GM Reportedly Cancels Plans for a Unibody Pickup

Right, so a unibody pickup will cost the same and have similar fuel consumption. What a surprise. The only way to make a vehicle of similar size lighter is by using different materials. And as you may guess different materials are more expensive...
What I would like to know is the impact on safety. The crash protection of a unibody could be better, because it can be engineered stiffer or more flexible at just the right points, whereas a rigid chassis can't.
Same for road holding. The torsion resistance of a unibody could be made better, which for most people would result in better handling.
But in both instances: could be. As with any first generation of something new, it isn't really better then it's predecessor. But as we won't see the first generation in the first place, there will also never be a new and improved model, that will be better.

I hope GM gets there head straight.......soon

They wouldn't be similar size M. The Honda Ridgeline is considered mid-sized, not fulled sized. And as pointed out, it has less payload and less towing. As for weight savings, 4600 lbs for the Honda Ridgeline with Nav. A 4wd extended cab SLT Sierra weighs 5300 lbs. 700 lbs and the Sierra is about 2 feet longer. The Ridgeline still uses the same amount of gas, with a smaller engine, less power, and less torque. They cost about the same as well.

I'll stick with my BOF, thanks.

yeah that "truck" and i use that word lightly (laugh out loud!) looks like the honda ridgeline.....and that's not a good thing!

@M

And it's a truck, things like skidpad and g force shouldn't be the primary concern...

If anything frame rigidity should be more about payload capability than the torsonial effect on the chassis.

Besides most chassis designs and suspension setups can be made to work for any specific tasks. Trucks don't ride well because they are intended to haul things, hence higher rate springs (at least compared to an equal size SUV).

Great if what you really want is a car that just looks like a truck. But those days are gone. The Truck is not as much of an image status symbol.

I know several people who own either the Crapalanche or the Cadillac version. None use it as a pickup. In fact, i rarely if ever see one of them actually being used as a truck. As much as I hate to reference the Mulletmobile, an El Camino (Ute for the current Aussie consumers of this platform) in it's traditional 2-door form is more useful probably.

The Ridgeline is a curiosity to me. Honda took a decent stab at the mid-sized SUV market. Not exactly their home turf. Why did they choose to emulate the Avalanche?
Not too long ago, a vehicle passed me going the opposite direction and I didn't recognize it right off, I had to do a double-take in the rearview to see what had just passed me. It was a Ridgeline with a body colored truck cap. A very good addition. Probably would have sold better as an Explorer killer than the Pilot.

They don't get it. I like truck. I use it to haul my grass clipping, branches, my small trailer that can hold two motorcycles. I don't need a freakin huge truck like the F150, Silverado, Ram......and the reason is not what you think......It's just too friggin big to drive around and park in my garage!! My Ranger is a pos. It rides horribly and get about the same mileage as a new full size truck, but I like it because I can park it in my garage with room to spare. I don't need a truck that can haul 10,000 lb. Yeah, the Frontier, Tacoma, and the like are about what I just described, but have you price those damn trucks? They cost about the same as a full size truck, especially on the used market. Give me a midsize truck, with 4-doors, a 6 ft bed, and a small V-6 diesel!!!!