●Holden Ute

The history of automobile manufacturing in Australia is long, and the Australian carmaker Holden was born over 100 years ago. However, despite its long history, Holden closed its Australian plant in 2017 and discontinued the brand in 2021.

Holden used to have a lineup of pickup trucks, the Ute, which had a high-performance engine and other features that made it a truck that could drive and look as good as a sports car. The Ute was a monocoque chassis pickup truck based on the Commodore sedan, and in the 2nd generation introduced in 2007, the top grade was equipped with a 6-liter V8 engine mated with a 6-speed manual.

The car was also developed using the Nürburgring in Germany to test its high drivability and performance not only as a pickup, but also as a high performance sports car. The exterior had a sophisticated and sporty form, creating an atmosphere like a European car that was different from the high performance pickup trucks from the United States.

●Fiat Strada

In South America, there are unique automobile cultures and needs, and each manufacturer has developed unique models that are not sold in their home market.

One such model is the Fiat Strada, which was launched in 1996 for the Brazilian market and has become popular as a small pickup that can be used for both work and play.

The current model marks the 4th generation introduced in 2009, and is available in commercial grades of “Working” and “Hard Working,” passenger grades of “Freedom” and “Adventure,” and body types of two-seater single cab and king cab, and four-seater double cab. A 1.8-liter or 1.4-liter inline-4 engine is selectable, both of which are compatible with Flex Fuel.

Among them, the Adventure model has a powerful design reminiscent of a full-fledged SUV, with specially designed front and rear bumpers, over fenders, side steps, and roof rails. Pickup trucks in this class are also sold by other manufacturers as standard models in Brazil.

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Currently, the only Japanese pickup available in Japan is the Toyota Hilux. Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Isuzu used to sell pickups, but as the needs declined in the Japanese market, carmakers stopped manufacturing for their home market.

On the other hand, carmakers used their ladder frames from these pickups to create rugged off-roaders. These pickups were not only used to transport cargo, but also became the foundation for the birth of many famous SUVs.