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Chrysler in "big bad" expansion of truck lineup |
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| USA: June 16, 2004 | ||
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CHELSEA, Mich. - The Chrysler arm of DaimlerChrysler (DCX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) (DCXGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) raised the ante in Detroit's horsepower wars on Tuesday by unveiling two new variants of its powerful Dodge Ram pickup truck.
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The muscular trucks were rolled out at a ceremony at Chrysler's proving grounds in Chelsea, Michigan, where Chrysler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche hailed them as part of "a big, bad and incredibly powerful expansion of the Dodge Ram model lineup." Going on sale this fall the trucks include a four-door version of the Dodge Ram SRT-10 pickup, complete with a 500-horsepower V-10 engine. The regular cab version of the SRT-10 has already given Chrysler bragging rights for brute force. In February it earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest production pickup truck ever, with a measured top speed of nearly 155 miles per hour. The other new truck, which Zetsche touted as "a mobile monument to Dodge Ram capability in off-road environments," is a heavy duty model called the Dodge Ram Power Wagon. Powered by a 345-horsepower Hemi V-8 engine Zetsche said the Power Wagon, a name Chrysler last used 25 years ago, was "the most capable off-road pickup ever built." Analysts may argue that few pickup truck owners ever take their vehicles off road. But Zetsche told reporters "a pretty significant number of people" are interested in the capability anyway. He also said the recent run-up in U.S. gasoline prices had had no "measurable impact" on Chrysler's sales. "We hope that it stays that way," Zetsche said. Like its cross-town rivals Ford Motor Co. (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , Chrysler makes a big chunk of its automotive profits from sales of full-size pickups and SUVs.
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