Thanks to, now not so recent mid-size pickup truck market revival, we now have a larger selection of upcoming pickups to look forward to. 2017 model year in particular, will be full of prospects – both in mentioned compact market, and in full-size niche alike. There are no less than eight new arrivals, and some manufacturers like Ford are set to boost their truck portfolio with no less than three fresh options. Others are doing it one at a time, and some are only getting started with the game. Furthermore, we couldn’t have left out the unassuming trio of compact pickups we’ll mention in a bonus section. They likely won’t make their appearance in the US market – at least not straight from the get-go anyway. They are coming from the most unlikely of sources though, that we simply had to add them as honorable mentions.
2017 Ford F-150 – second gen 3.5L EcoBoost V6 and 10-speed automatic transmission
Since Blue Oval’s models amount for most of our list here, it’s only fitting we start with one of their upcoming pickups. Thirteenth generation F-150 is still rather fresh, so no major design changes are expected for 2017. What is about to change, however, are some powertrain choices. Second generation 3.5L EcoBoost V6 might be of the same displacement and similar power as before, but it has been reworked from the ground up. Most likely benefit of this upgrade is more economic fuel consumption. Speaking of which, most of these pickup trucks will be tied to 10-speed automatic transmission from now on. That’s additional plus if you’re looking for better fuel economy and more intense drive quality.
2017 Honda Ridgeline
Honda is returning to the US truck market with a familiar name. Although Ridgeline is a familiar name, their 2017 year model is an entirely new truck. Completely reworked after being out of the loop for three years, Honda has some high hopes for it. Interesting bed with two-way tailgate, 3.5L V6 with 280 horses, optional all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring, and standard front-wheel drive (yes, front) sound good enough. Starting price of $29,475 on the other hand, is somewhat discouraging.
2017 Chevrolet Silverado HD / GMC Sierra HD
Third generation Chevy Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 have already received mid term facelifts, so now’s the turn on their larger siblings. Both Chevy and GMC Heavy Duty pickup trucks are bound to receive their own facelifts for the 2017 model year, but that’s not all. They’ll also likely get the new specs – especially since GM’s pickups trail behind Ford and Ram for years now in that category. Although we have seen the possible look of both top tier models, specs are still shrouded in mystery. We’ll have to remain patient, it would seem.
2017 Nissan Titan Light Duty
Well, Nissan took their sweet time replacing extremely outdated first generation of their full-size pickup, but now they’re back on track. After the heavy duty XD version powered by Cummins 5.0L turbo diesel powerplant came out last year, Japanese are finally ready to introduce the regular models. Light duty lineup should be more compact as they don’t have to cram the huge diesels under their hoods. They certainly won’t lack for power, though. 5.6L V8 petrol engine will take care of that. Still, Nissan lacks the fuel-efficient option and V6 looks like the only move they’re left with. Will they thread that path? It remains to be seen.
2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
After the full-size Tundra, smaller Tacoma too is getting the off-road TRD Pro trim package. It won’t offer anything new in powertrain department, but it will do plenty of great stuff with the suspension. Being the off-road oriented truck, new Tacoma TRD Pro comes with the special FOX shocks, different tires, and reinforced undercarriage. Good enough for those less accessible trails.
2017 Ford Super Duty
The time has come to finally replace the old Ford Super Duty frames with new aluminum ones. All across the lineup, Super Duty will now be lighter which likely means slightly upgraded fuel efficiency as well. Powertrain department will likely remain unchanged, but pretty much everything else is up for a revision. Super Duty pickup trucks will be slightly taller, more stylish, crammed with safety features including no less than seven cameras, and they’ll be more expensive. In fact, F-450 could potentially reach the $90,000 tag if you’re not selective with the optional box ticking.
2017 Ram Power Wagon
At first sight, the upcoming Ram Power Wagon doesn’t really look that different. The new grille catches the eyes instantaneously, but apart from that, the new lettering and decals, exterior is basically unchanged. It’s the interior that matters here, however. Up until now, Ram Power Wagon was one plasticky affair when it comes to the gut. That was unacceptable for such an expensive truck, so the refurbished model had to address that. And i did. In one hell of a fashion. It’s like moving from Toyota Camry into the brand new Lexus.
2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Well, it’s finally here – almost. We’ve known pretty much everything we needed to know about the new Raptor for quite some time now, but the suspension was killing us regardless. Beefed up F-150 in every single department should bring us the unparalleled performance and off-road capabilities. There’s really not much to add here. Raptor should be available soon, and it will rock.
Bonus
2017 Fiat Fullback
Fiat might not be the most versatile pickup trucks manufacturer, but they’re far from newbies as well. Compact Fullback won’t make an appearance in the US, and will instead travel to Europe, South America, Middle East, and Africa. 2.4L turbo diesel 4-cylinder with either 150 or 180 horses does seem rather anemic for demanding US market, but at least it’ll be extremely efficient in comparison.
2017 Renault Alaskan
Another unlikely pickup manufacturer comes from France. Renault’s newborn Alaskan is closely tied to Nissan Navara. 2.3L turbo diesel 4-cylinder capable of making 160 or 190 horsepower will be the basic option, but some markets will also receive 2.5L diesel and gasoline options. Not the US market, though.
2018 Mercedes-Benz Pickup
Not yet sure about its name. It might be called GLT or X Class, but that’s of the lowest importance now. It’s the Mercedes-Benz pickup truck which rings the bell. Stranger things have happened, though. Heavily revised Nissan Navara will be much more luxurious than the Japanese version, but that was to be expected. It will also be more powerful thanks to the optional 6-cylinder engine. There’s, however, still plenty of time before it becomes ready for production, so let’s not rush describing something which doesn’t exist yet.
Carmagazine’s rendering shown