Ram Brand

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Lights, camera -- uh, boss, we have a little problem here . . .

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
I love wordplay, so when photos arrived of the big blue Pacific crashing against a floundering Ram heavy-duty pickup during a beach photo shoot gone wrong, my mind just raced Larry P. Vellequette covers Chrysler Group for Automotive News.... Read More »

 

Chrysler recalls 469,000 SUVs worldwide over gearshift issue

12:52 pm U.S. ET | May 11, 2013
Chrysler Group is recalling about 469,000 SUVs worldwide to update software after some vehicles' circuit boards were found to be transmitting signals that trigger inadvertent gearshifts to neutral, the automaker said Saturday.... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Ram photo shoot goes horribly, horribly wrong

12:00 pm U.S. ET | May 7, 2013
I love puns, so when photos arrived of the big blue Pacific crashing against a floundering Ram heavy-duty pickup during a beach-photo-shoot-gone-wrong, my mind just raced.... Read More »

 

A rich harvest for 'Farmer' ads

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
Chrysler Group's chief marketing officer says the automaker's "Farmer" campaign launched during the 2013 Super Bowl is boosting Ram consideration among prospective pickup buyers.... Read More »

 

Nissan lures Ram brand boss Diaz

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
The departure of Fred Diaz, head of Chrysler Group's Ram brand, to become Nissan Division's top sales executive marks the first time a Chrysler brand chief has voluntarily left for another automaker since Fiat S.p.A. took over Chrysler four years ago.... Read More »

 

FINAL ASSEMBLY

It's official: The 'R' on VIN shows Ram is a real brand

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
After three years, Chrysler's Ram pickup and commercial vehicle brand finally has shed the last vestige of its former Dodge moniker.... Read More »

 

Nissan names Chrysler exec Diaz to head U.S. sales, marketing

1:35 pm U.S. ET | April 12, 2013
Nissan Motor Co. today named Fred Diaz, head of Chrysler Group's Ram brand and Mexico operations, divisional vice president of Nissan Division sales and marketing. Diaz, 47, becomes the first Chrysler Group brand-level executive to voluntarily leave since the automaker was taken over by Fiat S.p.A.... Read More »

 

Chrysler recalls more than 214,000 vehicles in U.S.

4:01 pm U.S. ET | April 9, 2013
Chrysler Group is recalling more than 214,000 cars and trucks to fix a range of problems, including an engine cover that overheated and led to a fire under the hood of a prototype Ram 3500, documents released today show.... Read More »

 

Chrysler sales up 5%; pickups, mid-sized sedans jump

12:48 pm U.S. ET | April 2, 2013
Record sales of pickups and mid-sized sedans boosted Chrysler Group sales by 5 percent in March, extending a string of consecutive monthly sales increases to 36.... Read More »

 

NEW YORK AUTO SHOW

Diaz: Keep it simple

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 1, 2013
Fred Diaz, CEO of Chrysler Group's Ram truck brand, says the 2013 Ram 1500 pickup's Uconnect infotainment system has been well received by buyers because it's not designed with early adopters in mind.... Read More »

 

NEW YORK AUTO SHOW

Diaz: Ram weighs mid-sized pickup

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 1, 2013
Chrysler Group is seriously considering a mid-sized pickup for the Ram brand. But an entry-level Chrysler 100 sedan is not a priority.... Read More »

 

Chrysler's Ram considers more sports team edition trucks

11:20 am U.S. ET | March 28, 2013
Chrysler is considering expanding its successful Ram truck promotional tie-in with Detroit's professional hockey team to other sports and cities, said Fred Diaz, head of the Ram truck brand.... Read More »

 

52 MILLION HISPANICS AND SOARING

Se habla espaņol

12:01 am U.S. ET | March 18, 2013
Many automakers used to view Hispanic-oriented marketing as a way to drum up extra sales when their marketing budgets allowed. Today, they know not to overlook or underestimate a demographic now responsible for most of the nation's population growth and one that is expected to become the largest ethnic group in California next year.... Read More »

 

MAKE MEETINGS -- CHRYSLER GROUP

Chrysler to dealers: Keep focus on sales

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 18, 2013
Chrysler Group executives promised Fiat dealers a spring preview of new products planned for their showrooms and heard Jeep retailers plead for more Wranglers and Grand Cherokees.... Read More »

 

PRODUCTION LINE

Diesel-powered Ram 1500 to arrive this year

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 18, 2013
Ram will offer diesel-powered half-ton pickups this year, Chrysler Group's first such trucks since 1978.... Read More »

 

Chrysler plans diesel version of 2014 Ram half-ton pickup

10:09 am U.S. ET | Feb. 14, 2013
Chrysler Group's Ram brand plans to sell a half-ton pickup later this year with a diesel engine -- its first such offering since 1978.... Read More »

 

Lexus again tops J.D. Power dependability study; Detroit 3 narrow gap

10:00 am U.S. ET | Feb. 13, 2013
Lexus remains the most dependable vehicle brand after three years of ownership but the Detroit 3 continue to close the gap with foreign rivals, J.D. Power and Associates says. Across the industry, owners of three-year-old 2010 cars and light trucks reported 126 problems per 100 vehicles, an all-time low and a 5 percent improvement from 132 problems per 100 on 2009 models a year ago.... Read More »

 

Fiat's Turkish partner, Tofas, unveils plans for N.A. van exports, new cars

Feb. 11, 2013 15:49 CET
Fiat's Turkish partner, Tofas, disclosed plans to export the Doblo small commercial van to North America and also said it is working on two new passenger cars for local and export markets.... Read More »

 

Chrysler spot scores for FFA

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11, 2013
After an overwhelming response to Ram's "God Made a Farmer" Super Bowl TV spot, Chrysler Group will donate $1 million to the National FFA Organization as part of a campaign to end hunger.... Read More »

 

CHICAGO AUTO SHOW

Big fwd vans will fill gap in Chrysler lineup

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11, 2013
Chrysler Group will fill a gaping hole in its commercial vehicle lineup this year with the 2014 Ram ProMaster, a full-sized front-wheel drive van based on the Fiat Ducato.... Read More »

 

FINAL ASSEMBLY

Chrysler's Super Bowl 'Farmer' spot seem familiar? Well ...

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11, 2013
"God Made a Farmer," Ram's 2-minute Super Bowl commercial, warmed the hearts of viewers, got high marks from critics and racked up millions of views on the Internet after the game. No big surprise, and a bit of deja vu: A remarkably similar YouTube video posted last summer by farms.com also had a big impact.... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

New van crop is ugly — but in a money-making way

1:10 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 8, 2013
Not to burst the ego of the automotive stylists who worked on them, but the new commercial vans that are about to flood the market are ugly. Beautifully, hideously ugly. The vans from Nissan North America, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group are to automotive design what a young Mike Tyson was to opposing boxers: unorthodox and confusing, but devastatingly effective.... Read More »

 

2013 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW

Chrysler back in commercial van market with Ram ProMaster

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 7, 2013
Chrysler Group is driving back into the commercial van segment after a three-year absence with the introduction of the 2014 Ram ProMaster. The ProMaster is based on the Fiat Ducato van, which has been on sale in Europe for more than 30 years. It will be built in Saltillo, Mexico, for sale in North and South America, and is expected to arrive in dealerships this fall.... Read More »

 

2013 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW

Toyota renews assault on big pickup market with refreshed Tundra

10:30 am U.S. ET | Feb. 7, 2013
Toyota is making a fresh assault on the full-sized pickup market with a redesigned 2014 Tundra unveiled today at the Chicago Auto Show. The 2014 model, mechanically very similar to the outgoing Tundra, has undergone significant sheet metal and interior changes. But will it be enough to convince truck enthusiasts to buy a Tundra instead of the recent and upcoming redesigns of the Dodge Ram, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and Ford F series?... Read More »

 

Redesigned Nissan Titan pickup truck due next year

4:31 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 6, 2013
Nissan's U.S. arm is preparing to expand its lineup of full-sized pickup trucks as it replaces the aged Titan, which has not been significantly refreshed since it was introduced in 2003. Engineers and designers are leaving "nothing off the table" in delivering a competitive truck to U.S. consumers, said Pierre Loing, Nissan North America's chief for product planning and marketing strategy.... Read More »