Part 6/9:
Moreover, the regulations allowed for greater flexibility in classifying vehicles as "light trucks," which lowered their CAFE standards compared to passenger cars. This led manufacturers to focus efforts on larger trucks that could better meet these requirements—resulting in modern compact trucks now being nearly as large as those full-size models from decades ago.
The Decline of Affordable Compact Models
As automakers pivoted towards larger, higher-margin vehicles, the compact truck market diminished. By 2020, the remaining compact truck options, such as the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz, were not even American-made. Even the Chevrolet Colorado and its counterpart, the GMC Canyon, could be categorized as midsize trucks rather than compact options.