The pickup truck is the Swiss Army knife of the commercial vehicle world. They look, and are, tough, can carry a huge amount of stuff, and can get to some really hard-to-reach spaces out in the wilds. Moreover, they are able to carry a family of five and offer much more in the way of a luxury than a van.
For many people, the pickup truck is the perfect solution to a lot of challenges, all in one package. It allows you to spend the working week and the family weekend in one vehicle, rather than having to switch between two. When you are next searching through the listing of cars for sale UK, try popping ‘pickup’ into the ‘car type’ section.
Here are five reasons why a pickup could be all the car you ever need
Capable of carrying big loads
To be classified as a commercial vehicle, a pickup truck has to be able to carry at least 1,000kg of load, which means that all the major models in the UK are strong and up to haul a serious amount of stuff. There are plenty of load carriers out there, too, which means you can keep whatever you are transporting safe and out of the line of sight.
If you need to carry bigger rather than heavier ones, then the Ford Ranger is the one to go for – it has the longest load bed of all pickup trucks in the UK, closely followed by the SsangYong Musso.
Can take the whole family
You can get three main different types of pickup trucks, known as a single cab, extended cab, and double cab. Single cabs only have two seats, extended cabs have a small second row of seats while a double cab is the one to go for if you want to make the most of a pickup’s versatility.
A double cab pickup will have Isofix in the rear, meaning you can fit in child seats, and the high ride height means that it will be easier to get smaller passengers in and out without stooping down.
Cuts your tax bills
Because they are classed as commercial vehicles, pickup trucks are taxed differently than cars. Rather than being assessed on their CO2 output, they qualify for a flat rate of company car tax, which is set at a much lower rate.
This means that you can save thousands of pounds in annual bills by switching from an SUV to a pickup truck.
Luxury and power
A pickup needs not to be a purely practical thing – it’s possible to get a truck that offers a whole heap of performance and plenty of luxury on the inside. The Ford Ranger Raptor is the ultimate extension of this, with the latest model due to offer a V6 petrol engine, performance-honed suspension, enhanced brakes, huge off-road tyres, sports seats, and plenty more. Unfortunately, all this takes a toll on its practicality, but that isn’t really why you would buy one.
For a more real-world alternative, the Toyota Hilux is worth a look. It is far from a performance pickup, but its 2.8-litre diesel engine packs a punch, and the latest cabin has been bestowed with some smart tech that makes it feel a long way from a pure working vehicle.
Exciting electric on the horizon
Pickups aren’t all old school; they are due to go electric in the near future too.
The next generation Volkswagen Amarok has been created with an EV version in mind but a battery-powered truck could be here sooner than that. The Maxus T90EV promises an electric-only range of around 198 miles, thanks to an 88.55kWh battery pack. It might not be one that you take off into the back or beyond, though – it is rear-wheel drive only, to help boost that battery. It is an exciting glimpse at the future nonetheless.
