BMW Exec: 'Never Say Never' About a Pickup Truck
A BMW pickup truck might not be as crazy of an idea as it was five years ago.
In 2011, BMW played an April Fools’ joke by releasing the above E92 M3-based pickup truck, but now the idea of a BMW truck isn’t entirely out of the question. Mercedes-Benz is planning to enter the segment with the GLT-Class, which means BMW will have to keep a close eye on the segment. And that’s exactly what BMW Australia’s managing director, Marc Werner, recently told Motoring in an interview: “We’re watching the space closely.”
It’s a bit of a departure from what BMW’s Asia, Pacific and South African chief, Hendrik von Kuenheim told Motoring last year, when he said the German automaker would “definitely not” built a pickup truck. But then again, BMW swore it would never build front-wheel-drive cars and there’s a few in the company’s lineup now, like the newly introduced 1 Series Sedan for the Chinese market.
SEE ALSO: Mercedes GLT Pickup Truck Spied Testing
Werner wasn’t optimistic about a BMW truck in the near future though, noting that Mercedes has an advantage producing commercial vehicles, trucks and vans. It’s also easier for competitor Audi to enter the segment thanks to the Volkswagen Amarok’s existence. BMW however, could potentially turn to Toyota, which it is co-developing a new sports car platform with.
There’s no arguing that the pickup truck segment is a strong one, and it’s likely that BMW will see how Mercedes-Benz fares first in the market before it invests into developing a BMW truck of its own, or finding a partner to create one.
[Source: Motoring]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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