Chrysler has big plans for Ram trucks

[rickaren]

Chrysler has big plans for Ram trucks

Posted on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 9:28 AM EST. (Employee News)

Chrysler Group LLC wants to make its new Ram truck brand as big, bold and profitable as the full-size pickups that are its cornerstone, and plans to do it by expanding into commercial vans and potentially big rigs, The Detroit News reported.

Building on the success of Chrysler’s truck division is part of the Auburn Hills, Mich.. automaker’s five-year plan to return to profitability by 2011, the paper said. The plan includes putting more emphasis on individual brands and incorporating products from Italian partner Fiat SpA, the News said.

The goal is to boost global Ram truck sales from 280,000 today to 415,000 in 2014, mostly in North America, the paper said. Steady growth will come from product improvements, significantly more advertising than has been done in the past, and adding new commercial vans to the Ram lineup, Fred Diaz, Ram brand chief, said in a recent interview with The Detroit News. By 2012, two new Ram commercial vans will be for sale in the U.S. and the brand could broaden further as Chrysler considers adding 18-wheelers to the Ram product portfolio, Diaz told the paper. (The Detroit News)