Who remembers the 1991 to 1993 GMC Cyclone? If you’re not familiar with the awesome compact truck, it was a special edition of the GMC Sonoma that took advantage of an impressive turbocharger that led to a 0 to 60 time of 4.3 seconds. That was quick enough to take down a Ferrari 348.
The small truck segment in 2024/2025 seems perfectly poised for the Cyclone to make an appearance, so let’s not waste any time and hop right into it by taking a look at the six reasons why GMC Cyclone will top the compact segment sales chart.
6. GM Already Has the Engine
So here’s the deal: the original Cyclone was powered by a turbocharged V6. Well, GM has recently introduced a new range of engines that include several small displacement designs ideally suited for adding a turbocharger or two.
We think the newest 2.5L V6 is an ideal engine that GM could use to power a brand new Cyclone. We’ve already seen the LK0 variant in the Chevrolet Traverse crossover SUV, pumping out 315 horsepower.
This is the perfect engine for GM to use in the brand new Montana compact pickup that debuted in Brazil in 2023. It could make an appearance in North American markets.
The secret of the original Cyclone was the incredible horsepower to weight ratio GM achieved. The newest 2.5L V6 is a lightweight and compact engine ideally suited to high horsepower applications. If GM brings the new compact UD body pickup design to the States, shoehorning the V6 into it should be no problem.
There are also some other options we think make sense, including a mild hybrid variant that could easily generate massive power. We’re already seeing hybrids from Stellantis that are producing more power than the old-school V8 engines that are falling out of favor.
The newest Chevrolet Silverado pickup is available with a hybrid drive system that produces an astonishing 754 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque. The new truck is also a UDAB body design that allows for low weight, but the overall size is simply too much for the average buyer looking for a compact pickup truck.
We see GM using the lessons learned from the first-ever hybrid truck to develop a wonderful compact pickup that uses a hybrid drive system to produce legendary power.
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5. The Market is Prime for a New GM Compact Pickup
We already mentioned that many manufacturers are introducing compact pickups, and American buyers are snapping them up like crazy. It won’t be long before we get confirmation of a new compact pickup from GM in the United States. There are several reasons the compact truck segment is on fire these days.
For one, buyers in the US love the utility of a pickup truck. It used to be the case that pickup buyers primarily were interested in doing work, whether it’s construction jobs or hauling things. Most buyers wanted big powerful heavy-duty trucks. But these days, the average truck buyer doesn’t need the massive power and ability to tow thousands of pounds.
They want a vehicle that offers utility and durability. They also want a vehicle that’s comfortable and easy to drive. The combination of utility and comfort makes the compact pickup segment a hot item for today’s buyers.
Compact pickups that are hitting the road in 2024 offer a car-like ride. They’re simple to park and they have the ability to handle small projects. Beyond these basics, the compact trucks today also look cool, something that was definitely lacking in the 1990s when the original Cyclone debuted.
Since its release earlier this year in South America, Chevrolet has reported Montana sales of nearly 20,000 units, making it one of the best-selling models in the country. In the US, the Ford Maverick has been such a hit that dealers can’t keep them on the lot. Ford reports sales numbers are up by 161% this year, and that is despite the fact that the factory that builds the Maverick was shut down for several weeks.
With the competitor’s numbers showing just how popular compact pickups are in the US, it is only logical that GM is looking for a way to get the Montana into the US. When that happens, it’ll only be a matter of time before the Cyclone makes a return.
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4. Buyers Love Street Trucks
When you take a look at the trucks on the street, you’ll notice that many of them are lowered and are built for street driving, not off-roading. This is where we think the Cyclone would fit perfectly. GM could give the truck an aggressive appearance and may use high-end suspension components and all-wheel drive to create a phenomenal street truck that can blast past the competition.
Even though many people never get to take advantage of all the power many trucks offer, knowing that you have the fastest pickup on the road is a great way to get peace of mind. In our research, we’ve found that street performance trucks are more popular today than ever before.
Not only are buyers customizing regular trucks, but most manufacturers offer a special package that improves street performance at the cost of off-road capabilities. Since most people will never take their truck off-road, it makes a lot of sense for GM to cater the development of the Cyclone package around a street performance vehicle.
We would like to see the Cyclone fitted with large wheels, probably in the 18-inch range, with a wide profile to fit street performance tires. This combination would give the Cyclone excellent handling and would allow drivers to take advantage of the huge torque available through the turbocharged V6 or hybrid drive systems.
A wide range of styling options are available to GM that will reduce drag to allow a compact truck to meet high-speed applications head-on. We can imagine the use of venting and underbody aerofoil technology that not only makes the truck faster but more efficient.
3. Buyers Want the Most Efficiency Possible
The recent news that OPEC is aiming to strangle the US by intentionally reducing oil production while simultaneously opening sales to China and Russia means that gas prices are going to continue to climb. That means buyers will be looking at the most fuel-efficient options available. This is one of the bigger reasons we think GM will bring a compact pickup to the market.
Even the most fuel-efficient full-size trucks struggle to get better than 20 MPG, a fact that often leads buyers to choose less powerful engines in order to squeeze just a few more MPGs out of their truck.
A small and lightweight compact truck could see fuel mileage in excess of 40 MPG, something that is pretty much impossible with a true body-on-frame truck. The available options for hybridization or even a fully electric offering mean that the Cyclone will have industry-leading efficiency.
2. Buyers Want the Value That Compact Trucks Offer
Anyone who has gone shopping for a new truck in the last few years has probably experienced a bit of sticker shock. Sure, there are low-cost trucks out there, but they tend to be stripped-down models that lack the essential features and functions that make owning a truck worth it.
The compact truck segment is an ideal way for buyers to find a useful and competent truck that also doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Even special models still offer a great way for buyers to get unique features at a reasonable cost. Take, for example, the Ford Maverick Tremor. The package adds all-wheel drive, a lifted suspension, and cool graphics that help it stand out from the crowd. Even better is the fact that the package adds just $33,000 to the cost of a new truck. You can’t even use aftermarket equipment to get the performance Ford baked into the Maverick for that little cash.
The Montana starts at just $22,000, a rock-bottom price that is going to be hard for the competition to beat. If GM brings a compact pickup like the Montana to the States, the starting price will be less than what Ford or Hyundai are selling for, which makes the GM product even more attractive to buyers. We anticipate a starting price of around $24,000, with high-end models of the compact pickup coming in around $35,000.
That pricing would put serious heat on the competition and would likely result in significant sales. The Cyclone package would be anticipated to slot right in there with the Ford Maverick Tremor and would immediately be a better deal for buyers.
1. The Nostalgia Effect
Here’s the biggest thing that we see leads us to think that GM is working feverishly to get a Cyclone compact truck to the US: nostalgia. Almost every manufacturer has taken advantage of throwback designs in recent years, and all of them have been sales successes. While the Cyclone may not be the most memorable pickup out there, fans of the truck are abundant.
Even new buyers who don’t know about the history of these trucks would love the vintage look and feel of a throwback.
GM has certainly noticed the popularity of the new Bronco Sport, and there’s no way the company will miss out on an opportunity to capitalize by introducing a Cyclone pickup in the next few years. Until then, all we can do is guess what it’ll be like, but one thing’s for sure: when GM builds it, the Cyclone will top the compact segment sales charts.
