For much of last year and into this, the pick-up sector provided a glimmer of light in an overall market that seemed to have entered a spiral of steady, if gentle, decline.
Its buoyancy was also in stark contrast to crashing sales in the niche 4×4 sector, which had started to look like the basket case of the LCV industry.
In 2017 pick-up sales were up by 7.8% to 51,415 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), in an overall market that declined by 3.6%.
Sales of 4×4 LCVs with pick-ups taken out of the equation, however, plummeted by 90% to a paltry 443 for the full year.
But as we neared the halfway point of 2018, the market complexion had changed with sales of pick-ups starting to flag whereas the 4×4 segment had bounced back. Taking May as a snapshot month, 4×4 registrations shot up by 675% to 217 units, compared to the same month a year earlier when only 28 examples found homes.
Niche or not, the big guns are involved in the sector: Ford, VW and Renault market all-wheel drive derivatives of their respective Transit, Crafter and Master large vans, Mercedes has recently introduced a 4×4 version of its new Sprinter, and MAN has joined the fray with a 4×4 derivative of its TGE.
Toyota’s Land Cruiser Commercial
Toyota unveiled a Land Cruiser Commercial at the CV Show, which is available in short-wheelbase three-door or long-wheelbase five-door guises.
It has a 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel and manual transmission.
Mitsubishi is in on the act too with a commercial version of the Shogun Sport. It offers a load area of around 1.5m3 and is able to tow up to 3,100kg thanks to a 181hp 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine. All in all, a good turn-out then, for the late Land Rover Defender’s wake.
Meanwhile, back with pick-ups, in a move that will further boost its Fullback, Fiat
Professional has joined forces with Checkatrade, the 29,000-strong directory of recommended tradespeople, in a new scheme to make its range of commercial vehicles available to its members at discounted prices.
As the pick-up market diversifies it seems to be progressing on two contrasting fronts: extreme off-roading and on-road sophistication. The former is illustrated by Nissan offering an extreme version of the Navara: the AT32, built in conjunction with Arctic Trucks, which is famous for its bespoke conversions so popular in Iceland and all points north. The vehicle has a raised ride height on 32in tyres, substantial underside protection, and 20mm more ground clearance than the standard Navara. Isuzu and Toyota also sell AT versions of their D-Max and Hilux pick-ups, respectively.
At the other end of the scale Merc has joined VW in offering a six-cylinder diesel permanent four-wheel drive pick-up in the shape of the latest X-Class; the X 350 d 4Matic. Boasting a seven-speed auto transmission to cope with 258hp and 550Nm of torque it claims 0-60mph in 7.9secs and 31.3mpg overall.
Not to be outdone, VW has given its six-cylinder diesel, eight-speed pick-up a boost – quite literally. The Amarok’s 3.0-litre V6 engine now also produces 258hp, with an additional 14hp in ‘overboost’, and generates 580Nm of torque.
Timeline
Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial May 2018
Ssangyong Musso July 2018
Mitsubishi Shogun Sport Commercial July 2018
Mercedes X-Class V6 350 August 2018
VW Amarok V6 258hp September 2018
LDV T60 Mid 2019
