With all the commotion around the truck marketplace, some people will say these are the new CUVs and SUVs of America due to surging hype for everything automakers have on offer – from tiny, pocket-sized Mavericks to mighty TRXs!
According to a recent study (by Cox Automotive), while crossovers and SUVs are still kings and queens across the raging battlefield of the automotive industry's segments, trucks are getting a noticeable surge of interest in recent times. Focused on the first quarter of 2023, the study showed that upcoming buyers of non-premium models were attracted by SUVs first (66%) and by trucks second, with a new record-high of 36% of folks thinking about a truck acquisition instead of passenger cars (32%) and minivans (5%).
Naturally, that is attributable to the significant influx of novelties, not just shifting consumer preference. The tiny Ford Maverick is excellently showing that compact pickup trucks are back in fashion, unlike its rival Hyundai Santa Cruz. The mid-size wars are heating up and will soon reach the boiling point when the all-new 2024 Tacoma arrives at nationwide Toyota dealerships to let people brawl with the newly standalone D41 Nissan Frontier, the equally fresh Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon twins, and – above all – with the US-spec 2024 Ford Ranger and its mighty Ranger Raptor sibling.
As for the full-size and HD sectors, people are divided between the eternal F-Series bestsellers and the novel attitude of zero emissions. But suppose you want the absolute pinnacle of the automotive industry in terms of trucks. In that case, there are just two solutions – Ram's 1500 TRX or the rivaling Ford F-150 Raptor R. Alas, with the latter still tasked to catch up to the Stellantis truck after years of dominating the OEM market for dune-bashing and rock-crawling trucks, it's always safer to play with the model that has already confirmed its potential and received wide praise from everywhere – including the imaginative realm of the aftermarket world.
And there is no need to take our word for granted as we have a couple of eloquent examples, all stemming from the same place. Self-described as the "largest dealer for the world's top brands," Miami, Florida-based Wheels Boutique shows us a couple of TRXs to match their ambitions – one dressed in black and the other in white, as a yin versus yang confrontation. However, there is also stuff that unites them. For starters, they both ride posh on black-and-copper-accented ANRKY wheels (22- and 24-inch concave units), can go just about anywhere thanks to their Nitto tires, and also don't mind any other Raptor R or TRX because they are well beyond OEM capabilities and into bonkers 1,100+ horsepower territory – each!
Naturally, now we are waiting for a reply from tuning, customization, and personalization outlets with a soft spot for the Ford F-150 Raptor R!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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