Modern 1/2ton pickups have gotten too big for their own good. They have to share the capabilities of OHC V-8s and turbo inline engines with their HD2500 variants. This sets the high cowl and other related front end sheetmetal configurations. One does not really notice these things until these pickups park next to a car of the 2000s or newer. Even the 1/2ton RAM dwarfs then. Headlights are usually at a similar level as the inside rear view mirrors of such normal full-size cars. IF the owner chooses a lift kit, then sitting in traffic, the level of the pickup truck's outer door handles will be pretty much at the roof level of your car!
Yet, they look stylish and proportional. Then you realize that the side door can be over 6' tall by itself!
When the "small" pickups of the earlier 1980s, from USA OEMs appeared, they were a good addition to the product lineups. ONLY thing was that they were not that much cheaper, by proportion. Get a high-trinm small pickup and for about $1500.00 more, get a full-size pickup! So they only sold to people who really needed them, rather than a typical consumer. Not much more fuel efficient, either.
Eventually, the compact pickups grew in size, slowly, until what Ford and GM sell in the USA. Vehicles which are very similar to the 1967-72 Chevy pickups. Heavier in weight to meet all of the new safety standards. Massive off-road capabilities, which means they can be pretty tall, too. End result, a "smaller" pickup that costs close to what a normal pickup costs. Especially as everybody seems to want all of the "bells and whistles" and leather, too.
The Ford Maverick was a breath of fresh air! A smaller pickup with good mpg and hybrid capabilities, at a very attractive price point. No wonder they sold as many as they did! There's a message there!!
It's amazing how the middle-gen Dakotas have held their value! Even with over 300K miles on them. More messages which are missed by the OEMs!
Oh well . . .
CBODY67