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The 2014 St. Louis Auto Show

January 25, 2014 Featured, Transportation 6 Comments

At the 2014 St. Louis Auto Show, which continues 10am-10am today and 10am-5pm tomorrow (link), I saw a number of things that stood out to me: technology & trucks. Let’s start with trucks.

The new GMC Canyon pickup is made at GM's plant in the St. Louis suburb of Wentzville, MO
The new 2015 GMC Canyon pickup is made at GM’s plant in the St. Louis suburb of Wentzville, MO
Chevy has their version, the Colorado, also on display.
Chevy has their version, the Colorado, also on display. Only 4-door and extended cabs are offered in these two new pickups — no regular cab. A diesel engine will be offered for the 2016 model year.

The compact pickup segment has disappeared, only a few mid-size trucks remain. Ram and Ford have exited the market, for now.

A trading card I got at the Chevy display featuring their full size light duty truck for 1971
Front & back of a trading card I got at the Chevy display features their full size light duty truck for 1971. Click image for the Wikipedia article on this generation

This got me wondering how a midsize truck of today compares to a full size truck from 43 years ago so I prepared the chart below:

The base 4 cylinder in the Colorado is more powerful than the V-8 from 1971, cabs are bigger but beds are shorter
The base 4 cylinder in the Colorado is more powerful than the V-8 from 1971, cabs are bigger but beds are shorter. Click chart to see a Chevy YouTube video comparing the 1971 C10 to the 2014 Silverado

Downtown I see parking lots filled with the trucks of construction workers. For the most part the tools they need fit in the toolbox they have in back, few seem to be used for hauling material to/from job sites. Light duty trucks are a big seller every year because many people use them like cars.

Too soon to know if this new pair will cannibalize sales of Chevy/GMC’s full size trucks or take share from the Toyota Tacoma & Nissan Frontier. The diesel in 2016MY may get some buyers to downsize.

Speaking of diesel trucks…

Ram is now offering a diesel in a 1/2 ton truck. Ford, GM, Toyota, & Nissan don't offer a diesel in this segment -- yet.
Ram is now offering a diesel in a 1/2 ton truck. Ford, GM, Toyota, & Nissan don’t offer a diesel in this segment — yet.
The badge on the Ram diesel includes "Eco" to show it is trying to be less harmful to the environment.
The badge on the Ram diesel includes “Eco” to show it is trying to be less harmful to the environment.
Ram even offers toolboxes built into the sides of the bed, perfect for many,
Ram even offers toolboxes built into the sides of the bed, perfect for many,
In the EcoCity area Rockwood Summit High School is showing off their 1991 Dodge Ram diesel powered by biodiesel they make from waste cooking grease.
In the EcoCity area Rockwood Summit High School is showing off their 1991 Dodge Ram diesel powered by biodiesel they make from waste cooking grease. Click image for their Facebook page.
Back over at the GMC display we see the importance of fuel economy
Back over at the GMC display we see the importance of good fuel economy

These trucks, like most cars, are better equipped than even luxury cars of just 10-15 years ago. Sunroofs, heated leather seats, back up cameras, etc.

Remember back when cars had one cigarette lighter you’d take out to plug in a charger? We noticed many cars had multiple USB ports, including many in the rear as well. These days everyone seems to have a smartphone which means a family of four needs four USB ports to charge up on the road. Those in back can watch something on the entertainment system while their phone charges.

My fiancee looking at the technology in the back seat of the Hyundai Equus
My fiancé  looking at the technology in the back seat of the Hyundai Equus, far from their first $4,995 Excel
The Ram Promaster van is the twin of the Fist Ducato sold in Europe. Yes, a diesel is offered.
The Ram Promaster van is the twin of the Fist Ducato sold in Europe. Yes, a diesel is offered along with many configurations.

I’m glad to see the manufacturers are coming up with so many ways to increase fuel economy so they can meet increasingly stringent standards. The show runs today and tomorrow.

— Steve Patterson

 

Currently there are "6 comments" on this Article:

  1. JZ71 says:

    Went yesterday and saw all the pickup trucks Chevy, Ford, GMC and Ram had on display (unlike all the other manufacturers). In some ways, they’ve become the ultimate expression of masculinity, since SUV’s have been co-opted by soccer moms who don’t want to be seen driving a minivan! And while their MPG’s are getting better, there’s only so much you can do to beat the basic laws of physics, where it’s going to take more energy to move a large vehicle than a small one. Many people continue to have the mindset that bigger = safer and that we “need” to be prepared to haul multiple passengers, tow that boat or toy box and be able to haul a half ton of stuff for that home project. The reality, for many truck owners (me included – Toyota Tacoma), is that the truck is primarily a single-occupant vehicle, used mostly for commuting, that also makes a “statement”, that it’s not just a boring, anonymous sedan or economy car.

    But the other half of the equation is economics – what does better mpg costs, especially for a hybrid or a diesel? If I were in the market today, I could replace my 24 mpg Tacoma with a 48 mpg Prius V and cut my fuel costs in half. Unfortunately, the Prius V would cost at least $8,000 more, so besides higher personal property taxes, it would take going through 2,000 gallons of gas at $4 a gallon to break even! Even at 16,000 miles a year (way more than I drive), that would still be 6 years before I actually started “saving” any real money, assuming equal repair and insurance costs over 96,000 miles! My reality, with gas closer to $3 a gallon and averaging around 12,000 miles a year, would be a 10+ year payback . . . .

    And in your last photo, that would be Fiat, not Fist – auto correct or Freudian slip? If nothing else, it’s probably the ugliest thing at the show!

     
  2. JZ71 says:

    Ah, technology and cars – interesting topic. I think we’re at an interesting point in time, where we’re on the verge of seeing much better integration between the vehicle and our personal portable electronic devices (tablets and smart phones). Given the rapid rate of change in both software and hardware, it’s hard (for me, unlike my wife) to justify dropping an extra $2000 – $5000 on the various technology and entertainment packages currently being offered. She insisted on the technology package on her 2013 Nissan Altima, which includes touch-screen navigation. Turns out the 2014 update to the nav software costs $149 (with free shipping), which is more than a whole, separate Garmin or Tom Tom would cost! In the near future, I fully expect to see full connectivity, either by cable or bluetooth, between the vehicle and the portable device, with vehicle display(s) and controls being slaves, for many functions, like navigation, music, video, talking and, unfortunately, texting. And I’ve had (and have) 15-25 year old vehicles – it’s scary thinking about trying to “fix” 20 year old technology to keep a vehicle running – I’m looking at you, Ford and Cadillac!

     
  3. Chris Naffziger says:

    Very few people buy trucks for the storage capacity; for many people, it is a status symbol, an expression of their lifestyle. I’m not one of them. By the way, your fiance should only have one “e” on the end of it. 😉

     
  4. customer says:

    disappointed…no concept cars in sight…Mercedes didn’t even have any representation considering several new models are out.
    shouldn’t be called st Louis autoshow since one would compare it to the Detroit and Los angeles auto shows which are far more sophisticated,lightyears ahead

     
  5. Show-goer says:

    I was uninspired overall, with the exception of the 3 owners that were showing their own Tesla Model S’s. The new Cadillac ELR – $75k for a Volt with a Cadillac nameplate. The Ford Fusion Energi? 21 miles on electric – but I’m paying for the maintenance of 2 drivetrains. USB ports, heated cup holders, and cooled steering wheels seem so incremental compared to what cars could be.

     

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