Friday, January 9, 2009

Chrysler looks at car-based pickup

Proposed changes to corporate average fuel economy standards could penalize small trucks.

Alisa Priddle / The Detroit News

Chrysler LLC is exploring entering a new vehicle segment with a car-based "lifestyle" pickup as an alternative to slow-selling traditional compact trucks.

"What is needed is a lighter-duty, multipurpose vehicle from a lighter, more fuel-efficient car platform that allows the vehicle to be priced significantly different from what your full-size trucks are," Chrysler product development chief Frank Klegon said in an interview.

The revelation comes as General Motors Corp. is killing plans for a similar vehicle: the Pontiac G8 ST sport truck.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Chrysler looks at car-based pickup

Proposed changes to corporate average fuel economy standards could penalize small trucks.

Alisa Priddle / The Detroit News

Chrysler LLC is exploring entering a new vehicle segment with a car-based "lifestyle" pickup as an alternative to slow-selling traditional compact trucks.

"What is needed is a lighter-duty, multipurpose vehicle from a lighter, more fuel-efficient car platform that allows the vehicle to be priced significantly different from what your full-size trucks are," Chrysler product development chief Frank Klegon said in an interview.

The revelation comes as General Motors Corp. is killing plans for a similar vehicle: the Pontiac G8 ST sport truck.

Umm,

1:The pickup type they are looking at is like the Lambda Pickups, and Ridgeline.

2:By the end of March ,Chrysler will likely be in Chapter 7 , or own by .

Edited January 9, 200917 yr by Toyota.vs.GM

Geez, maybe Chrysler is putting GM's canned GMC Denali XT concept to use? GM should have not dropped the ball with ZETA, rather give it to the truck lines as a lighter-duty, car-based pickup for the 21st century.

Geez, maybe Chrysler is putting GM's canned GMC Denali XT concept to use? GM should have not dropped the ball with ZETA, rather give it to the truck lines as a lighter-duty, car-based pickup for the 21st century.

Umm......wrong

The rules are simple: build what I want, or I buy from whoever does.

Camino, you'd actually buy a Caliber with a bed?

Camino, you'd actually buy a Caliber with a bed?

No, but a Challenger with a bed would have an instant sale. I'd need a new sig immediately.

I have a feeling that if Chrysler goes through with this, it will be more along the lines of the original Dodge Rampage than along the lines of the El Camino or even the Rampage concept from a few years ago. Something based off the LY would still be pretty big, close enough in size to the Ram to make them hesitate. Something based off whatever that crap platform is under the Sebring or even the Caliber/Patriot would bring in truck buyers who dont want or need something that large.

Dodge did built a handsome looking concept a few years ago like this.

However that was based on the minivan platform, I wonder if this would be based on LY? If so that would make a badass new Rampage. It would be yet another example of Chrysler tapping a market no one else will (large RWD cars).

Edited January 9, 200917 yr by Dodgefan

I have a feeling that if Chrysler goes through with this, it will be more along the lines of the original Dodge Rampage than along the lines of the El Camino or even the Rampage concept from a few years ago. Something based off the LY would still be pretty big, close enough in size to the Ram to make them hesitate. Something based off whatever that crap platform is under the Sebring or even the Caliber/Patriot would bring in truck buyers who dont want or need something that large.

That sort of half-assed product would hold no interest for me.

There is nothing quite as ridiculous as a FWD truck.

I have a feeling that if Chrysler goes through with this, it will be more along the lines of the original Dodge Rampage than along the lines of the El Camino or even the Rampage concept from a few years ago. Something based off the LY would still be pretty big, close enough in size to the Ram to make them hesitate. Something based off whatever that crap platform is under the Sebring or even the Caliber/Patriot would bring in truck buyers who dont want or need something that large.

Depends, Chrysler is supposed to make big gains in fuel efficiency with their new powertrains, so size of the car-based platform may not be as much of an issue.

Product overlap is the issue. If it takes sales away from the Ram, why bother? The Ram is the one product they have that has proven capable of sustaining a level of success. Something Dakota sized or smaller makes more sense from a product standpoint.

Product overlap is the issue. If it takes sales away from the Ram, why bother? The Ram is the one product they have that has proven capable of sustaining a level of success. Something Dakota sized or smaller makes more sense from a product standpoint.

Well basing it on LY or even a shortened minivan platform could bring it down in line with the Dakota more than the Ram. It would effectively replace the Dakota, since that hasn't sold well since last gen anyway.

An El Camino like pickup based off of the Magnum would have been an easy thing for Chrysler to have done when the Magnum was in production, had they thought there would have been a sufficient market for such a thing.

This with RWD/AWD will make a nice replacement for the abomination called Dakota.

There is nothing quite as ridiculous as a FWD truck.

What's so ridiculous about that?

What's so ridiculous about that?

They are useless.

Why?

They don't have any real truck capabilities, it's just the wrong configuration for a truck.

Actually, for the Home Depot set, a small, FWD/AWD pickup (think Baja without the rediculous pricetag) makes sense. Enough room in the bed for their plants or a small load of lumber the 10 times a year they actually need it, then a reasonably sized, reasonably fuel efficient trucklet the other 355 days a year.

There has yet to be one that wasn't a total POS. If they got used as a truck, they got used-up in a hurry.

You want the load over the drive wheels.

I'm not talking about an actual load, just the light stuff that people would otherwise cram into the trunk of their Malibu. Plenty of FWD wagons have lived through having their cargo areas loaded up on occasion.

A Baja or Rampage-like pickup wouldn't be good for my local Public Works department, but it would be fantastic for the Parks Department, which currently uses a Ram to fetch fishing poles and basketballs.

I'm not talking about an actual load, just the light stuff that people would otherwise cram into the trunk of their Malibu. Plenty of FWD wagons have lived through having their cargo areas loaded up on occasion.

A Baja or Rampage-like pickup wouldn't be good for my local Public Works department, but it would be fantastic for the Parks Department, which currently uses a Ram to fetch fishing poles and basketballs.

The trouble with them is that inevitably they end up getting treated like a truck - and they can't handle it.

Stupid vehicle for stupid people.

I think the Rampage, even based on a FWD architecture is designed to be strong enough to see light truck duty in line with other small trucks, although I'd have to look up specs. Ideally they'd build it off of the LX, but unlike GM offer regular and crew "cab" versions. Most families have more than 2 people in them.

I think the Rampage, even based on a FWD architecture is designed to be strong enough to see light truck duty in line with other small trucks, although I'd have to look up specs. Ideally they'd build it off of the LX, but unlike GM offer regular and crew "cab" versions. Most families have more than 2 people in them.

Rampage looked pretty good, but was very weak in every way.

Well, I think a Rampage would be a good idea for Chrysler with the upcoming times and regulations.

With the availability of AWD, this would be superior in every way possible to Honda's Ridgeline which actually IS a total abomination.