Slate AutoWhat's an SUV, exactly? Well, if you're Slate, and you just call your base model pickup a Blank Slate, then the vernacular gets surprisingly confusing. Slate calls the boxier version with a second-row bench seat and three extra airbags a Squareback SUV. The rig in the shot above is the Fastback SUV. Got all that? Good. The Blank Slate runs $24,950. Although Slate's $1,450 destination charge brings the actual base price to $26,400. Luckily, the destination charge is the same regardless of body configuration. The Squareback SUV costs $29,950 ($31,400 with destination). That's exactly $5,000 more than the Blank Slate — meaning that's what the SUV conversion kit costs directly from the factory. The $31,950 ($33,400 with destination) Fastback SUV is the sportiest, and likely, more cramped SUV body style. We don't know how much interior volume falls because Slate only lists 58 cubic feet regardless of configuration.Further, per Slate's PR, if you order either the Squareback SUV or the Fastback SUV, they will come assembled that way from the factory. Ordinarily, you wouldn't have to even ask this question, because if you order a Ford Maverick or a Ford Bronco Sport, which actually share the same chassis, you're not scratching your head at the dealership wondering if they're going to make you LEGO your Bronco Sport together. But Slate's business is different. Because if you decide a year from now that you want to convert your Blank Slate into a Fastback, they'll ship you those parts to make the conversion. Yes, it's kind of like Ikea, save that Slate isn't going to force you to make these mods yourself. It's also probably why none of our readers want a Slate as a LEGO kit, because it's already kind of a LEGO kit?Read more: 5 Companies That Make Classic Car Bodies When The Automakers Won'tSlate hasn't said how much they'll charge for helping you outrblfmr/ShutterstockWe also asked Slate PR if there's any difference in the factory-direct, $5,000 cost of a Squareback kit or the $7,000 factory-direct cost of the Fastback. Meaning, will they charge more if you're ordering these kits a year from now, after already taking delivery of a Blank Slate? Unfortunately, Slate did not clarify. AdvertisementAdvertisementEven if it's the same price, it means you'll still be out your own labor at the very least. Slate told the site Inside EVs that the conversion from Blank Slate to SUV might take a handy person a few hours of work. But if you're not a DIY kind of human, they'll also directly ship the body modification system to an installer. And what might their labor cost? Slate hasn't said, and when we asked about those prices or suggested fees for that, they also didn't add detail, only saying, via email, "We haven't shared specific pricing on installation yet. We'll share more details closer to the first deliveries." We do know that if you want to get an assist on wrapping your Slate with vinyl, they're expecting that to run about $500.There's yet another SlateSlate AutoThere's another version of the Slate we haven't mentioned. It's the $3,950 Open Air Kit (via Slate). This is the most "Jeep" you can make a Slate, because it adds the rear bench seat to the bed, plus a roll cage, and the integrated airbags you'd be getting with either the Fastback or the Squareback. This version feels strictly Miami Beach to us, because, unless you live somewhere where there's always an ocean breeze, the effect is very much what happens when you remove the doors and roof of a Wrangler. It's fun: Until it's blazing hot on your drive back from said beach, you're stuck in wall-to-wall traffic on the Interstate, and there isn't enough sunblock in the world to prevent misery. Or, you know, it rains.Okay, Slate says it only takes a few hours to achieve this conversion, so if you've got the Blank Slate and think you'll likely never actually need the SUV setup, you could spring for the Open Air Kit and set your truck up this way for the summer. Then again, it's $1,050 above the Open Air Kit to get the full SUV Squareback conversion, which seems like it will have far higher ROI. Especially because: winter. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and follow us or add us as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on Jalopnik.
