There’s lots of exciting news that’s come out in the last two days from the Chyrsler corporation. First of all, the Dodge Ram 1500 will be offered as a hybrid in 2010. Secondly, Chrysler and Nissan will be collaborating on future products – specifically Chrysler will be making the next Nissan Titan – basing it off the Ram. Check out the poorly photo-shopped picture to the right..
Ram Hybrid Notes:
- The new Ram Hybrid will use the same battery pack and technology as the hybrid versions of the full size Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen.
- The new Ram Hybrid will use a large NiMH battery pack in conjunction with the MDS (multi-displacement) 5.7 Hemi. That means it will run in 4-cylinder mode on the highway and in hybrid 8 cylinder mode in the city.
- Based on that assessment, towing and hauling capacity – a normal limitation of hybrid vehicles – should be solid. Just don’t expect gas mileage to be substantially better while towing and hauling than the current Ram.
- The hybrid Aspen/Durango is expected to rate at 19mpg city, 18mpg highway. The hybrid Ram should be about the same. Conservatively driven, you might be able to average 20mpg. Not bad for a full-size truck.
New Ram-based Nissan Titan Notes:
- The new Titan will be based off the Dodge Ram and assembled at a Chrysler plant in Mexico.
- According to the press release, the next gen Titan will be based off the Ram but will be “Nissan designed.” Considering the Ram’s recent redesign, we find that very hard to believe.
- The new “Nissan Ram” – cough – Titan, will be released in 2011.
- The current Nissan Titan plant in Canton, Mississippi will stop building the Titan in and will be re-tasked to build a new line of commercial trucks.
More and more, we’re thinking Toyota dropped the ball when they decided to kill the hybrid Tundra for the immediate future. When they backed off developing the hybrid Tundra for 2010-2011, they handed technological leadership off to their rivals. Perhaps the reasoning was that the new Tundra diesel will get 20mpg, therefore making a hybrid Tundra (assuming similar performance) unnecessary. That would support the theory that the new Tundra diesel will have a medium sized engine – about 4.5L. That would be the only way to get that kind of mileage. Still, if Toyota expects to maintain their lead in technology, they should be first to market.
As for the new Nissan Ram, we’re guessing there are a lot of really mad Nissan owners right now. Nissan has basically abandoned their own design – not a very good endorsement of the product. Titan owners – feel free to chime in.
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The point you make about the GMC vs. Chevy is very good, and to be honest it’s always mystified me. The two trucks are identical, but GMC owners usually say that the “GMC parts are better” – BS. A Chevy is a Chevy. Still, it works out for GM. My guess is that with the Titan’s already dismal sales, the “new” Titan won’t be much better. Not only with the Ram be available for less money (at least that’s my belief), but the typical Nissan customer isn’t interested in owning a Chrysler product. GMC and Chevy owners don’t have a reason to dislike each other, but Nissan (who has been making quality cars and trucks for years) owners aren’t big fans of Chrysler products (who haven’t been making quality vehicles for most of the last 40 years). I don’t think this one is going to fly – and I would suggest people steer clear of the new Titan too. The resale value on that truck is going to stink when Nissan discontinues it in a few years.
That says that. problem is I get 22.5 mpg at 60 mph now. That’s a step back for a hybrid. This hybrid is starting to sound like GM hybrid on a Silverado which did nothing for gas mileage but it did have electrical sockets in the bed. Whoopie.