Dodge says truck market is alive and well

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The redesigned 2009 Dodge Ram is now on its way to dealers in a market that’s not as robust as it was even a year ago, thanks to the recent record-high gasoline prices.

But even with the drop-off in pickup sales this year, the numbers show that there still is a lucrative truck market, Chrysler LLC officials say. Trucks account for 11 percent of new-vehicle sales.

Mostly gone from the market, though, are the "casual truckers," Dodge Brand Manager Mike Accavitti said during a recent media ride-and-drive event for the new Ram.

"Those are the buyers who are the greatest risk in troubled times because they have no need for a pickup," he said.

But there are four other groups of consumers who still need and buy pickups, and it’s primarily to those people that Dodge will market the new Ram, he said.

They include "new-fabric families" who can afford only one new vehicle and find a pickup to be the best choice for their everyday needs; "recreational riders," who use their trucks to pull horse or boat trailers, or to haul recreational equipment (a big market in Texas); "traditional truckers," the people who have always owned pickups for personal use, "the Marlboro men of trucks"; and the "work first" buyers, who use their pickups almost exclusively to earn their incomes, Accavitti said.

To keep Dodge competitive, the new Ram is "the most well-crafted vehicle we’ve ever produced," Accavitti said.

"This truck is a game-changer," he said. "We’ve re-invented the pickup truck segment again."

Accavitti poked some fun at Ford’s decision to delay the introduction of its redesigned 2009 F-150 pickup from September to November or December, as well as Toyota’s shutdown of Tundra production for three months and Nissan’s plan to stop building its Titan pickup after 2010 and instead market a rebadged version of the Dodge truck.

"Our competitors are running and hiding," he said. "Are these tough times? Yes, but the truck market is still alive and well, and we want to compete."

The new Ram begins with the single-cab ST work truck, which has a starting price of $22,170. Other trim levels include the SLT, which Accavitti calls the "value truck"; the Laramie, which he says comes with "all the bells and whistles"; the Sport, designed for on-road driving; the TRX, which is the off-road model; and the performance-oriented R/T regular cab, which goes from zero to 60 mpg in 6.1 seconds.

For 2009, the Ram also comes in its first true crew-cab model, which expands the space of the Quad Cab version (which carries over to the new lineup as well).

The Quad Cab, with four doors and a back seat, isn’t as roomy and functional as other manufacturers’ crew-cab models, but is comparable to the extended-cab version of the Chevrolet Silverado. But unlike the Silverado, the Quad Cab’s doors open to the rear from the outside.

The Ram crew cab has full-size rear doors and a back seat this is comfortable for three full-size adults.

Crew cabs have become the biggest segment in pickup sales, Accavitti said.

"The crew cab was virtually non-existent seven years ago, but now is 50 percent of the market," he said.

Three engines are available in the new Ram, including a 3.7-liter V-6. Standard on the two-wheel-drive regular and Quad Cab models, this engine is rated at 210 horsepower and 235 foot-pounds of torque.

With the standard six-speed manual gearbox, the V-6 has EPA ratings of 15 miles per gallon in the city and 20 on the highway; with the optional four-speed automatic, the mileage is 14 city/20 highway.

Next is a 4.7-liter V-8, with 310 horsepower and 330 foot-pounds of torque. With a five-speed automatic, this engine is EPA rated at 13 city/19 highway with two-wheel drive, and 13/18 with four-wheel drive.

The top engine is the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, with 380 horsepower and 404 foot-pounds of torque. Also connected to the five-speed automatic, this engine has the same EPA ratings as the 4.7-liter.

That’s in part because it has a cylinder-deactivation system that cuts out four of the cylinders during level cruising to increase highway mileage. An indicator on the dash shows the driver when the engine is operating in four-cylinder mode.

The new Ram has a maximum payload of 1,850 pounds, and a 9,100-pound towing capacity.

On a test drive in the mountains north and east of Santa Barbara, both the 4.7- and 5.7-liter engines proved to be more than capable of moving the crew cab model easily. But, surprisingly, even the regular cab model with the V-6 performed well on those mountain roads.

The new Ram’s ride is the smoothest I’ve ever experienced in a pickup, thanks to a new five-link, coil-spring suspension on the rear that replaced the traditional leaf-spring arrangement that pickups normally have.

Inside, the cab was quiet and well laid out. It’s the most carlike Ram interior ever, and in the uplevel models, it’s actually on par with the interiors of some luxury SUVs.

The new Ram has an optional center console between the driver and front passenger that has a side slot that can hold file folders. Its center storage area is large enough to keep a laptop computer out of sight.

A great new feature is the optional Ram Box, built into each side of the cargo bed. These built-in storage compartments with locking, flip-up tops keep tools, supplies, golf bags, and even beverages in a place with quick, convenient access.

They are waterproof, so they can even double as coolers – stuffed with drink cans or bottles and filled with ice, as Dodge demonstrated during an evening dinner on the beach.

The storage boxes on each side of the bed take away some of the interior width, but the bed still can accommodate standard sheets of plywood, Accavitti said. Inside the bed, a cargo-management system has adjustable tie-downs.

Available amenities include automatic climate control, GPS navigation, rear-seat DVD/satellite TV entertainment center, leather seats, a surround-sound audio system with rear-seat subwoofer, and automatic headlights.

Other options include a rearview camera mounted in the top of the tailgate that looks down upon the trailer hitch so the driver can back the truck up to a trailer without having to be guided from outside. A rear parking-assist option also is offered.

The redesign has given the Ram’s exterior a more-carlike quality and craftsmanship with narrow gaps and less wind resistance. The narrow gaps between body panels help eliminate whistling noises that can make their way into a passenger compartment at highway speeds.

Dodge kept the signature Ram grille, but it now leans forward at the top to give it an in-your-face "drill sergeant" look, similar to that of the new Challenger coupe, Accavitti said. Unlike the current generation of the Ram, the grille remains in place when the hood is lifted. This makes the hood lighter and easier to handle.

The Ram’s-head logo is larger and more prominent in the center of the grille, and a second Ram’s head is in the center of the tailgate. Chrome is featured prominently on the exterior. Standard are 17-inch wheels, but 20-inch chrome wheels are optional.

While only the three gasoline engines will be offered initially, the Ram will be available with a gasoline-electric hybrid drive system and a Cummins clean-diesel engine next year.

The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III have appeared regularly in the Star-Telegram since 1995. Contact him at 210-250-3236; chambers@star-telegram.com.