Holy LUV wrote:
I can't understand why there is no longer a small truck sold in America. I would really like to bring a mid 2000s LUV up from Mexico, but I'm not sure if that would be allowed to come over. It's not just the trucks either. Look at the size of a 2014 Honda Civic as compared to a 1975 Civic.
You can thank crumple zones, side impact requirements, and 'pedestrian safety through vehicle design' for the generalized 'puffiness' you're describing. There are laws requiring cars to meet these standards even if it means a less-beautiful or less-efficient vehicle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumple_zonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_Impac ... ion_Systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian ... cle_designAfter satisfying these standards, and making sure the passengers still fit inside the vehicle, you are left with something about the size of a regular-cab tacoma [url]bit.ly/1pk5RJF[/url], or a colorado maybe? Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the tacoma is really the LUV's pillowy modern analogue.
Why Chevy does not compete with it in the US is a mystery to me. If I had to guess, I'd say that they are trying to avoid peeling any customers away from their larger-truck market. Most truck owners are pretty brand-sensitive so offering a smaller truck may only convince other
chevy buyers to get a smaller truck, instead of gaining market share from other small-truck manufacturers in the US.