The 2001 Ford SVT Lightning pickup, top, goes on sale in January. A change to Bilstein shock absorbers is intended to smooth the lowered Lightning's ride and improve its handling. SVT vehicles are sold by about 500 certified Ford dealers.
Lightning is a limited-production model.
GM, meantime, fretted over a lack of youthful buyers and offered a plan to recapture them. Ronald Zarrella, president of GM's North America unit, said the automaker has done a good job on big pickups and sport-utility vehicles but has lost ground anyway. But over the next four years, we will attack this segment with the same discipline and dedication we applied to the truck market. We're back in the entry-level game and playing to win. Chevrolet S-10 pickup, developed with business partner Isuzu, including such features as big fender flares and a removable roof.