New cars Trucks and SUVs

When analyzing the future plans for popular trucks and full-size sport-utility vehicles, it is not always easy to get a clear picture of how an automobile will eventually turn out when it finally hits the showroom floor. Sifting through the clues, rumors and spy shots collected from a variety of different sources, however, can often point towards the details surrounding upcoming product decisions.

With so many trucks and SUVs having been recently re-designed, the cupboard is somewhat bare when it comes to upcoming models. However, we have managed to round up some of the most interesting future pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles waiting in the wings to be unleashed on public roads. Let’s take a look at five future trucks and full-size SUVs that will eventually be hitting the market.

The 2011 Dodge Durango is the vehicle that is closest to being ready for prime time on our list – in fact, by the time you read this it will mostly likely be on sale at Dodge dealerships across the country. The all-new Durango shares nothing with the previous edition’s platform, and this reboot of the full-size SUV now shares its basic mechanicals and chassis with the all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Dodge Durango will stretch out its passenger compartment to improve on the Jeep’s seating for five, adding a third row that brings total capacity to seven. The vehicle’s styling has also been smoothed out and is dramatically sportier than the bulging sheet metal found on older Durango models – especially on the performance-oriented R/T model.

The 2011 Dodge Durango will be available with a 290 horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 as well as a 390 horsepower, 5.7-liter HEMI V-8. A five-speed transmission is standard with each engine, and all-wheel drive can be ordered to replace the Durango’s base rear-wheel drive configuration.

The Land Rover Range Rover is the flagship model of the British luxury brand’s SUV lineup, and it appears to be set for a complete redesign for the 2013 model year. The current model dates back to 2002, which makes a fresh platform that much more important.

Although test mules have been spotted being put through their paces, details about the 2013 Range Rover are still scarce. Here’s what we do know: the vehicle is slated to hit the streets in the fall of 2012, and it will be offered with an eight-speed automatic transmission, a V-8 engine and the potential for a diesel / electric hybrid edition. The vehicle’s chassis will also offer a stretched wheelbase compared to the current vehicle, and extensive use of aluminum and composite materials throughout the design will help to lower the large SUV’s curb weight considerably.

Land Rover has traditionally used the Range Rover platform as the basis for several of its models, including the Range Rover Sport, and rumor has it that a seven-passenger vehicle derived from the venerable premium SUV is also in the cards.