When someone goes to buy a pickup truck, their first question is usually not “how fast does it go?” That’s because pickup trucks aren’t known for their speed. The buyer would instead probably ask how much the vehicle can tow or how reliable it is. That’s why companies like Toyota and Nissan typically produce the most popular non-American pickups on the road. Their cars have a historic reputation for reliability, durability, and safety.
But some people just want to go fast, and it doesn’t matter what kind of automobile they do it in. That’s why more and more trucks are being released with optional turbocharged engines and smaller beds to lessen the weight. Sure, you have your Ford F150s (the United States’ most popular car), Dodge Rams, and Chevy Silverados, but in some countries you won’t see those big honking trucks anywhere on the road. They’re made for North American streets, after all. However, in other countries you still might find a Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tundra or Honda Ridgeline.
Let’s be real, the majority of trucks get horrible gas mileage. Still, for many, the capability to lug thousands of pounds behind you - be it to tow your boat or trailer or whatever else - makes the poor gas mileage worth it. If the truck can go fast, even better!
Here are 20 non-American trucks that can go from 0-60 miles per hour in under 10 seconds.
20 2003 Subaru Baja (9.9 seconds)
Coming in last on our list at just a tick under 10 seconds for its 0-60 time is the Subaru Baja. The Turbo was mentioned earlier on this list, but there’s a few more interesting things about this one we thought you might want to know.
The head designer of the Baja, Peter Tenn, remarked in a 2002 interview with USA Today that “the Baja’s jarring look is homage to rally-race trucks. It’s supposed to look funky, look different. It doesn’t fit any category, and we knew that going in. It’s not like anything else on the road, and that’s important to a lot of people.”
Maybe that’s what makes it such a popular truck in, for instance. This 2003 Baja was the first model year (the Baja only ran until 2006), and it wouldn’t be until 2006 that models were given a turbocharged variant engine.
19 2006 Mitsubishi Raider Duro Cross Double Cab (9.5 seconds)
The Mitsubishi Raider is a pickup truck that debuted in 2005 and ended production in 2009. It’s mainly based on the Dodge Dakota, and even the name is a reference to the Dodge Raider SUV which was sold between 1987 and 1990. (The Dodge Raider was a rebrand of the Mitsubishi Montero.)
There were two powerful engine choices for this 2006 model: a 4.7-liter PowerTech V8 with 230 hp, and a 3.7-liter PowerTech V6 with 210 hp. A concept truck called the Street Raider was introduced in California in 2005 with 22-inch wheels and custom exhaust. It came with a $60,000 price tag but it was never made available to the public.
This first generation Raider was manufactured by DaimlerChrysler, and is capable of hitting 0-60 mph in 9.5 seconds.
18 1994 Mazda B4000 SE (9.3 seconds)
The oldest truck on this list (and the only one produced during the 20th century) is the Mazda B4000. Although it sounds like a space-age rocket of some kind, the B-series of pickups from Mazda have been manufactured since 1961. These pickups were named based on their engine displacement. For instance, the B4000 has a 4.0-liter, while the B1500 has a 1.5-liter, etc.
These trucks have different names for different countries. It’s called the Mazda Bravo in Australia, the Mazda Bounty in New Zealand, the Mazda Thunder/Fighter/Magnum in Thailand, and the Mazda Drifter in South Africa.
All we know is that it managed to hit 0-60 mph in 9.3 seconds, which isn’t bad for a pickup from the ‘90s. Even though this pickup lives under the badge of Mazda, it was actually developed by Ford, so we might be cheating here a little bit.
17 2006 Isuzu i-350 Crew Cab (9.2 seconds)
When looking for the fastest non-American pickups to go from 0-60 mph, we had to reach pretty far back in order to include this, the 2006 Isuzu i-350. This truck was only manufactured from 2005 to 2008 and was launched at the New York International Auto Show.
This particular model replaced the Isuzu Hombre, fixing a five-year gap where Isuzu didn’t produce any pickups.
The Isuzu i-350 is based on the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. However, it never reached the same popularity as the Colorado, with only 1,377 units being sold between 2005 and 2006. After Isuzu withdrew from the United States market in 2008, the i-Series of pickups was discontinued. This truck was able to reach 0-60 mph in 9.2 seconds.
16 2016 Volkswagen Amarok 3.0 TDI Highline (7.8 seconds)
The Volkswagen Amarok is a pickup truck that’s been around since 2010, and is one of the lesser known pickups around. It’s pretty large, but is considered in competition with the Nissan Navara, Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, and others. It’s a body-on-frame truck that has leaf springs, double-wishbone suspension, and a turbocharged direct injection (TDI,) or diesel engine.
The 2016 model pictured here runs on a 3.0 TDI V6 engine with roughly 221 hp and is capable of hitting 0-60 mph in 7.8 seconds. The car is not produced in North America, but rather for South African, Russian, Mexican, South American, and European markets.
The truck has been in production since 2010 and it was even awarded Auto Esporte’s Pickup of the Year in Brazil in 2011.
15 2010 Nissan Frontier SE Crew Cab (7.4 seconds)
The third pickup reaching 0-60 mph in 7.4 seconds and the second Nissan Frontier on this list comes from the second generation, or the D40. The second generation of the Frontier lasted from 2004 to 2015, and this SE Crew Cab came out in 2010.
This model pickup received the highest side-impact safety rating from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2010, and the J.D. Power and Associates Highest Ranked Midsize Pickup in Initial Quality award of the same year.
The year after, it was Edmunds.com’s Top Recommended Compact Truck, and was given the highest rating for Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Front, Side, and Roof Strength Evaluations. Besides going fast it also is highly reliable and one of the safest trucks on the road.
14 2004 Subaru Baja Turbo (7.4 seconds)
The Subaru Baja is a lesser known all-wheel-drive pickup that was manufactured from 2002 to 2006. It has the loading capacity of most full-size pickups, as well as the handling and carrying qualities of a traditional passenger car. Its unibody design comes from the platform and sheet metal of the Subaru Outback. It’s one of the most popular trucks of the Baja 1000 race after which it was named.
The Baja was discontinued because Subaru projected to sell 24,000 a year, but it only sold 30,000 in its entire 4-and-a-half-year existence. Still, the Turbo model is a fast truck, with the capability of hitting 0-60 mph in 7.4 seconds. The 2004 model was the first one that had a new 2.5-liter turbocharged engine that gave it 210 hp.
13 2012 Suzuki Equator Crew Cab RMZ-4 (7.4 seconds)
The second of three pickups that managed to reach 0-60 mph in 7.4 seconds is the Suzuki Equator. This mid-size pickup truck was based on the Nissan Frontier, and it was also assembled by Nissan.
Unfortunately, it couldn’t compete with other high-selling pickups on the market and it had a short lifespan, lasting from only 2008 to 2012. In fact, from 2009 on, the Equator rarely sold more than 200 units per month.
Still, the Equator was a pretty fast truck for its day thanks in part to its 4.0-liter V6 engine that gave it 261 hp. Also, on Peterson’s 4Wheel & Off-Road’s 4x4 of the Year list, it trumped the Dodge Ram 1500, the Ford F150, Hummer H3, Kia Borrego, and Toyota Sequoia in 2009.
12 2017 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X Crew Cab (7.3 seconds)
The Nissan Frontier is actually called the Navara on every continent other than the Americas. This is the D22 and D40 generation of Nissan pickup trucks, mostly sold in Europe and Asia, though they’ve made quite a splash in the US as well.
The 2017 model is a “D23” third generation model, which has been around since 2014. Apparently this D23 model is not available in the United States at all. It first commenced production at a new $360 million plant in Samut Prakan in Thailand in 2014.
A Nissan North America spokesperson stated that the D23 is not indicative of a D40 Frontier replacement. This European model features a 2.3-liter engine, which enables it to get from 0-60 mph in 7.3 seconds.
11 2013 Toyota Tacoma X-Runner (7.0 seconds)
Though the PreRunner is faster than the X-Runner, it’s not by much, as you can see here. The X-Runner model mentioned here is part of the second generation of Tacomas as well, which originally featured a 6-speed manual transmission and a new trim from the S-Runner. New LED tail lamps and a slightly revised grille were introduced in 2009 to the X-Runner, TRD, and TRD Sport.
The second generation X-Runner is also the tallest of the Tacomas, with a total height of 72.2 inches (only the Double Cab even reaches 70 inches, and just barely.) It was given great 5-star crash ratings on everything but Rollover, where it scored a 4/5 by NHTSA. Even so, the Tacoma X-Runner is able to hit 0-60 mph in just 7 seconds.
10 2005 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner (6.7 seconds)
We must admit that Toyota trucks are pretty dominant on this list, but there’s no magic trick or secret here: Toyota just builds strong, reliable, and fast trucks, much like their cars.
The Tacoma has been around since 1995. It was first classified as a compact pickup until the second generation (which began in 2005) became a mid-size. The second generation pickup mentioned here was also the first new year model to be awarded Motor Trend Magazine’s Truck of the Year award (2005).
The PreRunner was introduced in 1998. It’s on a two-wheel drive system with taller suspension than the 4WD. The PreRunner is a bit faster than the X-Runner or TRD, as can be denoted by its ability to reach 0-60 mph in just 6.7 seconds.
9 2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E (6.4 seconds)
Here we have the 2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E, which can manage 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds. This sport utility truck (SUT) has been categorized as a lifestyle pickup, and is one of only two trucks produced by Honda.
The Ridgeline is built on a unibody frame, with a transverse-mounted engine and four-wheel independent suspension. It first went on sale in 2006. The second generation was released in 2015.
This new Ridgeline extended the wheelbase, modified the components to support heavier towing, hauling, and off-road use, and added other new features like the dual-action tailgate, the In-Bed Trunk, and the Honda’s Truck Bed Audio System.
8 2017 Toyota Tundra CrewMax (6.4 seconds)
The third and final Toyota Tundra on this list (but not the last Toyota), is the CrewMax. This is the latest full-size pickup truck currently available from Toyota. It has a towing capacity between 6,400 and 10,000 lbs and and is a bit bigger than older Tundra models.
Its size is part of the reason why it gets a low 15 mpg city and 19 highway (though it’s not that low for a pickup of its size). The CrewMax was also built with a SR5 4.6-liter V8 engine, though there are two alternate V8s available, one with a 5.7-liter and the other with 4WD capabilities.
Either way, this engine helped it achieve a 0-60 mph time of just 6.4 seconds, tying it with the Honda Ridgeline RTL-E above from the same class year. It starts at a reasonably low price of $32,250.
7 2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 (6.0 seconds)
The other Tundra on this list came from an earlier model and generation, way back in 2007. Even though Toyota is known for its durability and reliability, they also clearly know how to create powerful pickup trucks. They've produced some of the most popular vehicles in the United States. This Tundra SR5 was the first new model of the second generation of Tundras (2007 to 2013).
The second generation Tundra featured a towing capacity of 10,000 lbs, with a payload capacity of 2,000 lbs. It was also given a new 5.7-liter engine, which helped it reach 0-60 mph in 6 seconds.
This larger Tundra was unveiled at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show and much of its styling came from the Toyota Tacoma and the FTX pickups (the FTX was designed by the same man as the Tundra, Craig Kember).
6 2017 Nissan Titan Crew Cab SL (6.0 seconds)
The third and final Titan on this list (though not the final Nissan vehicle on the list), is a Crew Cab SL. In terms of size it fits in between the King Cab and the Single Cab. This new Titan is part of the second generation, which has only been around since 2016.
The new version of the Titan was originally meant to be a rebrand of the Dodge Ram, but those plans fell apart in 2008 after the financial crisis.
Instead, as mentioned earlier, Nissan partnered with Cummins to create a whole new engine, and they went in-house to create their new body kit. The new Titan was introduced at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, where it stunned everyone. It is able to hit 0-60 mph in just 6 seconds, the same time as Toyota Tundra SR5.
5 Nissan STILLEN Titan King Cab (Supercharged) (5.9 seconds)
The Nissan Titan is a full-sized pickup launched by Nissan in 2004 solely for the North American market. Its had two generations of life. The first was from 2003 to 2015. The Titan originally used Nissan’s full-size F-Alpha platform, which was a new platform for them that began with the Nissan Armada and Infiniti QX56 SUV.
STILLEN (Steve Millen Sportparts, Inc.) is an automotive company founded in 1986 by Steve Millen, a former Nissan race car driver. With a new STILLEN exhaust and supercharger, body kit, and cold air intake, a 2005 Titan King Cab was able to hit 0-60 mph in just 5.9 seconds.
STILLEN has also recently modified a Nissan GT-R to enable it to go from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds flat, rather than 3.6 seconds, so it makes sense that they were able to do the same with a Titan.
4 Nissan Titan SV b (5.9 seconds)
Maybe it’s because it’s a newer model, but the 2017 Nissan Titan SV Single Cab needed no supercharger or upgraded parts for it to be able to reach 0-60 mph in the same time as the King Cab above (5.9 seconds).
The Titan was named after the beings from Greek mythology, which is appropriate given its power and design. The second generation Titan is powered by a 5.6-liter V8 engine with 390 hp, and an alternative has a 310 hp 5.0-liter Cummins turbo diesel V8.
While the King Cab has an extended 6’7” bed, the Single Cab is more than a foot shorter. It also shares the same platform as the Nissan NV, the Armada, the Patrol Y62, and the Infiniti QX56 SUV. Transmission on this 2-door pickup is a 7-speed automatic, as well as a 6-speed for the diesel engine.
3 HSV Maloo R8 (5.3 seconds)
Two of the three fastest pickups in the world (in regards to 0-60 time) were produced by the Ozzies. This HSV Maloo R8 is an older model than the one above by six years, but it was actually this model that broke the record for world’s fastest production pickup in 2006.
The most powerful Maloo ever produced was the Gen-F (2013-2017) 430 kW GTS Maloo, launched in 2014, of which there were only 250 (and an additional 10 for export to New Zealand) made . The Maloo R8 was given a 248 hp V8 engine, and with it the R8 was able to reach 0-60 mph in just 5.3 seconds.
In all, there have been nine generations of the Maloo. They seem to enhance and rebuild the truck every two or three years.
2 Vauxhall VXR8 Maloo (4.8 seconds)
Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) is the performance car branch of Australian automakers Holden. The branch was created in 1987. The Maloo is one of these performance vehicles, and a very popular one in Australia and New Zealand.
The Maloo, whose name means "thunder," has been around since 1990 and has used a V8 engine since its inception. In 2006, a Z Series Maloo became the world’s fastest prodution performance pickup truck when it reached 168 mph, beating the Dodge Ram SRT-10 by about 13 mph.
The VXR is a reinvigorated Maloo with a 6.2-liter V8 engine, producing 469 hp. The roof was lowered, 20-inch wheels were inserted, and the exhaust was made to exit from the side. With this engine and new body kit, the Maloo VXR managed to hit 0-60 mph in just 4.8 seconds.
1 2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Supercharged (4.4 seconds)
The Toyota Tundra has been around in one form or another since 1999. It was the first full-size pickup built by a Japanese manufacturer to be featured in North America, and was awarded the North American Truck of the Year award by Motor Trend in 2000 and 2008.
The first Tundras used a 3.4-liter V6 engine, just like the older Toyota T100 and Tacoma models. However, newer models were given a 4.7-liter V8, which was the first V8 for a Toyota truck.
The TRD Supercharged version took the new engine to even higher levels. In 2008, a bolt-on TRD Supercharger kit became available for Tundras using a 5.7-liter V8, increasing its power to 504 hp. It was discontinued in 2015, but not before it became known as the fastest pickup truck on the planet. It was able to go from 0-60 mph in just 4.4 seconds.
Sources: zeroto60times.com; wikipedia.org