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San Francisco: It seems that the rest of vehicle buying public is
now realizing what those in the construction, utility and agricultural industry have known
for years. The four-door pickup or crew cab combines the best features of a four-door
sedan and a pickup. Therefore, several automakers will be introducing light-duty four-door
pickups in 1999. Indeed, a new name has been coined for this new type of vehicle - the
"sport utility truck" or SUT - aimed at the buyer who wants both a SUV and a
pickup in a single vehicle.
Dodge was the first to
offer an extended cab with four doors. This was the full-size Ram Quad Cab, which debuted
in the fall of 1997. It was an instant success. Now Dodge has unveiled a Quad Cab version
of the smaller Dakota as a year 2000 model. Not only are the rear doors full-size, they
are hinged at the front rather than in "suicide" fashion like found on the
competition. Indeed, with the wider, split folding rear seats and up to six-passenger
capacity, this is essentially a crew cab. The Quad Cab features a cargo box that is over
five feet long. The Dakota Quad Cab will appear in dealers' showrooms in the fourth
quarter of 1999.
Also appearing this fall,
is a new Nissan four-door version of the Frontier. Actually, it is not really a new
development, but the introduction of a model sold in other countries that now will be
offered in the U.S. Four-door pickups are popular overseas especially in Australia and
South America since they can be used for both work and carrying the family.
Ford has already announced
its model year 2000 F-150 Crew Cab. Ford is also expanding its Explorer family with the
Explorer Sport Trac, basically an Explorer with a pickup box. From the C-pillar forward,
the Explorer Sport Trac is a five-passenger SUV. But, behind the rear passenger seat,
there is a cargo bed. The bed may remain open or can be closed with a lockable, foldable,
hard tonneau cover. Explorer Sport Trac will be available in 4x2 and 4x4 configurations
starting later in the year or early next year. It will feature a 204-horsepower, 4.0-liter
SOHC V-6 mated to an electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission.
With the popularity of
pickups, every dealer wants pickup models to sell -- even Lincoln dealers. Thus the reason
for the new Lincoln Blackwood, which is a pickup that combines the comforts of a luxury
four-door, four-passenger sedan, with the go anywhere capabilities of a SUV and the
convenience and versatility of a pickup. The Blackwood will be based on the popular
Lincoln Navigator SUV with a small cargo box behind the C-pillar. Ford has not announced
an introduction date or specifications, but undoubtedly it will be powered by the new
5.4-liter, 260-horsepower, DOHC V8 used in the Navigator. By Bill Siuru © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Lincoln Mercury Home Page
Byline: By Bill
Siuru © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Column Name: New Y2K Four-Door Pickups
Topic: Y2K Quad Cab Pickups
Word Count: 480
Photo Caption: 2000 Lincoln Blackwood
Photo Credits: Lincoln Mercury PR
Series #: 1999 - 15
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