Thanks to a redesign for 2002, the full-size Dodge Ram pickup has captured an 18.1 percent share of the truck market in the first nine months of this year, up from 15.9 percent a year earlier. And a third shift was added in recent days to increase output by 60,000 units annually.
Hmm. If Ram is doing that well, is it time for Chrysler to join General Motors and Ford in offering a full-size sport-utility vehicle off its full-size pickup platform?
“There’s no pressure on Dodge to offer a $50,000 SUV, and Chrysler has minivans and soon the Pacifica [sedan/SUV crossover],” says George Murphy, senior vice president of marketing for Chrysler Group.
So only Jeep would be a “maybe” for a big SUV, he said. But it “would have to be Jeep capable [off-roading] and not a gaudy street cruiser vehicle,” Murphy said.
With speculation that Dodge makes $6,000 to $7,000 in profit on each light-duty Ram sold and $7,000 to $8,000 on each heavy-duty Ram sold, it appears trucks are going to pay the bills until Chrysler revamps its car lineup over the next few years.
“We appreciate the margins on trucks,” says Gary Dilts, senior vice president of sales for Chrysler Group.
