Which Chevrolet model was the brand’s first compact pickup truck?

The Chevrolet LUV was the brand’s first compact pickup truck. Chevrolet introduced it in the United States for the 1972 model year as a rebadged Isuzu Faster, responding to demand for smaller and more economical trucks.

LUV stood for Light Utility Vehicle. The pickup used a compact chassis, a four-cylinder engine, and rear-wheel drive, making it smaller and lighter than Chevrolet’s full-size C/K trucks. Its imported origins also distinguished it from Chevrolet’s traditionally domestic truck lines.

The LUV preceded the Chevrolet S-10, which arrived for 1982 as Chevrolet’s first domestically designed compact pickup. That distinction causes frequent confusion. The LUV was the earlier Chevrolet-branded compact pickup, while the S-10 established a longer-running American compact-truck line.