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Ford Working to Unload Pickups

Toyota's Invasion of Full-Sized Pickup Truck Market Has Detroit Running Scared

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

October 4, 2006

• GM Aims High-Mileage Cruze At U.S. Market • GM Offers Employee Prices to Spur Slow Sales • U.S. Consumers Favor Japanese and German Automakers • Automakers Report Huge Drop in Sales • GM Cuts Prices for February • Toyota Sales for 2007 May Surpass GM • New GM Sale May Challenge Bargain Hunters • GM Hangs on as World's No. 1 Automaker • Saturn Outlook Gets High Marks from Consumer Reports • Summer Car Sales Start to Sizzle • Consumer Reports Lists Best New Car Deals • Chrysler Dumps Remaining 2006 Inventory on Used Car Market --- • More about Auto Sales ...

Ford Motor Co. will offer low-rate financing deals on many 2007 model-year vehicles and interest-free loans on its 2006 vehicles to boost sales.

Ford is calling the sales promotion the "Truck Month" campaign and is offering zero percent loans for 60 months on its 2006 pickups, including the F-series lineup, in an effort to clear its bloated inventory.

Ford also plans to offer a loan rate of 2.9 percent for 60 months on 2007 model year F-series Super Duty and Ranger pickups or a $2,000 cash rebate on these vehicles.

Ford has cut fourth quarter production by 21 percent to reduce swollen inventories of unsold vehicles.

Toyota has taken aim at American dominance of the U.S. truck market, introducing new Tundra and Tundra long-bed pickups.

Ford Motor, General Motors, and Dodge together hold more than 90% of the U.S. full-size truck market. The Ford F-series leads the segment with sales of 546,000 full-size trucks through August.

The new Tundra is scheduled to come to market in February and will be available in both a regular and double cab. The long-bed version features a bed that's 8 feet, 1 inch long and that is 19 inches longer than a standard bed. The Tundra has a tailgate that's lockable, removable and comes with four corner tie-downs.

Toyota will also offer a 5.7-liter V8 that can tow more than 10,000 pounds.

The full-sized pickup truck is just about the last profitable segment left to U.S. automakers.

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