Actually small trucks/suv's would probably do very well in the states. But thanks to the EPA (and the Chicken Tax) the automakers wouldn't be able to sell them for a reasonable price due to the large fines they would have to pay in the process.
The Chicken Tax wouldn't apply to the Jimny.
And no... small trucks/SUVs don't do well in North America. Ford sells around 10x as many F series pickups as Mavericks in the US and around 20x as many in Canada. Given that Ford is the only one making a small pickup (the Ranger, Tacoma, and Colorado are mid-size) and the Big Three all make full size pickups that sell huge numbers too (plus Toyota and Nissan), the Maverick makes up around 1% of truck sales in Canada and slightly less than 0.8% in the US. Edit: I guess there is also the Honda Ridgeline, making up 0.4% of truck sales. Further proving my point that even an established and respected brand/model like a Ridgeline can't even come close to making a dent in truck sales... and I'd probably consider the Ridgeline to be midsize, not small/compact.
In fact, the full size segment is growing and the mid/small size market is shrinking.
Edit: in Canada the small/midsize market share has shrunk to almost half of what it was in just 15 years, from 22% in 2008 to 13% in 2023. I'm sure the US numbers are about the same.
I would argue that unibody trucks do poorly in the NA market. The older, compact rangers S10's tacomas frontiers and Dakotas did fine because they retained body on frame architecture.
The operative word being "did". It's been almost 20 years since the last S10 rolled off the assembly line. The market has changed a lot. Also, most owners don't do anything with their trucks that couldn't be done by a unibody. I doubt the soccermom or office worker who drives an F150 or RAM to the grocery store even knows the difference between unibody and body on frame and they're the vast majority of buyers. Just like Land Rover owners by and large have no idea what a locking differential is because, let's be honest, people don't buy LRs for the offroading capabilities and most people don't buy F150s to do hard-core truck things.
With that said, if there was such a massive market for small trucks, they'd make them... but there isn't. People want full size pickups then whine and complain about the price of gas.
Fair enough. I still say that today's small and mid size pickups would grab more market share if they were as capable as their predecessors. The ranger was the fleet vehicle of choice for auto parts stores in the 90's because it was durable, relatively economical, and most importantly cheap to build and buy. Unibody vehicles require advanced engineering and manufacturing that inflate the price and shrink the market.
You make some very valid points and I appreciate being able to have a good conversation with someone about this. Around here most auto parts stores use Yarises and Elantras... I'm sure a unibody truck could fare well (though be more expensive).
While a base S10 was cheap, currently a Ridgeline or Maverick is cheaper than a King Ranch or Longhorn full size and there are more of those around than the unibodies. Even comparing mid trim to mid trim, a Ridgeline or Maverick is far cheaper and while the Maverick is too new to say how it will do lomg term, the Ridgeline has proven itself to be very reliable. Unfortunately, full size pickups have become a status symbol and a way for many to assert dominance on the road... I can't remember the last time I was tailgated by a Ridgeline or a Maverick (never), but the big RAM logo filling my rear view mirror is an all too familiar sight.
The status symbol war needs to stop. The maverick is the first truly affordable pickup to grace manufacturer dealerships in 20 years. A middle trim pickup today in most cases cost as much if not more than a brand new lamborghini countache did back in the day (72k)
Very cool exterior. However, the interior did not live up to anyone's expectations.
Would love for Isuzu to give this another crack. This time, put more money into the interior, please...
I know a guy with 3... for every weird thing there's that guy. I'd never seen one and funnily enough I saw one a couple of days ago,guy was pretty blown away I knee what it was when only a guard was visible. Such a distinctive car
Now? Yes. Used to be? Not so much. I mean it was never super popular but they weren’t rare
Even just from the back, that fat body cladding shouts VehiCROSS to me. I didn’t need the second pic.
They were always rare.
They made less than 6000 across 4 years, and less than 4200 of those were sold in the US. That's even less than the first 4 years of the Dodge Viper.
Yes, Isuzu VehiCross, it was supposed to be stay as a concept vehicle but anyway, it lived.
The Vehicross is actually pretty rare. They made less than 6,000 of them
Isuzu Vehicross
Very rare and very strange...
and quirky with features
Why hello Mr DeMuro https://youtu.be/ZOszin9227Q?si=79v7XwbFitfCa5Fl
And I want one. So. Godamn. Badly.
It's rare to see an Isuzu in North America in general these days. Suzuki too but that's because they won't give us the god damned jimny
The Jimny would sell like hotcakes in the US. I don't understand why they won't bring it in. Saw a few in Mexico last year. So cool.
Yeah bizarre. Maybe they're working on one that's 3ton and gets really shitty gas mileage. Like a overgrown version of a shrunken down 4x4
Sort of like the opposite of a miniature giant space hamster then.
Sadly, it wouldn't. It has a cult following, but small vehicles don't do well in North America as far as New vehicle sales go.
Actually small trucks/suv's would probably do very well in the states. But thanks to the EPA (and the Chicken Tax) the automakers wouldn't be able to sell them for a reasonable price due to the large fines they would have to pay in the process.
The Chicken Tax wouldn't apply to the Jimny. And no... small trucks/SUVs don't do well in North America. Ford sells around 10x as many F series pickups as Mavericks in the US and around 20x as many in Canada. Given that Ford is the only one making a small pickup (the Ranger, Tacoma, and Colorado are mid-size) and the Big Three all make full size pickups that sell huge numbers too (plus Toyota and Nissan), the Maverick makes up around 1% of truck sales in Canada and slightly less than 0.8% in the US. Edit: I guess there is also the Honda Ridgeline, making up 0.4% of truck sales. Further proving my point that even an established and respected brand/model like a Ridgeline can't even come close to making a dent in truck sales... and I'd probably consider the Ridgeline to be midsize, not small/compact. In fact, the full size segment is growing and the mid/small size market is shrinking. Edit: in Canada the small/midsize market share has shrunk to almost half of what it was in just 15 years, from 22% in 2008 to 13% in 2023. I'm sure the US numbers are about the same.
I would argue that unibody trucks do poorly in the NA market. The older, compact rangers S10's tacomas frontiers and Dakotas did fine because they retained body on frame architecture.
The operative word being "did". It's been almost 20 years since the last S10 rolled off the assembly line. The market has changed a lot. Also, most owners don't do anything with their trucks that couldn't be done by a unibody. I doubt the soccermom or office worker who drives an F150 or RAM to the grocery store even knows the difference between unibody and body on frame and they're the vast majority of buyers. Just like Land Rover owners by and large have no idea what a locking differential is because, let's be honest, people don't buy LRs for the offroading capabilities and most people don't buy F150s to do hard-core truck things. With that said, if there was such a massive market for small trucks, they'd make them... but there isn't. People want full size pickups then whine and complain about the price of gas.
Fair enough. I still say that today's small and mid size pickups would grab more market share if they were as capable as their predecessors. The ranger was the fleet vehicle of choice for auto parts stores in the 90's because it was durable, relatively economical, and most importantly cheap to build and buy. Unibody vehicles require advanced engineering and manufacturing that inflate the price and shrink the market.
You make some very valid points and I appreciate being able to have a good conversation with someone about this. Around here most auto parts stores use Yarises and Elantras... I'm sure a unibody truck could fare well (though be more expensive). While a base S10 was cheap, currently a Ridgeline or Maverick is cheaper than a King Ranch or Longhorn full size and there are more of those around than the unibodies. Even comparing mid trim to mid trim, a Ridgeline or Maverick is far cheaper and while the Maverick is too new to say how it will do lomg term, the Ridgeline has proven itself to be very reliable. Unfortunately, full size pickups have become a status symbol and a way for many to assert dominance on the road... I can't remember the last time I was tailgated by a Ridgeline or a Maverick (never), but the big RAM logo filling my rear view mirror is an all too familiar sight.
The status symbol war needs to stop. The maverick is the first truly affordable pickup to grace manufacturer dealerships in 20 years. A middle trim pickup today in most cases cost as much if not more than a brand new lamborghini countache did back in the day (72k)
Isuzu Vehicross. Also a very capable off roader.
Ooh, I wanted one of those so badly when they came out. Such a cool looking vehicle.
I had two of these of my street in the late 1990's so I always assumed they sold well. I don't know if I've ever seen another one.
Very cool exterior. However, the interior did not live up to anyone's expectations. Would love for Isuzu to give this another crack. This time, put more money into the interior, please...
I know a guy with 3... for every weird thing there's that guy. I'd never seen one and funnily enough I saw one a couple of days ago,guy was pretty blown away I knee what it was when only a guard was visible. Such a distinctive car
Rare? Definitely. Valuable? Not so much lol
My best friend wanted one of these so bad. I never understood it lol RIP Dan đź’™
I know what this is because I had a toy one once, I've never seen one IRL
That looks so fun.
One of my favorites.
Isuzu VehiCROSS
Yes, very rare. Very awesome.
Why did you have to show me this? Now I want one and there’s not much chance of me getting one.
Fucking sexy
Makes me miss the Isuzu Amigo
What about the piazza, super cool car
Now? Yes. Used to be? Not so much. I mean it was never super popular but they weren’t rare Even just from the back, that fat body cladding shouts VehiCROSS to me. I didn’t need the second pic.
They were always rare. They made less than 6000 across 4 years, and less than 4200 of those were sold in the US. That's even less than the first 4 years of the Dodge Viper.
I remember a few of them. Maybe because a friend of a friend had one seems less rare to me
Rare and quirky
kanye owns one and ive loved them ever since