#PickupTrucks

Since they both debuted updated heavy-duty pickups for the 2011 model year, Ford and General Motors have been locked in a battle for supremacy – who has the highest tow capacity ratings?

General Motors’ T800 series of full-size pickup trucks and SUVs, with specific reference to 1999-03 models of Chevy Silverado, Avalance, Suburban and Tahoe, as well as their GMC counterparts, Sierra and Yukon, have been subjected to an investigation regarding rusted brake lines.

Small pickups have virtually gone the way of the dinosaur when it comes to the manufacturers in North America, but on the used market, they’re still popular with younger buyers, many of whom modify and personalize them.

At the recent North American International Auto Show, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, during a round table discussion, said that the tools to bring a light duty Ram diesel pickup to market are there, it’s just a question if there’s enough demand for it.

With a planned debut at the Detroit Auto Show next week, GMC has released a new selection of photos of its overtly excessive Sierra All Terrain HD Concept. We first brought you coverage of this new truck several weeks back, but the new gallery of pics provides more angles and shows the big off-roader’s interior.

It seems that the desert racing  look is the next big thing when it comes to enthusiast trucks. Ford’s got the Raptor, now, Chrysler’s Ram truck brand is getting in the action with the Ram Runner package, which will become available from March on the brand’s 1500 1/2 ton pickups via Mopar (a display vehicle will be on hand at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit from January 15-23).

These vehicles make-up about 7 percent of the market in Brazil. Fiat, which is the largest volume brand there, is now going to offer a sports version of its Strada pick-up truck called the Sporting.

In a bid to meet strict 2016 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, the pickup truck segment might face the biggest challenge of all. While more efficient engines are part of the solution, automakers are increasingly looking at cutting weight as a way to improve overall fuel economy.

After completing a top secret 220 day orbital space trial mission, the US Air Force’s Boeing X-37B unmanned space craft landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Chrysler has announced that it is recalling a total of 76,122  2010-11 Ram Heavy Duty models equipped with the 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel engine, due to a fault with the brake lights.

Just prior to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia over the weekend, Motor Trend‘s Editor-in-Chief Angus MacKenzie, presented General Motors CEO Dan Akerson with the coveted truck of the year award, in reference to the 2011 Chevy Silverado HD.

Chevy will look to introduce a new high-end version of its popular Silverado pickup truck in a bid to compete with similar offerings from rivals at Ford and Ram. The new truck, which is rumored to wear the ‘Scottsdale’ badge, will sit above the LTZ model, which is the current top-trim offered by Chevy.

According to a well-known Mopar source, entries in Chrysler’s new car dealer ‘Star’ network show codes for impending diesel engine and hybrid-electric transmission options in Ram 1/2 ton pickups.

General Motors has announced that is recalling some 192,676 2004-11 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup regular and extended cab models (plus certain  2008-09 Isuzu i280/i370 trucks) fitted with 60/40 split front bench seats because of  tether issues for child seats.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently implemented a revised test procedure for it’s 5-star New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) vehicle safety rating system and now, has issued results conducted with four 2011 model year pickup trucks – the Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500,  Ram 1500 and Toyota Tacoma.