DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group Is Adding Two High-Powered Trucks to Its Dodge Ram Lineup

CHELSEA, Mich. June 15, 2004; John Porretto writing for the AP reported that DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group is adding two high-powered trucks to its Dodge Ram lineup, furthering an industry trend toward more muscular vehicles.

Chrysler said the new Dodge Ram Power Wagon and SRT-10 Quad Cab will join its lineup this fall for the 2005 model year. The two Ram derivatives, unveiled Tuesday at Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds 60 miles west of Detroit, are part of an aggressive product enhancement for the U.S.-based arm of the German-American automaker.

Auburn Hills-based Chrysler plans to introduce 25 new cars and trucks by the end of 2006, including nine this year.

"The Dodge Ram Power Wagon goes places no other pickup can, while the Ram SRT-10 Quad Cab hauls in more ways than one," said Dieter Zetsche, president and chief executive of the Chrysler Group.

Zetsche, who was sent to the United States more than three years ago to revive the struggling Chrysler Group, has said fresh new vehicles are the key to the company's turnaround.

Chrysler has yet to formally announce the upcoming rebirth of the Dodge Charger muscle car and a new full-size SUV called the Jeep Commander, but company officials have acknowledged their place in the product pipeline.

The Power Wagon returns to Dodge for the first time in 25 years. Based on the Dodge Ram 2500, it is designed more for rugged working conditions than for mainstream driving.

Its 33-inch tires are the tallest standard tires offered on a production pickup. The Power Wagon will come equipped with one engine, the 345-horsepower Hemi V-8.

The Quad Cab is aimed at truck enthusiasts who want racing performance with room for the family and towing capacity. The four-door version of Dodge's existing Ram SRT-10 regular cab pickup will come equipped with a 500-horsepower Dodge Viper V-10 engine.

Mike Wall, an analyst with the automotive forecasting firm CSM Worldwide, said Chrysler is simply catering to consumer tastes. Truck and SUV sales, for example, were up 7.3 percent from a year ago through the end of May, despite rising fuel prices.

"The demand is still for bigger, badder, faster," Wall said. "Certainly, you have to be concerned about the environmental side and where those trends are going, and you need to have contingencies in place. But Chrysler is following the consumer, and at the end of the day you can't go wrong betting on the consumer."