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New York Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Trucks/Pickups, Pontiac

After more than two decades, the ghost of the El Camino has finally risen from the grave, at least for U.S. drivers. It never actually went away in Australia. Now that the Pontiac G8 has ushered in a new era of affordable rear-wheel-drive performance at General Motors, the car-based pickup truck, or Ute as they are called Down Under, is coming back. Rumors have been flying for months about a G8 Ute and GM even showed the GMC Denali XT concept at the Chicago Auto Show last month - a four-door ute with a two-mode hybrid power-train that may or may not see production.

What we will definitely see in showrooms late next year is the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck. The G8 Ute gets a 6-foot 2-inch long cargo bed behind its two-passenger cab. Compared to the sedan, the pickup has a four-inch longer wheelbase plus two more inches hanging behind the rear axle. The box that’s unified with the passenger compartment comes with a color matched soft tonneau cover to enclose the 42.7 cubic feet contained within the composite bed. That’s nearly double the volume of the late and unlamented Chevy SSR. The G8 can haul almost 1,100 lbs and tow 3,500 lbs, that latter figure also 1,000 lbs more than the SSR.

Trucks/Pickups, Mitsubishi

This week, Mitsubishi’s Brazilian operation announced the return of the L200 Savana (the model had been previously available). While it shares its name with the snazzy-looking L200/Triton sold in many other markets (including Brazil), the offroad-flavored Savana variant is based on the last-gen truck. While the ultra-1990s interior is indeed dated, the overall package is pretty bitchin’.

Power comes from an 2.5L SOHC turbodiesel making either 121hp/189 lb-ft or 141 hp/221 lb-ft. An “Easy Select” transfer case lets the driver choose between 4×2, 4×4H and 4×4L modes, and shifts come courtesy of a 5-speed manual. Other standard features include a strengthened chassis, snorkel, roof basket (220 lb capacity), and in-bed storage boxes. The Savana’s look is all-business, with charcoal wheel flares, bumpers, taillamp housings and grille trim. Knobby rubber adorns the 16-inch black-painted steelies and the headlight surrounds and hood scoop are finished in the primary body color. The spec sheet also tells us the L200 Savana has 9 inches of ground clearance, a 35-degree approach angle, and 26-degree departure angle.

All of this does not come cheap, mind you. Pricing starts at 86,990 Brazilian reais, or $50,255 USD if you were to do a direct currency conversion (for what it’s worth). The price is the only thing we don’t really like. The rest makes us wish we had a set of keys and a jungle nearby.

[Source: Mitsubishi Brazil via Autoblog Spanish]

Chicago Auto Show

That corner of an illustration we brought you of the 2008 Suzuki Equator is apparently for real, so we’ve decided to bring you the full monty. As previously reported, we’re going to see this Frontier-based Suzuki rolling off the assembly line this fall. So if you’re in the market for a likely cheaper, non-Nissan badged pickup truck with a Dave-worthy grille, this might be worth waiting for. We’ll be seeing this sucker for real at next week’s Chicago Auto Show.

Last year in Melbourne, Toyota showed off a TRD Hilux concept truck. At the time, we commented that the supercharged show truck looked pretty production ready, and thet Aussies would likely see the “concept” part of the name dropped in the future. Well, the future is now — or February, at least. That’s when Toyota Australia pulls the wraps off the production TRD Hilux, which gets the bodywork, wheels, and graphics you see here. Power numbers haven’t been released yet for its blown 4.0L V6, but you can expect something in the general neighborhood of 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft underhood, along with upgraded brakes and suspension. The Outback beckons…

[Source: Toyota]

Filed under: Minivans/MPVs, Commercial Trucks, Dodge

Chrysler has just released details on its commercial-grade Dodge Grand Caravan Cargo Van, which has tradesmen, small business owners, and other small fleet customers in its crosshairs (pun fully intended). Since it’s a work vehicle, the second and third row seats have been eliminated. This creates 143.8 cubic feet of storage capacity in back, and to keep it from getting instantly trashed, the cargo floor is covered with an industrial-grade material. The interior trim for the second- and third-row seating areas can also be deleted completely, as the working man’s Grand Caravan is designed to be a blank slate that upfitters can customize for role-specific duties.

The forward compartment is equipped with YES Essentials fabric seats, a decent stereo, the to-be-expected variety of cupholders, power outlets, and storage areas, and a rubberized floor capable of withstanding daily punishment. Powered by Chrysler’s 175-horsepower 3.3L flex-fuel V6, the Grand Caravan Cargo Van sports a 17/24 city/highway EPA rating. 16-inch steelies and a heavy-duty suspension are standard, and both the dual sliders and rear hatch are manually operated. While a panelized version isn’t currently offered, the existing rear glass is tinted dark for maximum privacy, so you’ll have to moosh your face right up against it to see what goodies your local bakery’s hauling back there.

[Source: Chrysler LLC]