You may be surprised to know that the best-selling vehicle in the US this year was not the highly-successful Camry Sedan, nor was it the CR-V crossover; it was in fact the Ford F-Series lineup of full-size trucks. We are witnessing a rise in the humble truck – from compact and mid-sized, full-sized and heavy-duty – these models have become a high priority in car manufacturer lineups. We take a look at some of this year’s spec changes and developments to set you up for the year ahead.
Chevrolet Colorado
Base price: $20,995 – $41,155
Body type: Pickup
2018 will bring a wide range of exterior colour choices for the Colorado, new convenience features including a push-button start. There is also rumour of a special edition with unique styling details. Three capable engines including 3.6L V6 and an off-road variant called the ZR2 are standard.
Nissan Titan
Base price: $31,000 – $57,000
Body type: Pickup
The 2018 model will see some sleek black exterior details including 20-inch black alloy wheels and three new colour options. The Titan now has a King cab model but this is one of the only changes from 2017. An anticipated V-6 has yet to be released.
Chevrolet Silverado
Base price: $29,380 – $56,370
Body type: Pickup
One of the most popular trucks today, the Silverado has received some further features including the eAssist variant and the LTZ trim. A rear-view camera is standard on all grades, and a 7.0 touchscreen comes standard on the WT Model.
Chevrolet Silverado HD
Base price: $35,255 – $59,610
Body type: Pickup
The 2018 model is equipped with rearview camera as standard, a 7inch touchscreen and a new grille design for the High Country and Z71 grades. A new generation is due soon and expected to be lighter and more powerful to compete with Ram and Ford.
Ford F-150
Base price: $28,675 – $65,240
Body type: Pickup
There are some major improvements to the Ford F-150, the best-selling pickup of the past 20 years. Now in it’s 40th year, the model will have a revised exterior, revamped engines with port and direct injection. A six-speed auto is paired with the base 3.3L and other engines get a 10-speed auto. We also expect some groundbreaking driver-assist tech too.
Ford Ranger
Base price: $21,000 – $35,000
Body type: Pickup
Don’t get too excited…there is still a little wait for the Ford Ranger, but the model is expected to return in 2019 after an eight year hiatus. The updated version of the compact/mid-size ranger might include a 2.5L naturally-aspirated engine, the F-150’s 3.3L V-6 and an EcoBoost four cylinder.
Ford Super Duty
Base price: $34,000 – $79.000
Body type: Pickup
Big changes in 2017 (a full redesign that led to aluminium bodywork), meant there are few changes carried over to 2018. The Super Duty on this model is stronger, lighter and more powerful than any previous generation.
GMC Canyon
Base price: $21,000 – $44,065
Body type: Pickup
Leather upholstery is now available on the All Terrain model. The Canyon comes standard with a 200-hp 2.5-liter I-4, but opt for the turbodiesel, and you’ll receive up to 30 mpg highway and impressive towing capability. An eight-speed auto is paired to the 3.6L V-6. Notable features include an 8.0-inch touchscreen with IntelliLink and an automatic locking rear axle.
GMC Sierra
Base price: $30,000 – $57,000
Body type: Pickup
This full-sized truck will feature some impressive driver assist tech including a 4G wifi hotspot and an 8inch touchscreen with IntelliLink. The truck is offered in base, SLE, SLT, and Denali trims and in regular, double and crew cab body styles.
GMC Sierra HD
Base price: $35,835 – $60,380
Body type: Pickup
Most of the GMC Sierra HD developments carry over from 2017, but GMC’s radio system and rearview camera are now standard. A tyre-fill alert is new and the Denali model gets a new grille design. The heavy-duty truck offers as much as 910lb of torque.
Honda Ridgeline
Base price: $30,570 – $44,060
Body type: Pickup
2018 will see nine trims for the Honda Ridgeline (up from 12) and the stunning Sport trim options will include White Diamond Pearl and Lunar Silver Metallic. Rumours continue about Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. The uni-body truck is powered by a 3.5L V-6 and tow up to 3,500 pounds in front-drive form or up to 5,000 with all-wheel drive.
Nissan Frontier
Base price: $20,000 – $34,000
Body type: Pickup
The Nissan Frontier has seen very few changes in the last few years but it holds its own as an affordable starter pickup. The next model should be based on the global Navara, adapted for the US market, in a joint venture with Mercedes Benz.
Nissan Titan XD
Base price: $33,500 – $65,000
Body type: Pickup
Nissan has released the ‘new-for-2018 Midnight Edition’ with sharp black exterior details.Apart from this the changes are minimal. A gas V-8 is standard, and a Cummins turbodiesel V-8 is optional.
Ram 1500
Base price: $28.500 – $61,000
Body type: Pickup
A new top-spec Laramie Limited Tungsten trim adds luxury to this half-ton pickup. Other changes include a standard rearview camera, a bed-mounted bed light switch, a fleet telematics module for tracking fleet vehicle efficiency, and a new Sport appearance upgrade. Leather is optional on the Rebel. The Uconnect 8.4 system gains Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, pinch-to-zoom functionality, and more.
Ram HD 2500/3500
Base price: $34,000 – $67,000
Body type: Pickup
Updates include a Limited Tungsten model. A rearview camera and bed-mounted bed light switch are standard. A Sport appearance upgrade is available, and like the 1500, it has an optional fleet telematics module. Also like in the 1500, the Uconnect 8.4 system gains Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility and other new features.
Toyota Tacoma
Base price: $25,500 – $42,000
Body type: Pickup
One of the few Toyotas without active safety features, the Tacoma might gain the Toyota Safety Sense-P active safety suite as standard to put it in line with the rest of the Toyota lineup. Expect the Tacoma to carry over with small updates such as new exterior colors and possibly additional tech and convenience features to make the truck more competitive in its segment.
Toyota Tundra
Base price: $31,500 – $51,500
Body type: Pickup
2018 will see the introduction of the TRD Sport trim and comes with 20-inch silver alloy wheels, LED headlights, a honeycomb-style grille, TRD Sport–tuned Bilstein shocks, and TRD front and rear anti-roll bars. The 4.6-liter and 5.7-liter V-8s paired to six-speed autos carry over.