We hear it with every auto sales report: Trucks are so hot right now you could slap a 1” lift on a picnic table, call it a compact pickup, and lease it to somebody for $400 a month. And yet, not every automaker even has a truck. Which car-only companies should try their hand at making a truck?

My first thought goes to Subaru. Not because the Baja pickupified-Outback was such a resounding success (it wasn’t) (though they’re pretty sought after now) but because this is a company that understands how to blend capability and efficency.

An Outback can keep up with most modern SUVs off-road, and get much better gas mileage doing it. I feel like Subaru could apply the same principles to a traditional pickup truck and actually come up with something spectacular.

Which other automakers that aren’t currently making pickup trucks should give this market segment a shot?

Image via Subaru

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