2019’s Canceled Pickup Trucks
With trucks as popular as they are, you would think there would not be any that won’t be available after 2019, but you would be wrong. Consolidation, cost savings on the assembly line, or getting ready for an entirely new truck meant cutting back on certain versions manufacturers make leading up to new introductions. As TFL Trucks reports, here are the top five canceled pickup trucks for this year. And we warn you there are definitely some manual-transmission casualties.
Nissan Titan XD Diesel
Nissan’s diesel Titan just didn’t sell very well, so it’s not surprising it’s one of 2019’s canceled pickup trucks. As Nissan’s coming up on replacement of the current Titan, it’s cutting bait on the Triple Nickel. The Titan is sort of in between a half-ton and three-quarter-ton. Diesel engines typically are found in higher GVW one-ton and up models, so this was the engine option for a class of truck Nissan doesn’t make.
Yes, we are seeing more diesels, just not enough for Nissan to continue with this option. Also, this was the only version of this engine Cummins made, so it was probably costing Nissan a premium to sell a unique Cummins diesel.
Chevy HD Vortec Gas V8
The Vortec engine has been slowly phased out of GM’s trucks to make way for its 6.6-liter gas engine and 6.6-liter Duramax diesel. The new engine has 40+ more horsepower and an extra 85 lb-feet of torque over the Vortec. Don’t forget that the tried-and-true Vortec was first introduced in 1999. Time for an improved engine, wouldn’t you say?
RAM HD Manual Transmission
Yeah, this kind of sucks but mostly on principle. With its latest heavy-duty pickup truck, Ram decided that there was’t enough interest in a manual anymore. Up until now, you could get a manual hung onto a 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine. Now, everything will start with the six-speed automatic or the optional ZF eight-speed automatic. According to Ram, this smooths out production issues with having to install the odd manual. Also, how many people will miss the heavy-duty manual now that it’s a canceled pickup truck?
Toyota Tundra 4.6-Liter Gas V8
For the small extra cost, almost all Tundra buyers opted for the more powerful 5.7-liter V8 over the 4.6-liter V8. Now, the 5.7 is the only engine available as Toyota slowly approaches releasing the all-new Tundra sometime in 2020 or 2021. Just don’t expect good fuel economy, as there is no V6 or four-banger in the Tundra line. Look for all Tundras to be hybrid with a V6 once the new Tundra is announced.
Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon Manual
Before you say, “Oh no, another manual bites the dust,” keep in mind that this option was only available with the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. So, while this eliminates manuals, they are not the “economy” versions they once were. With eight- and ten-speed automatics, we are seeing much better fuel economy with automatics, so the manual option is mostly about pride. In a work truck, that’s not nearly as important.
Manuals also used to be the cheaper option, but the extra cost of an automatic relative to the reduced cost of a single transmission is negligible. So manuals may be part of the canceled pickup truck trend, but that’s only because customers didn’t buy enough of them.