@bebop @anon_opin I think safety standards and the chicken tax are a bigger issue than emissions standards. There’s definitely some “make it bigger so you can get away with worse fuel efficiency” though — even though it’s a compact car as far as size, the Chrysler PT Cruiser was categorized as a light truck so it could get away with 18 mpg.
I understand that things are gradually starting to change at last. You can get a Honda Ridgeline in the US now, those aren’t ridiculously large. There’s the Ford Maverick too. There are some Kei cars that might be on sale in 2027 pending regulatory approval, and Toyota’s planning a pickup smaller than the Tacoma for next year. (On the other hand, for some reason Subaru decided the Outback needed to be larger.)
I don’t see many of the F350 style behemoth pickups around here. They were everywhere in Texas though, sometimes converted into lowriders. The only thing more ridiculous than an F350 lowrider is a Cybertruck.
@bebop @anon_opin I'm sorry but I lived in Houston in the late nineties for 3 years, worked in the medical centre area and pick ups as lifestyle choice were a thing even then. Doctors driving them in with their Stetson and cowboy boots!
I'm sure you're correct when it comes to size increase, but pick up truck poseurs have been a thing for decades. And like the op implies they just look even more ridiculous in Britain on our tiny old roads.