Notables: An off-road-racing-inspired independent suspension with billet-aluminum upper control arms and steel lower arms with brand-new geometry for maximum travel. There's also Kevlar bumper, fender, wheelwell, and lower-trim panels, and the billet-aluminum wheels have a central tire-inflation system and bead locks. Inside are four leather contoured buckets, clamp-on gauges so that you can pick instrument location, a removable compass and floor, dual-zone climate controls, and a GPS in the visor. There is also a built-in first-aid kit and room for tools in the running boards.
Food for Thought: Ford says; "In order to maintain Ford Truck leadership in every major segment in which we compete, we need to be constantly innovating-giving the customer personalized transportation that exceeds even their highest expectations."Status: Concept.
KAI and ZXSMeet Their Maker: IsuzuWhat's So Good About Them? About the ZXS, Isuzu says: "The interior styling creates an atmosphere of relaxed elegance with avant-garde elan that comes into its own after five." About the KAI: "spiraling interconnectedness," "Japanese esthetics," "the texture of modern architecture," "striking proportions," "high-tech feel," and "cradled in a space created in harmony with the functional beauty of the exterior."
Notables: Let's start with the ZXS. It has the Rodeo chassis; an independent double-wishbone/torsion-bar front suspension and solid axle rear end; a 3.2 V-6 that makes 205 hp and 214 lb-ft of torque; and a four-speed automatic transmission with the Torque-On-Demand four-wheel-drive system. There's bucket seating for four, a wide cargo area, four-wheel discs, and leather upholstery. The KAI, with a name derived from the Chinese character kanji, ("a return"), has a 3.0L V-6 direct-injection turbodiesel engine, a bobbed overhang, 20-inch narrow rubber, a body-on-frame design, four-wheel discs, seating for four, a curved instrument panel, and a four-speed automatic tranny with that same four-by TOD system as the ZXS.
Food for Thought: Isuzu also lifted the cover on the VX-4 concept. It's essentially a four-door VehiCROSS, and four-doors are currently mo' popular with buyers than two-doors.Status: Concepts.
FrontierMeet Its Maker: NissanWhat's So Good About It? Holy Moly, a factory-installed supercharger!
Notables: Here it is, a new 'charged version of the 3.3L V-6 for both two- and four-wheel drive models designated SC; it pumps out 210 ponies and 240 lb-ft of torque. The other two mills are a 2.4L inline-four and a 3.3L SOHC V-6; the four-banger makes 143 horses and the V-6 produces 170. A fresh Xterra-esque exterior is also a big deal, with a taller hoodline, foglamps borrowed from the 2000 Maxima, mammoth headlights, and huge fender flares with visible divot holes and bolts holding the fenders to the body and headlining the at-a-glance changes. Out yonder are a new tailgate cover and a standard tailgate lock. Inside, there's a new instrument panel, new seat fabric and a chance for leather, a new steering wheel, and a newfangled audio system, including an indash six-disc CD changer. The SC has 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, body-colored fender flares, and titanium-colored gauges.
Food for Thought: There are now 14 different models of the Frontier, including Regular Cab, King Cab, Desert Runner, and four-door Crew Cab, and three trim levels.Status: '01 model available late this summer.