bob Lutz heralded the return of the El Camino Pontiac G8 Sport Truck to the U.S. market for the first time in over two decades. Joining Lutz to make the sales case for how wonderful the new G8 ST was Fifty Cent who the company claims is a loyal Pontiac owner. We’ve already heard all the specs on the new Ute, so we won’t bore you with them again here. Click to visit our previous post with all the deets. The platform is a longer wheelbase version of the one under the G8 sedan, and the suspension remains all-independent, although the rear end has been beefed up to provide some load carrying and towing capacity. This thing is no replacement for a Silverado in terms of capability, but for those that need to grab some bags of mulch from your local big box store or tow a pair of jet skis to the lake, the ST provides a much more car like ride and performance pretty close to the G8 GT sedan. The Sport Truck has the same 361-hp 6.0L V8 as the G8 sedan, along with the six-speed autobox through which 385 lb-ft of torque flow to the rear end. Sometime between now and late next year GM will announce what the real name of the ST, is but you can make your voice heard (whether anyone is actually listening is another story) at www.pontiac.com/namethiscar.
source:autoblog