Utes or Pick-up trucks are traditionally thought of as an Australain / US cultural icon, however I have a sneaking suspicion that the UK is cottoning on - well at least the marketing people have cottoned on to the envy the average UK citizen has for their less spatially constrained english speaking counterparts.
Marketing Utes in Australia and the US is a pretty simple affair - it just needs some pretty decent power figures, and the thing will sell itself. In the UK, it would seem they are trying to sell a lifestyle:
So what are all these manufacturers getting at? It would seem that all these branding editions conjure up images of new world ruggedness - perhaps the marketing people got it right - all these special editions mentioned above are THE most expensive version of each respective vehicle - yet they are the most numerous on UK roads in terms of non-govt utility vehicles. Says a lot about people's aspirations in the UK I think!
Marketing Utes in Australia and the US is a pretty simple affair - it just needs some pretty decent power figures, and the thing will sell itself. In the UK, it would seem they are trying to sell a lifestyle:
- Ford are offering the Ranger - also offered in Australia - available in the UK as the 'Thunder' edition
- Nissan have the Navara - again the same as what is offered back home, but with an 'Outlaw' edition offered -
- Mitsubishi have marketed their L200 consumer ute as the L200 Warrior - what we in Australia call the Triton
- Toyota, as pretty much everywhere, have the Hilux, with the top model in the UK branded as 'Invincible'
So what are all these manufacturers getting at? It would seem that all these branding editions conjure up images of new world ruggedness - perhaps the marketing people got it right - all these special editions mentioned above are THE most expensive version of each respective vehicle - yet they are the most numerous on UK roads in terms of non-govt utility vehicles. Says a lot about people's aspirations in the UK I think!
