Pick-up gets a sporty new look; STEVE HUGHES look at the new surge of interest in sporty pick-up trucks

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), April 18, 2008

Byline: STEVE HUGHES

ANOTHER new motoring phenomenon has been born in the unlikely guise of the sporty pick-up.

Until recently they were considered utilitarian workhorses, but the tax advantages of owning such vehicles have boosted sales massively and they are now reckoned to be trendy lifestyle vehicles.

Many are bought as an alternative to the main family car and come with luxuries such as leather upholstery, air conditioning, sophisticated sound systems and satn av.

Now they are becoming sporty too, with hot-hatch styling touches and manufacturers boasting reduced 0-60mph acceleration times from larger or tweaked engines.

Ford and Toyota have announced two such additions to their Ranger and Hilux ranges.

The Ranger Wildtrack model is painted in the company's Performance Blue, which has been reserved only for the RS and ST versions of the high-performance Fiesta and Focus until now.

It even gets white Le Mans-style stripes on the bonnet, which houses a 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine, plus air conditioning and heated seats inside the cab. It costs pounds 20,900.

Arch-rival Toyota is also drawing upon its motor-sport heritage with the introduction of the High Power Hilux pick-up, which becomes the most powerful model in the UK.

It uses a three-litre diesel engine to generate 194bhp of power and 430Nm of torque, or pulling power.

This slashes the 0-60mph acceleration time from 13 seconds to just 10.5.

It also gets the sporty styling treatment with 15-inch alloy wheels, a stainless steel mesh grille and a cabin finished in two-tone grey leather with heated front seats.

The new range-topping Hilux will go on sale in the summer, with prices to be announced in a couple of months.

CAPTION(S):

TRUE BLUE - The new Ford Ranger pick-up; SUMMER SALE - The new Toyota Hilux truck is the most powerful pickup in the UK