Haulital Lakota (Andrew's Vehicle Index)/Lore

The Haulital Lakota is a full-size and heavy-duty pickup truck produced by Hilton Motors and introduced in 2006 as the successor to the Haulital Hook'em pickup truck. In an unusual fashion, the model line competed directly against Japanese pickups such as the Toyota Tundra and the Nissan Titan. Marketed exclusively by the Haulital division of Hilton Motors, the truck is in its fourth generation as of the 2024 model year.
== First generation (2006; SE11) ==
The first-generation Haulital Lakota was introduced at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This generation was also sold as the Hilton Commander starting in Spring 2007. It was introduced as a replacement for the Hook'em although the Hook'em later returned in 2010. When comparing with the Hilux, the Lakota is meant to be a compromise between the versatility of a coupe utility and the performance of a full size van, something which the Hook'em lacked in comparison. 
The Hook'em was originally a full-size pickup, but it's role had gradually been displaced by the much larger and superior Haulital Chieftain in 1988. Instead the Hook'em became a mid-size pickup as the company needed a vehicle to fill the niche in the market. By 2004, however, the Hook'em became notorious for it's mechanical problems, and this was further exacerbated by the fact that it used the internal model code H-150 which was met with heavy criticism. 
The model code was cited as being too similar to the Ford F-150, and following a lawsuit by Ford, the Hook'em was briefly discontinued. Haulital released the Lakota as it's replacement, being essentially a GMC Savana cutaway with a pickup bed. The model line also introduced a degree of parts commonality between the GMT800 and the GMT610 vans. The Lakota also had greater priority on ride quality, handling, comfort, and safety over ruggedness and payload capacity. 
A dually version was introduced for the 2008 model year, based on the Chevy Express/GMC Savana 4500 Cutaway van. It featured an 8.5-foot (2.6 m) steel dually pickup box and tailgate with custom composite side panels and protective Rhino interior lining. Both the cab and the bed of this version were derived from the GMC topkick conversion by General Motors and Monroe Truck Equipment.
Category:Andrew's Vehicle Index