Any argument suggesting Japanese manufacturers lack dominance in the American family car segment goes righteously unheeded those days. Is it possible that Toyota, Honda, and Nissan - the makers of the Camry, Accord, and Altima - could take over the pickup truck category in the U.S. as well? Evidence suggests otherwise.
The year was 1992. Toyota was attempting to make the case for its new T100 pickup, a ‘93 model which wasn’t “small” but certainly wasn’t full-size. Without a V8 engine and the capacity for heavy towing and payload, the T100 was easily out-sold by the Ford F-Series at a rate of 20-1. By the year 2000, evidence that Toyota learned its lesson was provided by a new Tundra. Unlike the 3/4ths-pickup that was the T100, the Tundra was more in line with American tastes. Size was still an issue, however. When second-generation Tundras arrived at dealers in 2007, two different V8s became available and dimensions swelled.
For its first foray into the truck market in North America, Honda thought outside the box. The Ridgeline uses a car-like unibody platform; looks like no other truck; and even has a trunk underneath the bed. Honda’s pickup hasn’t always been taken seriously by the pickup traditionalists but is vigorously supported by those who “get” it. Deciphering its mission and competition isn’t easy.
Meanwhile, Nissan decided against going home; but went big instead. Like Toyota, Nissan built plenty of small trucks before its adventure into full-size territory. Nissan left space for the Frontier to continue in a smaller, less expensive section of the market. Titans are equipped with a thumping great 5.6L V8 and can be had in more bodystyles than when introduced in ‘04.
These three Japanese companies build pickup trucks for North Americans in North America. San Antonio takes care of Tundras. Titans are assembled in Canton, Mississippi. Honda builds the Ridgeline north of the border alongside the Odyssey in Ontario. Surely if they design the trucks for us and build them in our backyards, we must be buying plenty?
Use the Ford F-Series as context. Through August 31st, Ford’s U.S. dealers managed to sell 261,549 full-size trucks this year. Chevrolet and GMC have combined for more than 292,000 sales of full-size trucks through the first eight months of 2009. And Dodge, the traditional last-place finisher in U.S. truck sales, has sold 129,753 Rams in eight months. The best-selling full-size import truck puts up sales of just 50,291. Moreover, that’s not the best-selling import truck. Toyota has sold 28,329 more Tacomas than the 50,291 total of the papa bear Tundra.
Over at Nissan, sales of the Titan are 56% lower than in 2008 at just 11,805 through August 31st. Honda’s truck trails the Titan by 1,311 units sold; an average of 1,312 Ridgeline sales per month.
2009’s been rough, though, right? For every 10 full-size trucks General Motors sold last August, about six were sold in August of ‘09. Ford F-Series sales jumped almost 13% in August. But Tundra sales have been chopped in half; Titan sales even more so; and Ridgeline sales have dropped almost 60% in 2009.
Is there good news anywhere for Japanese truck manufacturers in North America? To be honest, the numbers tell a misaligned story. Although Toyota, Nissan, and Honda would obviously like to sell more trucks, not one of the three ever thought that 2009 would be the year they knocked Ford, Chevy, GMC, or Dodge off their pedestals. August was Honda’s second-best month for the Ridgeline so far this year; June being better by 76 sales. Tundra sales were higher in August than in any other month of 2009. Nissan recently pulled out of an arrangement with Dodge. Now if they decide to go forward with plans for a new Titan, they know they can trust their own R&D and make their own profit.
Ignoring the facts won’t answer the question, however. Based on sales statistics from 2009, Japanese-badged trucks aren’t about to wrest podium control from the domestics. Even accounting for the general decline in vehicle sales around the globe, market share for Toyota, Nissan, and Honda is falling while GM, Dodge, and Ford take back some of what was taken away earlier this decade. If the Tundra, Titan, and Ridgeline want to hit the domestic automakers where it really hurts like they did in the midsize sedan segment in the 80s and 90s, they’ll have to stick around to fight another day… or decade. 2009 is not the year of the full-size import truck.
August 2009
Ford F-Series: 45,590
Chevrolet Silverado: 32,421
Dodge Ram: 17,514
Toyota Tacoma:12,547
GMC Sierra: 11,657
Toyota Tundra: 7,872
Ford Ranger: 7,746
Chevrolet Colorado: 4,653
Nissan Frontier: 3,875
Honda Ridgeline: 1,535
Nissan Titan:1,534
2009 Year-to-date
Ford F-Series: 261,549
Chevrolet Silverado: 209,987
Dodge Ram: 129,753
Toyota Tacoma: 78,620
GMC Sierra: 72,189
Toyota Tundra: 50,291
Ford Ranger: 41,864
Chevrolet Colorado: 25,472
Nissan Frontier: 18,961
Nissan Titan: 11,805
Honda Ridgeline: 10,494
Best Month Of 2009:
Ford F-Series: August, 45,590
Chevrolet Silverado: August, 32,421
Dodge Ram: March, 19,328
Toyota Tacoma: July, 12,552
Toyota Tundra: August, 7,872
Ford Ranger: August, 7,746
Chevrolet Colorado: August, 4,653
Nissan Frontier: August, 3,875
Nissan Titan: May, 1,623
Honda Ridgeline: June, 1,611
Written by Timothy Cain