On Nov 25, 12:23 pm, "Bonehenge (B A R R Y)"
wrote:
On Sun, 25 Nov 2007 09:29:56 -0700, Doug Winterburn

wrote:

One thing the foreign pickups don't have is a diesel.

Oddly enough, they sell them everywhere else but North America. Many
Tacomas are sold worldwide, as the Hilux, with diesel engines. The 4
liter gas V6 is a North America-only powerplant.

The pickup truck as we know it, is kind of an American novelty in
certain ways.

Everywhere I've been around the world, most light commercial trucks
are either Sprinter-style vans or small, 6 wheel diesel cabover
trucks, ala Mitsubishi or Hino. I've seen both with 4 wheel drive.

It's very rare to see something like our leather-encrusted, quad-cab,
chrome plated pickups. It's not that you wouldn't see NICE,
_EXPENSIVE_ vehicles around, just that they're usually cars. The rest
of the world seems to have a much more distinct line between truck and
car, and different tastes.

FWIW, Toyota is playing with a large dually diesel now:

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/11/05/069676.html

It's got an 8.0 litre, inline-six turbo diesel. G

Got to drive the then new Tundra in September of '06 at a press
conference. That one was immense, had the immense gas V8, and the
power was almost frightening. No quality comments apply, as the
interior trim and other bits were not yet set, but it pulled like a
train. They did announce, in response to questions, that a diesel
would be forthcoming in a year or two, but gave no details at all.