Chrysler Corp. is entering 2010 with the Ram badge front and center on its commercial truck offerings, which will be strengthened over time by vehicles supplied by its new parent, Italy's Fiat.
A spokesperson for Ram Trucks told Fleet Owner at press time that Ram vehicles will continue to be sold and serviced at existing Dodge Truck dealerships.
He said the company would not comment on future powertrain offerings but noted that “our current Cummins 6.7-liter turbodiesel already meets the 2010 EPA requirements in our all-new 2010 Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty pickups and 2011 Ram 3500/4500 and 5500 chassis cabs.”
Turning to what will likely be the first Ram to arrive by way of Italy, he said: “We are currently evaluating our commercial truck portfolio and as was mentioned at our Nov. 4 [2009] press conference, we are looking at a Sprinter replacement from Fiat in the 2012 time frame.”
As to whether that truck will carry the same name it does in Europe, as has been the case with Daimler's Sprinter, he remarked that “we cannot comment on vehicle names or configurations at this time.”
When asked for an update on how soon a heavier Class 5 or a Class 6 or 7 Ram truck might be rolled out, he said that “as mentioned in our Nov. 4 press conference, we are investigating the possibility of expanding into the larger truck segment but no timetable was given.” He added that “we have announced that a Hybrid Ram 1500 [pickup] will be available in 2010.”
