Chrysler Group Considering New Pickups
Ram and Jeep officials hint at their plans, which could include a multipurpose Jeep with a truck bed that would be based on the Wrangler.
Chrysler Group LLC's future lineup could include two new multipurpose pickups, according to the Detroit News.
Those vehicles are the unibody replacement for the Dodge Dakota and a Jeep with a truck bed.
Work continues on a replacement for the Dakota, which goes out of production at the end of the third quarter. The replacement is planned to hit the market in 2012 as a 2013 model, and could come from a Chrysler or Fiat SpA car platform, said Fred Diaz, head of the Ram brand. Or, the vehicle could get its own unique underpinnings.
Diaz also said the Dakota name is unlikely to continue, and the new vehicle would be re-named.
The new midsize pickup with room for at least four passengers will feature fuel economy of at least 30 miles per gallon.
Jeep CEO Sergio Marchionne said there is a "better than 50 percent" chance that the Gladiator pickup concept from 2005 will be made.
The brand can expect a multipurpose Jeep with a truck bed and would be based on the Jeep Wrangler. A Jeep with a truck bed could be sold internationally, whereas Ram is a regional brand centered in North America. Mike Manley, head of the Jeep brand, said a Jeep pickup is "never off the radar."
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