Free Republic

The American pickup truck market is dominated by domestic brands, primarily Ford , Chevrolet , GMC and Ram . U.S. brands benefit from a loyal buyer base, and a 25% tax on imported trucks. But the Toyota Tacoma shows how a foreign automaker can find and control a niche within that market. The top-selling full-size pickup line is Ford’s F-Series, especially the F-150, which is also the bestselling vehicle in America, according to Edmunds. GM and Ram pickups trail Ford, which also has the top-selling compact pickup truck — the Maverick. But U.S. automakers have wavered in their commitment to...

The pickup is about to get a rethink from Germany. In a rather surprising announcement, Mercedes-Benz says that it's planning to have a midsize truck on the market before the end of the decade. Before you get too excited to drive a pickup with the brand's famous star on the grille, there's some disappointing news. Mercedes is quite clear that the US isn't among the intended markets for the midsize truck, and the company specifically outlines the model for Latin America, South Africa, Australia and Europe. Also, this is a product being developed by the more commercially-minded Mercedes-Benz Vans division...