2011 Geneva: Volkswagen Amorak & Ford Ranger Wildtrak

Story and photos by John LeBlanc GENEVA - One would think that with gas prices on the rise yet again, the idea of a compact pickup truck would sell like Stetsons at the Calgary Stampede. But these two new small trucks from Volkswagen and Ford, respectively, have not been awarded their Canadian passports—yet. The new Ford Ranger Wildtrak, above, is due to go on sale around the world later in 2011. But not in Canada. Ford in North America has essentially given up on the compact truck market. Later this year, production of the Ford Ranger compact truck will end after 29 years. And the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact twins are expected to also end production by June 2012. The VW Amorak, left, was introduced for 2010. It’s built in Argentina for South America, Mexico, Russian, South African, Australian and European markets. The small VW truck is powered by a family of turbo-diesels, some scoring as low as 8.1 L/100 km.

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