Mid-Term Report Card: Dodge Durango and Ram Quad Cab Get All A's
6 April 1998
Mid-Term Report Card: Dodge Durango and Ram Quad Cab Get All A's
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 6 -- Dodge Truck's two newest
products are quickly becoming two of the industry's hottest sellers. Mid-way
through the 1998 model year, the Durango and Ram Quad Cab are beating even
Dodge's optimistic projections. Sales for both vehicles reached a record high
in March, with sales of 12,283 units for Durango and 16,605 for Ram Quad Cab.
"We have mined a new area of the marketplace and our customers are
rewarding us for it," said Dodge General Manager Ray Fisher. "While Durango
and Quad Cab are completely different products, their popularity can be traced
to some similar traits, namely flexibility, comfort and convenience. This
unique package -- along with the bold styling that is distinctly Dodge -- is
striking a chord with consumers demanding more from their vehicle."
Since its introduction at the North American International Auto Show in
January of 1997, Dodge has been swamped by requests for more information on
the "right-size" Durango, the first SUV to merge compact handling and
maneuverability with full-size power and capability. By the time they reached
dealerships in September, dealers had long lists of potential Durango owners.
"To some extent, Durango rivaled the original Viper in consumer interest
when we introduced it in Detroit," Fisher said. "The letters we received
didn't say 'I want to get one' but more like 'I must have one.' And by the
time they made it to dealerships, dealers were practically selling them before
they could unload them from the vehicle haulers."
After the initial production ramp-up at the Chrysler's Newark, Del.,
assembly plant, Durango sales have steadily climbed. Total sales for Durango
are now over 50,000 for the model year.
"We've had to amend our production plan for Durango in 1998," said Gary
Henson, Manufacturing Vice President. "Originally, in our first year of
production, we planned to build about 108,000 units but consumer demand has
forced that up to about 129,000. Fortunately for our Durango customers, we've
invested an additional $43 million into our Newark facility for new equipment
and process improvements. This will not only help this year, but will allow
us to boost future annual production to over 200,000 units."
Do two extra doors make that big of a difference? When it comes to full-
size pickups, they do. And for the only automaker with an extended cab full-
size pickup with four doors, the difference has shown in the overwhelming
popularity for the Ram Quad Cab.
"Quad Cab meets the growing need in the marketplace for a more versatile
pickup, one that it as capable a people hauler as it is a work truck," Fisher
said. "By adding the two doors -- along with the many interior improvements
-- we've met their needs more than ever before."
Quad Cab is the third hit product in the Ram family since its
re-introduction four years ago. After launching the Regular Cab in 1994 to
rave reviews and increased sales, the 1995 Ram Club Cab helped increase Ram
sales even further.
Total Ram sales now run over 320,000 annually, up more than 400 percent
from 1993. Since its introduction in September, Quad Cab had become the most
popular Ram model, making up more than 50 percent of total Ram sales. Quad
Cab sales have now surpassed 90,000 units for the 1998 model year.
SOURCE Chrysler Corporation