2017 Ford F-150 Raptor High-Performance

The high-performance pickup truck has been put to the test on over 1,028 miles (1,654 km) of desert trail designed to parallel the Baja race course in Mexico. Trucks covered multiple times the 66-mile (106-km) route, which featured a wide range of surfaces including fast sandy washes, deep-rutted silt beds, steep climbs in deep sand, and slow crawls through tight trenches.

Ford says the truck topped speeds of 100 mph (161 mph) in places, slowing to 10 mph (16 km/h) in others, for an average speed of approximately 50 mph (80 km/h) . Based on lap times, the 2017 Raptor is 25 percent faster than the current truck. At the end of each lap, the new F-150 Raptor completed a tabletop jump consisting of a steep ramp up to a two-foot plateau, then a step-off back to level ground. The vehicles tested were early build prototypes made from a mix of 2015 F-150 Raptor and 2017 F-150 Raptor components.

According to Ford, engineers pushed the 2017 Raptor harder in a few days than it will be pushed over the lifetime of a typical vehicle, far exceeding what an owner would do on the trail. Ford will continue testing the next Raptor next year, with sales scheduled to begin in fall 2016.

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New Renault Duster Oroch Pickup

The French brand's first pickup truck model is based on their low-cost Dacia Duster SUV and it's primarily aimed at South American markets where nearly 1 million vehicles of this type are sold every year. Renault previewed the Duster Oroch with a concept model late last year in Brazil, giving us a pretty accurate idea of the production car that drops the study's fancier trimmings, colors and lights, but otherwise, is almost identical.

According to Renault, the Oroch offers "impeccable accessibility thanks to the four doors, generous internal space due to five proper seats, a generous bed and the proven robustness and reliability of Renault Duster".

In Argentina, the Duster Oroch will be available with 1.6-liter and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engines, and will also feature the brand's new Media NAV Evolution infotainment system with navigation and a 7-inch touch-screen.

PHOTOS GALLERY:

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Holden Colorado Z71 Pick-Up

The Z71 is based on the MY16 Colorado LTZ 4x4 Crew-Cab pick-up, yet adds key exterior upgrades such as the 18" Arsenal Gray alloys, sail plane and styled nudge bar, heated front leather seats, rear view camera, acoustic package and Holden's Mylink infotainment system which comes with a 7" color touch screen display.

On top of that you also get headlamps with a dark chrome mask, gloss black mirror scalps and B-Pillars, gloss black tailgate handle, black door handles, black rear step trim, Z71 decal on tailgate, black body side door mouldings, black hood with Z71 graphic and roof rails.

According to Holden Exec Peter Keley, "drivers are increasingly using trucks to facilitate an active lifestyle, whether it’s surfing or snowboarding, and looking good is important to them. Z71 adds an impressive range of features to the Colorado truck, not least the exterior black components and leather-appointed seats that combine to give a more aggressive look and comfortable ride."

And with a 3.5 tone towing capacity, the Z71 should meet all your utilitarian requirements, as well as suit your style in terms of aesthetics. The Holden Colorado Z71 is available in either Summit White, Sizzle Red, Black Sapphire, Satin Steel Gray and Orange Rock - the last 3 colors costing you a $550 premium.

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