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Comment by voisin | Hacker News Reader

I wish the actual story was “US manufacturers announce line of small, Japanese style pickup trucks”

Importing adds friction both up front and for ongoing sourcing of parts and maintenance. Just give us some options for local pickup trucks utilizing existing repair facilities! Instead everyone bitches about truck drivers having such large vehicles, when that’s all that’s on offer here!

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RAM sells a small truck in Mexico called RAM 700 and it’s getting popular for work purposes (specially in urban areas). I have no idea why it’s not being sold in the US market.

https://www.motor1.com/news/447996/2021-ram-700-debut/

The US market never carries vehicles that executives don't think will sell well in the US market, or that may lower their brand's perceived value, or take money away from a hot-selling model... We always get the shit cars with the shit mileage and less functionality. Some of that is due to regulatory or trade issues, but mostly they just think it will cut into their sales of a more expensive car they already have here. Also, dealerships are bastards.

I knew it seemed familiar. It’s based on the fiat strada, a unibody based pickup that for the longest has been based on a modified fiat hatchback (fiat uno first, fiat Palio later, not sure about now, maybe the argos)

The closest us equivalent in the US may be a Hyundai Santa Cruz, which sells ok-ish, the Honda rigid line, which sells okish too, and the Ford Maverick which sells like hot cakes.

RAM, like Ford, had the reputation. A rebadged Fiat toro may do the trick.

Ford is doing the same with the C pick up truck. I often see Rangers with Mexican license plates around town since I live in south Texas. I think if Ford or Ram can sell $100k pickup trucks in Mexico they would in a heart beat.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2021/03/04/ford-quietly-begins-prod...

My understanding is US emission requirements scale with something like vehicle footprint.

Therefore, it's far easier to build a larger vehicle to meet the requirements.

> I have no idea why it’s not being sold in the US market.

Because they know they can sell bigger trucks for more money.

It's probably not possible due to the same safety standards that led to huge grilles and high beltlines in every new car.

Obama era emissions regs make it impossible for (new) small trucks to be economically feasible. The way the regulations work disproportionately punish small vehicles.

Wasn't the emission requirements raised for trucks too? How is it only affecting small vehicles?

it scales with vehicle volume, the larger the truck, the less strict the regulations become

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