ROAD TESTS

Let’s be clear — that’s not me driving serious farming equipment at the launch of the 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty. Hauling tractors doesn’t really gel with my urban mama style, but this is the kind of activity nearly half of all customers who drive these beefy trucks do on a daily basis. And yes, these buyers are important to understanding what’s going on at Chrysler, and important to keep in mind when assessing the vehicle. I did drive the new 2010 Ram Heavy Duty — Chrysler’s sole launch since the June turmoil — on a balmy October Thursday in Michigan, through glorious autumn foliage in the southeastern Michigan countryside, with a few take away reflections at the pique of the seasonal shift.

Chrysler hopes this is the season for turning a new leaf. Managing director of Fiat and CEO of Chrysler Sergio Marchionne has posted new leadership in a formula replicating Fiat’s internal structure. Texan marketer Fred Diaz Jr. is now president and CEO of the Dodge Ram brand. Design guru Ralph Gilles will be president and CEO of the Dodge Car brand, and continues as Chrysler’s head of product design.

The tide has shifted in an era of rough seas for Chrysler, as perhaps the hardest hit of any automaker. As one person pointed out in Ypsi, Chrysler is either all the way up (the banner minivan years, the launch of the Chrysler 300, or the glory days of the Hemi engine) or all the way down (in the wake of the Daimler pillage, or sub-par passenger cars and generally since car sales fell through the bottom of the ocean.) Chrysler doesn’t do well at status quo. One would hope at this point, there’s only way to go.

But then again, many skeptics didn’t think the Pentastar would make it this long, and low and behold, they still are producing vehicles in the segment they know best – burly trucks. Despite downsizing, cost-cutting and gloom and gloom, Heavy Duty still packs an uppercut. Here Chrysler has long been on it’s A-game, neck and neck with the Ford Super Duty and Chevy Silverado big dogs. While Toyota and Nissan loom, the Big Three knows the profitable truck business. Even if consumers are buying less, there’s more to be made on truck profits, which is why Toyota, Honda and Porsche jumped in to the SUV game several years ago. While trucks and SUVS may cause some green consumers to turn up their nose at the fuel-sucking Americas, let us pause and think what trucks are used for — building, moving and making. No matter what, in our action-packed society, we still need some payload.

Dodge Ram Heavy Duty is a trusty, solid contender in the full-size truck category, ideal for towing, snowplowing, construction and gardening, the kind of work that requires towing capacity, durability and functionality. In big Texas, aka truck country, the Texas Auto Writers like this one best, it was recently announced. To stand assertive, the Ram has a bigger grille, much like it’s 1500 model and that’s the kind of message, a projected Ram buyer would favor.

In my more pedestrian city-girl approach, I simply took and easy breezy fall drive and followed the route from Ypsilanti Marriott just off the campus of Eastern Michigan University and ended up at the Chrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Michigan for about 130 minutes of seat time, feeling like a boss all the way.

The ride was smooth for such a big monster mobile, and the storage space, plentiful and sturdy. No spilling with secure cup holders like this on cold fall mornings. With all the torque and girth, I didn’t feel a bump in the road and despite the size, I easily maneuvered in and out of parking spots and across the road for lane changes. No swivel and swerve, just steady well-balanced power. I didn’t get much backseat time in the quad cab of the off road package I drove, nor the Laramie megacab, that I rode in on the way back, but finding a place to stash a bag was certainly no problem in either spacious cabin.

The marketing numbers provide a composite of the traditional Ram buyer — my favorite stat — nearly 2/3 of Heavy Duty drivers own a dog. And apparently, these guys (90% men) also love bacon, which shows in their average 5 ft 11 200+ lbs frames.

Hence, here is the bread and butter of the Chrysler business. I’m not that guy, the one who will hoist myself up into the big truck, but I did grow up with them in rural suburban Michigan, the kind of dudes who haul around snow mobiles up north. I know some in New York, who like to haul classic cars with big truck like these. And my own father favors a crew cab in the 1500 model. They might like heated seats for freezing days and ventilated seats for sweaty days in the sunshine, but luxury — not so much. It’s about comfort for these outdoorsy types.

Here is the quintessential juxtaposition to the Fiat 500 (which I spotted parked in the Chelsea proving grounds parking lot) Here is the big time truck for all purposes practical, the business Mercedes let be.

It also happens to be Chrysler’s biggest profit margin. One of every eight new vehicles purchased in the U.S. is a full-size pickup truck, Mark Heber, head of Dodge truck marketing, said.

Will commercial construction rebound, and will heavy-duty hobbyists have the cash for a new truck for big play things? That’s the uncertain waters that Chrysler faces in the coming months, but assuming things settle themselves in key markets, Dodge has managed to deliver a solid truck in the 2500 and 3500 that come respectively with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine or a 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel engine. Wait stop — yes I did say diesel, and the 3500 lb only comes with diesel, which cuts down on big foot print emissions considerably. Fuel economy numbers are yet to be released, but are reportedly slightly better than previous generations. The pickup arrives in dealers in a few weeks, hoping to woo customers with a drop in prices from the previous gen models — starting at $28,165.

Related articles

• Chrysler splits Dodge brand into truck, car groups (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Dodge Ram to stand alone in Chrysler shakeup (money.cnn.com)
• Marchionne names new bosses for Chrysler, Dodge (financialpost.com)
• Chrysler Names Executives for Dodge Brands (nytimes.com)

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