Dodge is jumping on the bikini band wagon, but can you blame them? There’s no denying that sex sells, especially with most of the pickup truck crowd.

That’s why Ram pairing up with Sports Illustrated and releasing a teaser ad just makes sense. The 37-second spot features a slender woman clad in diving gear and a black bikini walking out of the ocean and pulling a cloth from a Ram pickup. Nearly all the footage focuses directly on the model. The ad actually cuts out before you see more than a silhouette, but it’s got us wondering what’s up the shirt sleeves over at the Ram division.

You can watch the video after the jump.

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At present, save from slight trim and equipment (such as the Denali trim package shown above) there really isn’t much to differentiate the GMC Sierra from it’s Chevy Silverado counterpart. However, that’s set to change.

During an interview in Detroit, Mark Reuss, GM’s North American President said that for the next generation of GM full-size pickups, due for launch as 2014 models, the plan is to move the Sierra more upmarket with a greater list of standard equipment, more distinctive sheetmetal and corresponding higher sticker prices; a similar strategy has so far proved quite successful for GMC’s line of SUVs.

Such a move finally sweeps away the last vestiges of badge-engineering at America’s biggest automaker, something the “old” General Motors was notoriously known for.

“I think you will see equipment and models attacked very differently,” Reuss declared. “If we are going to carry two brands, we are going to make them pay their way.”

[Source: Autoweek]

With the end of North American Ford Ranger production last month, Ford’s loss is reportedly Nissan‘s gain as the Japanese automaker ramps up marketing efforts on it’s mid-size Frontier pickup.

Even though the Ranger remained the top selling small pickup last year (70,832 bought in the US during 2011), Nissan’s Frontier also gained ground, posting an increase of some 28 percent, resulting in 51,700 finding owners.

Now that Ford has exited the segment, Al Castignetti, Nissan’s US Sales Supremo, sees a real opportunity for Nissan to re-assert its dominance in the smaller truck sector, the only true competitor on the horizon at present being Toyota’s Tacoma.

If that happens, it could almost be a return  to the 1970s when between them, Toyota and Nissan practically owned the US small truck market, the Domestics relying on “captive” import models from Isuzu and Mazda since they didn’t have their own at the time.

For Nissan, smaller trucks have always been a staple and unlike the now departed Ranger, the Frontier (internally coded D40) is a truly global truck, sold in other markets as the Navara where it has been consistently popular since its introduction in 2004 as an ’05 model.

That said, in the full-size segment, it’s a different story. Nissan’s Titan, now getting long in the tooth, failed to make the impact the automaker hoped for and last year, sold  less than 22,000 copies in the US; Ford by contrast, moved almost 585,000 F-Series trucks in the same period.

Part of the problem with the Titan, has been the lack of configurations and options compared with trucks like the F-Series, along with real credibility in the full-size segment.

However, given its expertise in smaller trucks, Nissan really has a chance, at least in the short term to reap the benefits of the Ranger’s departure, especially now that the Frontier, besides its global status, is an established player and increasingly profitable due to its longevity in the marketplace.

Even in the longer term, if tighter fuel economy standards lead to a surge in demand for smaller, more fuel efficient trucks, Nissan could also make significant gains; rumors of GM re-joining the segment as well as Scion potentially offering a pickup type vehicle, along with Jeep, indicate there is still life in smaller trucks.

In the meantime, Nissan will do what it can to keep interest in the existing Frontier. “We’ve got our dealers reinvigorated on the truck and got our marketing out there,” said Castignetti recently. “We’re having great success with it.”

[Source: Automotive News]

According to Chris Lee, a spokesman for General Motors, the automaker is planning a 21-week suspension at its assembly plants that build full-size trucks and SUVs, namely Fort Wayne Indiana, Flint, Michigan,  Arlington, Texas and Silao, Mexico.

The reason, is to allow time for the General to re-tool these facilities so they can switch over to the updated 2013 full-size pickups, of which production is scheduled to begin during the latter half of next year. The idle is slated to begin at the Fort Wayne plant in January, with a seven week idle schedule planned through October, while the Flint and Arlington facilities will start their idling process in June, with seven and five weeks planned through November and December respectively. As for the Silao facility that produces full-size trucks and SUVs, GM has said it will announce that plant’s idling schedule in the new year.

In preparation for the changeover and to ensure adequate supply for dealers, GM has been ramping up production of current Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra models, aiming for around 200,000 pickups inventory by the end of the year, giving dealers around 90 days supply of 2012 models.

[Source: The Detroit News]

There’s been quite a lot of talk over the last few years concerning the replacement for Nissan‘s venerable Titan full-size pickup.

After the plan to offer a Ram based vehicle went away, following Chrysler’s bankruptcy and subsequent restructuring, Nissan chose to go it alone when it came to a next generation big pickup, bringing the entire development and engineering process in-house.

However, those plans, which reportedly would have seen a revamped Titan rolled out in 2013, have now been pushed back at least a year, largely as a result of supplier fallout from Japan’s natural disaster back in March. This has left the automaker scrambling to get production back on track as a top priority, diverting resources away from some upcoming vehicle programs.

As a result, during a Q&A session with Automotive News at the LA Auto Show last month, Andy Palmer, Nissan’s vice president for vehicle planning and program management, stated that, regarding a new Titan, “we will come out a little later now. I have made the decision.”

As to what form the new Titan will take, or which powertrains it will offer, little is known at this time, though expect V6 and possibly V8 engines as well as extended and crew cab models. It’ll be also interesting to see if Nissan will attempt to target heavier-duty customers with this one (it’s Titan based NV van currently comes in 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton and 1-ton configurations).

Perhaps the most exciting addition to the new Titan, however, will be the addition of a Cummin’s sourced diesel engine.

[Source: Autoweek]

Today, the very last North American spec Ford Ranger pickup rolls off the Twin Cities assembly line, marking the end of the era for the once-popular compact pickup.

Like the Ford Crown Victoria earlier this year, the venerable Ranger has become one of Ford’s longest running models, having originally made its debut back in 1982 as an ’83 model. Yet like the Crown Vic, the Ranger has perhaps become a victim of several factors, including a lack of change, minimal marketing, shifting consumer tastes and ever more stringent safety and emissions standards.

Born in an era where compact pickup trucks were one of the fastest growing automotive segments in the US, the Ranger replaced the Mazda sourced Courier and proved hugely popular, consistently ranking among the top of the pack in terms of sales. It was extensively revamped for the 1993 model year and gained a Mazda counterpart in the shape of an enlarged B-Series for 1994. With both four-cylinder and V6 power, manual or automatic transmissions and two or four-wheel drive, the tough, attractively priced little Ranger and its twin proved shrewd buys for much of the 1990s. Yet despite an increasingly lack of change (save for mild facelifts), sales continued to grow during the decade, peaking in 1999 at some 348,358 units.

However, since then demand for Ford’s compact pickup and small trucks in general has been shrinking, rapidly. From 6 percent of the market back in 2000, small pickups represented just 2 percent of all North American vehicle sales last year, by which time  the B-Series had been dropped and Ford was shifting less than 60,000 Rangers annually.

Nonetheless, despite prosaic technology and almost a complete lack of promotion, those numbers aren’t bad, especially considering that in terms of price and fuel economy, a 2011 Ranger didn’t differ that much from an entry-level F-150.

Both dealers and customers say that the strategy to discontinue the Ranger and push remaining buyers towards the F-150 isn’t a particularly good one; especially as updated small trucks are being planned by Ford’s rivals, notably GM with its new Chevy Colorado and possible Jeep and Scion.

Like the Crown Vic, which essentially owned the fleet market, Ford’s decision to drop the Ranger will likely give a chance for competitors to make serious in roads in a segment that was dominated by the Blue Oval for years.

Not only that but with fuel economy and financial belt tightening on the radar for many Americans, the concept of an affordable, practical, cheap to maintain gas sipper (in terms of the real cost of motoring, the four-cylinder, five-speed Ranger remains one of the most economical vehicles on the road) is today, more relevant than ever.

Collectively this has resulted, not only in maintaining the one-fifty’s position as sales leader in the segment, but also in a truck that consistently stands apart from the herd.

This is something Motor Trend magazine duly noted, during it’s annual truck of the year test for 2012 models. When all was said and done, the F-150 scored a solid lead over rival contenders, including Nissan’s new full-size van, the NV, the Ram HD Laramie Longhorn and Toyota Tacoma.

And a big part of that had to do with the truck’s 3.5-liter twin turbo EcoBoost engine, which today, is accounting for around 40 percent of all F-150 sales in the US. Said Motor Trend‘s editor-in-chief Ed Loh of the EcoBoost. “It mastered every task we subjected it to, acing our instrumented tests at the proving grounds and swaying opinions during our real world evaluations.”

Upon the announcement of the 2012 MT Truck of the Year, Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the Americas remarked, We are proud to receive this award and even more pleased that our F-150 customers have additional validation of their top choice.”

Ford’s F-150 has previously garnered Motor Trend Truck of the Year honors in 1997, 2004, and 2009.

America’s most popular vehicle hasn’t gone unnoticed at the 2011 SEMA show, as Ford brought out a few customized concepts showing what tuners can do with the Ford F-Series pickup trucks.

First up is the 2011 Ford F-350 Super Duty by Superlift Suspensions, a show vehicle prepped in collaboration with Matchbox. Painted in an outrageous shade of orange, the truck features a 10-inch lift kit, 41 inch Interco IROK tires and all kinds of emergency lights, brush bars and other gear designed to resemble a Matchbox die-cast emergency vehicle. The truck is absolutely massive in a way that photographs simply can’t capture, but the effect is stunning.

Hulst Customs also showed off an F-350 Super Duty, though the aesthetic is very different from the Matchbox vehicle. Clad in a glossy black paint scheme with a silver hood and a custom stainless steel grille, the Hulst truck barely scrapes the ground, and is focused more on luxury than utility. Rear suicide doors with a Scissor Doors hinge kit allow access to an opulent, leather-and-wood lined interior while the gigantic alloys show that this truck is staying on the pavement at all times.

Also on display was an F-650 customized by Mobsteel, dubbed the “Hollow Point”. Said to be “a huge dose of pure gangster attitude”, the Hollow Point rides on 24″ rims and features a Caterpillar C7 engine and a 6-speed Allison transmission. PPG paint and a 2600 watt JL Audio System round out the whole package.

Gallery: Ford F-Series

Continuing with a look at some of the “themed” pickup trucks on display at this year’s SEMA show, we bring you the Toyota Oakley Surf Tacoma.

This one, as you might imagine was done in conjunction with famed surfing company Oakley and to quote Toyota’s official press release “has the ability to live at the beach and go anywhere in search of mega waves; from the coast of Baja to the cold water of Santa Cruz, California.”

Features include a purpose-built racking system for storing surfboards, bags and other equipment, plus a modified pickup bed with storage for wetsuits, plus an ice chest and barbeque grill. There’s even a retractable canopy so you and a few of your surfing friends can enjoy a cold drink and a hot meal in the shade, while a built in shower system means you can get rid of all that salt from wave riding before chowing down.

Inside, the cab boasts Wet Okole Hawaii seat covers with custom embroidery, plus Topstitch on the door panels, carpet and headliner. There’s also a thumping Kicker Audio system and of course a signature Oakely icon.

While the Tacoma’s stock V6 is a decently potent engine, for a SEMA show truck, a little excess was called for and Toyota engineers bolted on a supercharger kit from the company’s TRD parts catalog, resulting in 304 hp. Other performance mods include a Flowmaster free flowing stainless exhaust, plus suspension upgrades in the shape of an Icon Stage 3 lift kit; Billet front upper control arms, special coil over front springs and new leaf springs out back. Wheels are black finished Walker Evans 17 x 8-inch bead lock units mounted on BF Goodrich 285/75-17 all-terrain tires.

Outside, the truck is finished in menacing black with contrasting white Oakley graphics and logs, plus Vision X front driving lights, a custom front bumper incorporating a winch and under vehicle skid plates.

Once it’s duties at SEMA is over, the Oakley Surf Tacoma will begin a new lease of live, being taken to each and every Oakley Surfing competition in the land; not a bad idea by all accounts.

GALLERY: Oakley Surf Tacoma

It seems that pickup trucks with “rugged outdoors” themes are becoming increasingly popular. Ram has released the Outdoorsman and more recently the Mossy Oak Edition as production specialty trucks, while General Motors is now taking a stab with this, the Chevy Silverado HD based “Realtree.”

Unlike the Ram offerings, for now at least, the GM truck is purely a showpiece, built for this year’s SEMA show, however, it hints at what could possibly materialize down the road and certainly follows a similar theme to the Mossy Oak.

Standard kit on this SEMA show stopper, includes custom Champagne Metallic exterior paint emblazoned with Realtree graphics, while inside, one finds Dark Cocoa finished leather seating with Blaze Orange stitching and camouflage piping, plus a smattering of Realtree AP accents throughout the cabin. Retractable running boards provide easy entry/exit without compromising ground clearance.

In keeping with the rugged outdoors theme, the Realtree 4×4 rides on 35-inch off road tires and 18-inch wheels, plus boasts a custom rear cap for storing hunting and fishing gear, as well as one-off front bumper and winch, for dealing with sticky situations.

Naturally, a truck of this stature needs a torque monster under the hood to cope with the extremes mother nature can throw at mankind and the Realtree sports GM’s 6.6-liter Duramax Diesel rated at 397 horsepower and a whopping 765 lb-ft of torque, coupled to an Allison six-speed automatic transmission.

According to Tony Truelove, marketing manager for Chevy trucks the [Realtree] “is a celebration of the seven-year partnership between Chevrolet and Realtree Outfitters. It’s only natural to combine the dependable, long-lasting Silverado HD with Realtree, the best gear for the outdoors,” said Tony Truelove, marketing manager for Chevrolet pickups. “Like all great outdoor gear, the Silverado Realtree Concept is designed to get the job done and;  look sharp while doing it.”

At the annual Truck Rodeo in San Antonio, the Texas Auto Writer’s Association (TAWA), declared that of the 48 vehicles evaluated among 57 members, the 2012 Ford F-150 was most deserving of the prestigious “Truck of Texas” award for 2012.

In other categories, the Ford Edge was named best Crossover Utility Vehicle of Texas, while Ford’s EcoBoost direct injection/turbo technology, available in both vehicles was named best overall vehicle feature.

In addition, the entire Ford truck line was also named “Best in Texas” for the 12 consecutive year, in recognition of best-in-class durability and capability.

“Texan consumers put their trust in TAWA’s automotive journalists,” stated the association’s president Mike Herzing. “After lining up vehicles from major auto manufacturers, our members determined Ford simply had the best trucks and crossover.” He also went to say that “ the real winners here are Texas’ truck buyers. Ford delivers the trucks that fit their lifestyles.”

Ford’s President of the Americas, Mark Fields, added, “these awards validate what our customers have been telling us about our ‘Built Ford Tough’ F-150, and we are honored by their recognition of the strength of our truck lineup as well as our crossovers and EcoBoost engines.”

Chrysler has announced that it will expand its Ram trim levels for 2012, offering two new ones on the 2500 3/4 ton Power Wagon, plus a limited run “Mossy Oak” Edition as part of the 1500 1/2 ton lineup aimed at the hunting and fishing set.

Getting back to the Power Wagon, the two trim levels include a base ST, essentially a no frills version of the heavy-duty off road rig, that features a black painted grille and bumpers, single tone paint and available roof mounted clearance lights – a truck largely aimed primarily at the likes of mining contractors, forestry services and border security agencies (essentially fleet buyers who need some serious four-wheeling capability). Plus, Ram will also offer a luxo-lined Laramie trim (shown) that slots in above the existing Power Wagon (which will be called SLT).

Like other Laramie trimmed Ram trucks, the Power Wagon version sports all the creature comforts one could ask for, including a woodgrain dash, leather seats, dual zone air conditioning, premium sound system and on the outside, plenty of chrome gingerbread, including the grille, bumpers, exterior mirrors and door handles. The base Power Wagon ST has a MSRP of $42,620, the mid-range SLT, $46,560, while the new Laramie retails for $51,995.

Moving on to the Mossy Oak, this truck is designed to capitalize on the success of the Outdoorsman and indeed is based on this truck, adding special “Mossy Oak Breakup Infinity” camouflage on the pickup bed trim and tailgate, plus the dash and door panel inserts.

There’s also Mossy Oak logos on the head rests and on the rear quarter panels. Retailing for $39,910, the Mossy Oak Edition will be offered in a variety of exterior colors (including Black, Bright White, Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearl (all of these in either mono or two tone), plus Mineral Gray Metallic, Saddle Brown and Sagebrush monotone. However, it will only be offered as a crew cab rig with four-wheel drive.

According to Ram Division, the Mossy Oak Edition answers a need for a “premium” outdoor truck, since demographics supposedly indicate that 30 percent of all Ram 1500 buyers like to hunt, while 42 percent like to camp and 44 percent like to fish.

Obviously, with stats like that, the former sun belt urban cowboy buyers, who once snapped up two-tone Laramie 1500s by the bucket load, must have largely evaporated.

GALLERY: 2012 Ram Power Wagon Laramie