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New Models Make 2006 a Banner Year for Trucks, SUVs and Crossovers

SUV Market Split Between Smaller Car-Based Entries and 4x4 Capable Off-Roaders

Anyone who thinks that sport utility vehicles are losing popularity has their head in some idealistic green-lined cloud. The functional genre is not about to go away, although due to high fuel costs and changing consumer tastes there are many alternatives on the way. The same has to be said for light trucks, and new innovative models might forever change this segment as well. In order to bring you up to speed, a short overview of all-new or heavily modified 2006 models has been organized along with essential specs. Enjoy!

2006 Chevrolet HHR - Déjà Vu All Over Again

Is Chevrolets
Photo: General Motors
new HHR an SUV? Thats debatable. It looks like a classic 1940s panel wagon from the outside, thanks to help from ex-Chrysler PT Cruisers designer Bryan Nesbitt who recently switched over to rival GM, but rides and handles like a car. Once inside this all-new crossover few will be able to argue against its accommodating interior, however, and the performance of its base 140-hp 2.2L 4-cylinder with 150 lb-ft of torque, standard with the $15,425 LS is
Photo: General Motors
reportedly adequate, while the optional 170-hp 2.4L four with 170 lb-ft of torque included with the $16,425 LT should be quite sporty.

2006 Chevy Silverado 1500 - Refresh Drops Styling Ties to Avalanche

Chevys updated Silverado 1500 half-ton pickup is hardly all-new, but the changes made to its front end design warrant attention. Gone is the bold chrome strikethough, a la Avalanche, replaced
Photo: General Motors
with a more conventional open grille, while the "power dome" hood from the heavy duty Silverado 2500/3500 line is now standard on the lighter truck. Other updates include the VortecMAX Performance Package, enhancing towing capability with a 345-hp V8, plus an improved Duramax Diesel engine, a new Allison 6-speed automatic transmission, a rear-drive performance-oriented SS model, and the availability of the hybrid model nationwide.
2006
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press
Chevy TrailBlazer SS - The Defibrillator of America!

In case you missed it, GM introduced a performance foursome during Marchs New York auto show that included the 440-hp Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG-fighting Cadillac XLR-V, plus a Chevy SS lineup that debuts an upgraded 240-hp Malibu sedan and Malibu Maxx five-door, and one of the most intriguing vehicles of all, the completely outrageous 390-hp TrailBlazer SS with 395 lb-ft of torque. Designed to take on Jeeps new 415-hp Grand Cherokee
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press
SRT8, the hopped up Chevy sports a tuned suspension, uprated brakes, large 20-inch wheels, a revised interior and a few go-fast exterior mods. Forget the "Heartbeat of America". This Chevy qualifies as the "Defibrillator of America".

2006 Dodge Ram - Boldest, Baddest Pickup 

Dodge will introduce an upgraded Ram this fall as a 2006 model, which will feature a new grille, redesigned headlamp clusters, a revamped front fascia, reworked interior, new
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press
frame, upgraded suspension, and the inclusion of Chrysler Groups Multi-Displacement System (MDS) cylinder-deactivation technology with the optional 5.7L HEMI V8, which can improve fuel economy by up to 20 percent. Still the boldest, baddest pickup on the planet, the Ram will also be more refined in its next incarnation, some 20 percent quieter than the 2005 model, and featuring such luxuries as a DVD entertainment system, UConnect handsfree phone capability and integrated Bluetooth technology.

2006
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press
Dodge Ram Mega-Cab - More Room for Mega Gear

Dodge will give its 2006 Ram SLT and Laramie 1500, 2500 and 3500 the largest interior room in the pickup truck class with its optional Mega Cab upgrade, adding 72.2 cubic feet of interior cargo volume to Quad Cab models. Its multiple seating and storage configurations, increased cab length (12.0 inches longer than Ford F-250 Crew Cab), more comfortable 22- to 37-degree reclining rear seats, and enhanced second-row leg room at 44.2 inches, compliment its mega-output 345-hp HEMI V8 and all-powerful
Photo: General Motors
Cummins turbodiesel with 610 lb-ft of torque. Also offered: the largest side-curtain airbags in the class, optional DVD entertainment, navigation radio and sunroof.
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