All-new 2009 Dodge Ram Out Toughs and Outsmarts Major Competitors in Head-to-head Challenge

September 17, 2008 , Auburn Hills, Mich. -  To establish the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 as a game-changing vehicle, the Dodge brand turned to the independent vehicle testing and evaluation company Automotive Marketing Consultants Inc. (AMCI) to test the new pickup truck in head-to-head comparisons against its major competitors.

In a series of challenges, AMCI, among the industry’s foremost automotive testing and evaluation companies, tested the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 in the areas of acceleration, towing, fuel economy and ride quality over a period of eight months and proved 12 compelling claims.

“The AMCI testing reinforces what we always knew about the all-new Dodge Ram,” said Michael Accavitti, Director – Dodge Brand Marketing, Chrysler LLC. “It is a game-changing, class-leading truck that is second to none. Beginning with its debut at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, where it literally stood apart from the herd, we will continue to demonstrate how the all-new Dodge Ram will ‘never back down from a challenge.’”

Through its testing, AMCI found that the 2009 Dodge Ram, with a new generation 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engine, delivered faster acceleration while unloaded, with a 1,120-pound payload and while towing 7,150 pounds, than comparably equipped Ford and Chevy trucks. The Dodge Ram outperformed its competition at different acceleration speeds, indicative of real-life usage situations, including 0-60 mph, 20-65 mph and 40-70 mph.

The Ram truck also has faster quarter-mile acceleration without a payload than comparably equipped Ford and Chevy trucks, a measurement important to truck enthusiasts.

Additionally, the all-new Dodge Ram offers a best-in-class combination of power and fuel efficiency.

AMCI also tested the Ram’s new solid axle coil-spring, five-link rear suspension and was able to prove better smooth-road ride quality at 55 mph than Ford, GMC, Nissan and Toyota and rough-road ride quality advantages at 30 mph over Chevy, GMC and Nissan, both without sacrificing towing and payload capabilities. The Dodge Ram also has less freeway hop than comparable GMC and Toyota trucks.

Overall, the AMCI testing included acceleration, acceleration while towing, acceleration with payload, ride quality and fuel economy of the new truck.

The AMCI-certified claims will be part of the upcoming Dodge Ram marketing launch, beginning in the fall.

“We will use real-life situations to show how the all-new Dodge Ram is the smartest, toughest truck out there for drivers who want to overcome whatever obstacles life throws at them,” Accavitti said. “The AMCI claims and other product proof-points garnered from our Ram Challenge dealer and consumer tour will be put to the test in product demonstrations that will stand out from anything anyone has done before.”

About AMCI
AMCI is the industry’s foremost independent vehicle testing, consulting and marketing firm. AMCI’s objective testing procedures have certified automotive manufacturers’ advertising claims for more than 25 years.

About Dodge Ram
The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram is a game-changer in terms of its ability to outsmart and out tough the competition. With a typically bold Dodge exterior design, a crafted and refined interior, engineering excellence, superb innovation, and best-in-class features and amenities, this truck is ready for demanding truck buyers. With one of the most comprehensive model lineups in the segment, the Ram now offers its first-ever crew-size cab, giving Dodge an entry into the largest and fastest-growing part of the market. The new Dodge Ram Crew 1500 is loaded with innovative features, including an available first-in-segment RamBox cargo management system that provides weatherproof, lockable, illuminated and drainable storage compartments integrated into both fender sides for effortless access and convenience. Another segment first on the Dodge Ram Crew 1500 is a pair of “store-in-the-floor” bins with removable liners that offer even more versatile storage. Ram also offers the first-in-segment, coil-spring multilink rear suspension fitted to a solid rear axle that provides ride and handling capabilities unexpected in a pickup truck. Ram’s new 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 provides more horsepower (390) and torque (407 lb.-ft.), with increased fuel economy. In addition, Ram offers two additional gasoline powertrain options and will add the company’s advanced two-mode hybrid to the light-duty Dodge Ram powertrain lineup in 2010.

About Dodge Brand
With a U.S. market share of 6.2 percent, Dodge is Chrysler LLC’s best-selling brand and the sixth largest nameplate in the U.S. automotive market. In 2007, Dodge sold more than 1.3 million vehicles in the global market.

The Dodge brand’s first crossover vehicle — the all-new 2009 Dodge Journey — arrived in dealer showrooms in the first quarter of 2008, and is now available outside North America in petrol and diesel powertrains in both left- and right-hand drive. The limited-edition 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 with a 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 engine that boasts 425 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque started hitting the streets this past spring. Later in 2008, Dodge will add three more vehicles to its product lineup – the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram with game-changing exterior and interior design, innovations, best-in-class features and craftsmanship; the all-new 2009 Dodge Challenger, a modern interpretation of the American muscle car; and the 2009 Dodge Durango HEMI Hybrid, a hybrid electric vehicle that combines fuel-efficient advance hybrid technology with full-size SUV performance and capability.

Last fall, America’s best-selling minivan, the all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, was introduced with 35 new or improved features, including the newest innovation, the Swivel ’n Go™ seating system. In 2007, Dodge sold 33,500 commercial vehicles, a 285 percent increase over 2003 when the company returned to the commercial vehicle market and is now the sixth largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles sold in the U.S. Also in 2007, the Dodge Avenger and Nitro entered key volume segments outside North America, joining the Dodge Caliber, the highest sales volume vehicle for the company outside of North America.