Error processing SSI file
Honda expects to sell about 50,000 Ridgelines a year, about one-third the sales of Ford Motor Co.'s Ranger. The new midsize pickup goes on sale in March.2005 North American International Auto Show
Asians raise stakes in U.S. truck market
Honda's new entry joins wave of new products aimed at squeezing Big Three.
With the option of a 4.7-liter V-8 engine, Mitsubishi's new Raider can compete with the most powerful midsize entries from the Big Three.
Subaru's B9 Tribeca has the potential to become the brand's flagship vehicle in the U.S. market.
Suzuki's Concept-X sport utility is an edgy-looking SUV equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine. The Concept-X likely will be built at Suzuki's joint venture plant with General Motors Corp. in Ontario, Canada.
Ford Motor Co. unveiled its Explorer Sport-Trac at the auto show Monday. The Big Three focused primarily on cars, while its Asian rivals rolled out a host of light-truck options.
Comment on this story
The Japanese onslaught on the U.S. light-truck market shows no sign of letting up.
While Detroit's Big Three automakers focused on passenger cars at this week's 2005 North American International Auto Show, their Japanese rivals unveiled several new entries in the sport utility and pickup markets.
Honda Ridgeline
Suzuki Concept-X
Acura RD-X
Mitsubishi Raider
Subara Tribeca
Last year, Japanese and Korean manufacturers grabbed 26 percent of the U.S. light-truck market, an all-time high and the ninth straight year they have increased share.
And there's more to come, with the Ridgeline pickup from Honda Motor Co. leading the way.
Honda's new midsize pickup, which goes on sale in March, is a prime example of how the Asian automakers are seeking incremental sales gains with niche products in the light-truck market.
"They are coming at the Big Three from all sides, and they're slicing away at these segments again and again to find their own space," said Jim Sanfilippo, an analyst with market research firm Automotive Marketing Consultants Inc.
Honda expects to sell about 50,000 Ridgelines annually, about one-third the sales of Ford Motor Co.'s Ranger, the leader in small pickups.
But Honda also started with modest production of its Honda Odyssey minivan, and now sells more than 150,000 units a year.
The Ridgeline features a dual-action tailgate that swings down or out, and a unique trunk underneath the bed big enough to hold golf clubs. It will be priced at about $27,000, Honda executives said.
"Our plan is to do 50,000 the first year, but we have the capacity to build more," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co.
"Is it the Odyssey of pickups? No," Sanfillipo said. "Is it going to be a winner for Honda? Yes."
Honda's Acura luxury division also plans to move into the entry-level luxury SUV segment with its RD-X concept vehicle, a smaller entry than its popular MDX midsize sport utility vehicle.
Some of Japan's smaller manufacturers also want to grab a bigger piece of the profitable light-truck market.
On Monday, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. showed off its new Raider midsize pickup, which is based partly on the Chrysler Group's Dodge Dakota pickup.
Mitsubishi and DaimlerChrysler AG are jointly developing some vehicles under an agreement made before the German automaker's stake in the Japanese automaker was reduced when ailing Mitsubishi was bailed out financially in 2004.
With the option of a 4.7-liter V-8 engine, the Raider can compete with the most powerful midsize entries from the Big Three. Mitsubishi executives said they expect the truck to draw younger consumers to the brand.
The midsize SUV segment also will get a bit more crowded with the introduction of new models from Suzuki Motor Corp. and Subaru Inc.
On Monday, Suzuki took the wraps off its Concept-X sport utility, a version of which is slated to go into production in 2006.
An edgy-looking SUV equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, the Concept-X likely will be built at Suzuki's joint venture plant with General Motors Corp. in Ontario, Canada. Suzuki's U.S. sales jumped 26 percent last year, and the Japanese automaker is aiming to triple U.S. sales by 2007 with the introduction of nine new models.
"Suzuki is a company on the move," said Hirotaka Ono, the Suzuki board member in charge of North American operations.
"Concept-X is not a dream. It's a reality."
The Subaru subsidiary of Japan's Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. also is gearing up to expand its product lineup in the United States.
Subaru showed off its new B9 Tribeca on Monday, and its executives said the midsize SUV, which has three rows of seating, has the potential to become the brand's flagship vehicle in the U.S. market. It will be the largest Subaru ever marketed in the United States.
Fred Adcock, executive vice president of Subaru of America, said the sales target for the B9 Tribeca is 30,000 to 35,000 vehicles annually. It goes on sale this summer and will be built at Subaru's plant in Lafayette, Ind.
Subaru's success with all-wheel-drive cars such as the Outback should help it gain credibility in the SUV market, said Sanfillipo.
"It is a niche-type vehicle, but it's going to give them an entry into the segment," he said.
While the Big Three focused primarily on cars during the auto show, they did roll out some promising light-truck products such as GM's Chevrolet HHR and Ford Motor Co.'s Explorer Sport-Trac.
The Chrysler Group unveiled the Jeep Gladiator, a concept-vehicle SUV with a pickup bed.
You can reach Bill Vlasic at (313) 222-2152 or bvlasic@detnews.com.
The 2006 Honda Ridgeline, Honda's first pickup, has a tailgate that can open flat or from the side. It also has a trunk in the bottom of the bed.
Copyright © 2005
The Detroit News.
Use of this site indicates your agreement to the Terms of Service (updated 12/19/2002).