1996 Chevrolet S-Series Pickup Personal-size pickups for utility and comfort. By Sue Mead, New Car Test Drive .com

Is the glass half empty or half full? If you see it as half empty, you might pay

attention to the fact that Chevy's S-series pickups play second fiddle to Ford's

Ranger line up. To be more specific, while sales of mini trucks have gone soft for

both companies over the past two years, Chevrolet's percentage of the market in '95 was

only two-thirds the number of small trucks that Ford sold. However, the math improves

if you add the numbers for Chevy's mechanical twin, the GMC Sonoma trucks. And, don't

forget that General Motors also builds small trucks for Isuzu. Ford still wins, but

the numbers can look a lot different depending on how you add them up.

If you see the glass as half full, you're more likely to pay attention to the fact

that Chevy debuted an all new family of pickup trucks in '94 with major changes in

interior and exterior styling, in '95 added a number of safety improvements and since

has continued to upgrade a line up of mini pickups that fits just about every personal

need and personality style.

There are two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive models; regular cab (with short bed or

long) and extended cab versions; a selection of seven different chassis packages; and

two trim levels -- base and LS. And for '96 there is an S-Series with a third door, a

new Sportside Pickup, along with performance improvements under the hood and a new

chassis package.

The Easy Access System (third door) which is due out in early Spring is an industry

first for compact trucks. The driver's side panel swings out to make it easier to

load personal gear, pets, and people is available on extended cab models only. (The

driver's side jumpseat is eliminated with this feature). The Easy Access System third

door can also be upfitted with a wheelchair lift system. Chevy has not only adapted

this feature to aid persons with disabilities but General Motors will also make a

contribution of $1,000 for a lift or other adaptive equipment.

Also new is the Sportside Pickup with fender flare and two built-in footholds for easy

access to cargo to compete with the Ranger Splash. The Sportside box has a tough

steel load floor and will hold more than 28 cu. ft. of cargo, available on Regular Cab

and Extended Cab LS models. It's able to tow up to 6,000 lbs.

Competitors in this segment, in addition to the Ranger, are the Toyota Tacoma, Nissan

Pickup, Mazda B-series, Dodge Dakota and Isuzu Pickup.