 Chyrsler Thinking About a Car-Based Pickup? |
To Chrysler, somehow this makes more sense than a JT-type Scrambler-sized Wrangler platform?
Chrysler LLC is exploring entering a new vehicle segment with a car-based "lifestyle" pickup as an alternative to slow-selling traditional compact trucks.
"What is needed is a lighter-duty, multipurpose vehicle from a lighter, more fuel-efficient car platform that allows the vehicle to be priced significantly different from what your full-size trucks are," Chrysler product development chief Frank Klegon said in an interview.
The revelation comes as General Motors Corp. is killing plans for a similar vehicle: the Pontiac G8 ST sport truck.
Automakers are looking at replacing small pickups with car-based crossovers sporting truck beds that they hope will be more appealing to consumers.
...snip...
Chrysler has not said if its vision falls in the El Camino category. Klegon described it as having unibody construction, front-wheel drive with all-wheel-drive capability, and likely powered by a direct-injection and turbocharged four-cylinder engine from Chrysler's "world engine" family made in Dundee.
He said elements can be found in a couple concepts shown in past years: the Jeep JT pickup and the Dodge M80 entry-level standard-cab pickup.
Did he just say "El Camino"? I think he just said "El Camino". Did you hear "El Camino"?
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| hanser | Posted: 2009/1/22 17:46 Updated: 2009/1/22 17:46 |
Just popping in   Joined: 2006/6/16 From: North of Detroit Posts: 11 |
 Re: Chyrsler Thinking About a Car-Based Pickup?"Unibody" and "front wheel drive" kill this for me. I would like to buy a Jeep pickup truck, but it has to be able to haul a face cord of firewood and I don't think a car-based vehicle would be up to that. Although I have put 1000 lb of sandbags in the back of my unibody Grand Cherokee. (The tires hit the fenders on every bump, and I didn't take it over 40 mph). These days I haul things with my Toyota pickup. It's old and rusted out and I would love to replace it with a Jeep pickup, but they haven't made one since the Comanche.
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| Ingela | Posted: 2009/1/20 23:09 Updated: 2009/1/20 23:09 |
Not too shy to talk  Joined: 2007/12/12 From: Posts: 30 |
Re: Chyrsler Thinking About a Car-Based Pickup? A practicle light weight, light duty truck with good milage to meet CAFE standands?
If its a well made no frills 4wd rig i could picture myself intrested. But having the words "El Camino" in the mix kills it for me. |
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| AngryNJ | Posted: 2009/1/20 12:09 Updated: 2009/1/20 12:09 |
Quite a regular  Joined: 2006/4/25 From: Posts: 51 |
Re: Chyrsler Thinking About a Car-Based Pickup? Another disaster from your friends at Chrysler/Cerberus. Thanks.
Jeep should make only a few vehicles, and make them high quality, and off-road capable. Not EVERY brand has to have EVERY type of vehicle. What is next? A Jeep mini-van? |
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| myhotwheels22981 | Posted: 2009/1/20 8:42 Updated: 2009/1/20 8:42 |
Home away from home  Joined: 2002/3/21 From: Posts: 183 |
Re: Chyrsler Thinking About a Car-Based Pickup? I think we are looking at something like the Honda Ridgeline or the VW pickup (yes, they are making one for the South American market)...That is, of course if they don't save themselves alot of trouble and build the JT.
Chrysler/DC have had these concepts in the past, though I can't recall the names of them specifically, I think one was called the Rampage, which was the name of the micro-pickup small car in the early 80's. I suppose so...Dodge will be building the TITAN off the RAM platform for Nissan, and I believe Nissan will be building the DAKOTA off the the FRONTIER paltform for Chrysler...So it looks like Chrysler will be taking in fewer Dakota's and may be looking at a small car-based pickup-type to make up the sales defecit, or more likely, opening up a new, more profitable market. Either way, I would like to still see the JT built. Jeep has been missing a 4 cylinder since the TJ. The new Phoenix engine will mitigate that somewhat with cylinder de-activation, but I hope the mentioned 4 cylinder with Turbo and Direct Injection makes it into the JK line, to replace the CRD engine that we can no longer get. |
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| mxracer513 | Posted: 2009/1/20 7:58 Updated: 2009/1/20 7:58 |
Just popping in Joined: 2009/1/4 From: Posts: 15 |
Re: Chyrsler Thinking About a Car-Based Pickup? A Jeep El Camino !!!! YAY haha this should be great!
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