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Originally scheduled for use in the SRT and Ram Heavy Duty pickups, a newly developed 6.4-liter V8 gasoline engine is now only headed for high-performance car duty. According to Joe Veltri, Chrysler's VP of product development, the new engine is designed for high performance and not the sort of physical labor that a truck requires. While no specifics have been provided on the engine, it is believed that the 6.4-liter Hemi (which is set to replace the 6.1-liter Hemi) will get Fiat's Multiair variable valve timing technology as well as cylinder deactivation to significantly improve fuel economy.
Instead, Chrysler appears to be looking at ways to improve the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 currently available to give it added capability. While Veltri sees a need for continued availability of a gasoline engine in the HD trucks, Chrysler is also currently in talks with Cummins to produce a smaller diesel engine that could be used in both the standard Ram 1500 models and as an alternative base engine in the heavy duty trucks.
Being that Chrysler is now owned by Fiat and the importance European automakers place on diesel technology, we expect to see more diesels pop up in the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep range in the future. A while it's still not likely that diesel cars will catch on in North America, more diesel engines on the truck side could help Chrysler to become a more competitive player with the other big-two.
Chrysler is moving ahead with plans to deliver its light-duty Ram pickups with a diesel option, sourced from none-other than the automaker’s long-time heady duty diesel partner, Cummins.
Joe Veltri, VP of product planning at Chrysler told PickupTrucks.com that they are currently in discussions with Cummins, commenting that, “There’s no contract [with Cummins], but [a light-duty diesel] is in our plan.”
Chrysler had planed to introduce a diesel for the Ram 1500 already, but any existing contracts were voided when Chrysler filed for bankruptcy over the summer. The rumored new engine is said to be a 5.0-liter V8 that Veltri says could also be used in the heavy duty pickups as well, something that would certainly give Dodge (or the new Ram brand we should say) a unique offering in the light-duty truck segment.
With talks ongoing, there’s still no word on when a light-duty diesel Ram could make it to market.
You've likely heard a lot about Toyota's woes over the past several months and there's one automaker who couldn't be happier to be out of the hot-seat – Chrysler. While sales are only down three percent so far this year, over half of Chrysler's sales have been to fleets, which is never a positive sign and simply kills a car's resale value.
A member of the Big Three, Chrysler isn't so big any more, slipping to 7th place in the U.S., when you examine just sales to customers. Edmunds.com says consumer sales have dropped 44 percent. Comparatively, Toyota's consumer sales have dipped just 14 percent, even with a still struggling economy and massive recalls that have smeared the Japanese automaker's once-good name.
Chrysler representatives are very much aware of their company's problems but even with new Fiat ownership and leadership, new and updated models will take time to come to market. "We have to rebuild consumers' confidence in the company," said a comany spokeswoman to CNN Money. "The fact that large companies are willing to buy our vehicles helps rebuild that confidence, so fleet is part our businesses strategy."
Fleet sales will help sustain Chrysler in the short term, but improved consumer sales are the only viable long-term solution.
The problem appears to be with the brand image, as according to Erich Merkle, president of Autoconomy.com, even highly-acclaimed vehicles like the new Dodge Ram are suffering, despite winning this year's Motor Trend Truck of the Year award.
For Chrysler to change its perception, it will take many long years and quality products, the first of which is expected this year in the new Jeep Grand Cherokee. After that, Chrysler will roll out several updated versions of its most popular models, while a longer-term strategy will have new, possibly Fiat-based, compact and mid-size models hit the market.
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