Forget the G8 ST: Chrysler studying unibody pickup
Click above for a gallery of the Dodge Rampage concept
Just as General Motors announces the death of the short-lived
Despite the slow sales of traditional small trucks, the market isn't exactly dead. Competition for a new Rampage truck could come from Toyota, which already announced it was considering producing the A-BAT and General Motors, which could replace its GMC Canyon with a unibody truck based on the Denali XT concept. Honda is currently the only player in the uni-body truck market with the Ridgeline, though that model has been on the market since 2005, has seen few meaningful changes and hasn't set the world on fire.
Gallery: 2006 Dodge Rampage Concept
[Source: Detroit News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Sea Urchin 1:09PM (1/09/2009)
So now Honda is being copied
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Cellien 2:28PM (1/09/2009)
Prepare to be bored.
geo.stewart 4:04PM (1/09/2009)
well, if they copy it, then yeah, YAWN.
but on the flip side, unibody in a full size truck is kind of sending a mixed message. carry a big bag of packing peanuts or bubble wrap but dont tow anythign big or load it up with dirt.
do a unibody for a small or light midsize and you have something that handles a lot of families issues, hopefully for cheaper.
Explorer sport track is a great concept but cost too dang much. do it at a Ranger price and I'm sold.
Derek 7:38PM (1/09/2009)
Honda isn't being copied. The original Dodge Rampage (1980's) was a unibody truck as well.
Geo: a full size truck could be made unibody without losing any carrying capacity. If you just removed the rubber mounts and welded the cab and bed to the frame, it would be a unibody structure, would have the same load capacity and would be stiffer as well. Redesign it with unibody in mind and it would be easy to make it lighter and stronger.
The only reason full size trucks probably haven't gone unibody is because as a working vehicle, it is very useful to be able to remove the bed and put on something else without compromising the structural integrity of the vehicle.
esteva03 1:10PM (1/09/2009)
this is a photochop Honda Ridegeline!!!
vote Auto BLog!!!!
http://2008.weblogawards.org/polls/best-major-blog/
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Miguel 1:39PM (1/09/2009)
Um, no, it's the Dodge Rampage concept. It debuted at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show. See: http://www.allpar.com/cars/concepts/dodge/rampage.html and Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Rampage_Concept.
Yes, it's like the Ridgeline in the sense that it's meant to give pickup functionality in a passenger vehicle, but it's all Chrysler.
thomas 12:57AM (1/10/2009)
dont let any dodge designers hear you say that. theyre really devoted to the lie.
that is not a photoshopped ridgeline. its a pickup truck built on a caravan package. last i checked, thats a dodge. heard of it?
Ken Stamper 1:11PM (1/09/2009)
Has GM officially announced the death of the G8 ST? As of now it is still listed as a future vehicle on the Pontiac website...
http://www.pontiac.com/concept-cars/
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jv2k 1:34PM (1/09/2009)
They haven't it's just a rumor at some truck website.
JF 1:14PM (1/09/2009)
Didn't it's momma tell it never to slouch? That's such a weak look for a pickup. Plus it sits up way too high compared to the G8 ST, probably wouldn't be as efficient. I guess its m00t though since none of them will ever come out.
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Sofa King Fast! 1:18PM (1/09/2009)
I drive a small crew cab pickup and couldn't imagine a better vehicle design. The combination of passenger space and rugged cargo space is perfect.
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Horst 1:20PM (1/09/2009)
The fact the Chrysler is studying anything is remarkable.
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mroverlord 1:21PM (1/09/2009)
Actually I had an online chat with Ralph Guilles (lead designer of 300 and new Ram, now the VP of design) several months ago. He was a big proponant of replacing the current too-big Dakota with 3500-ish pound curb weight unibody truck. He pronounced that fuel economy is king, and that many people only need their trucks to do weekend warrior type stuff, but still need a truck.
G8 ST = less of a truck = more of a car with a big open truck = not real useful. Old Jeep Comanche (also unibody) = high road clearance = more payload capacity = more useful for the average joe.
Ralphs 3500 lb weight may seem optomistic, but the original Dakota was only 3600lbs with a V8, so it's do-able.
He stuck me a very intelligent person who had an excellent understanding of people's needs and desires in a vehicle. If he is running the show they may have a winner.
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AZZO45b 1:34PM (1/09/2009)
Try Ralph GILLES. I'm sure names pop up on online chats?
jg 1:50PM (1/09/2009)
'Old Jeep Comanche (also unibody) = high road clearance = more payload capacity = more useful for the average joe'
as he gives us on the spot updates from the front lines in Israel.
jv2k 2:07PM (1/09/2009)
"G8 ST = less of a truck = more of a car with a big open truck = not real useful. Old Jeep Comanche (also unibody) = high road clearance = more payload capacity = more useful for the average joe."
Relatively speaking just having a flatbed to fit his larger crap is all the average joe needs.
mroverlord 3:41PM (1/09/2009)
Yes, it was him. It was a webchat session on the Chrysler advisory board. Sorry for spelling the name wrong....realized it after I posted it.
So people bag on Chrysler, then when they finally get in the game and give what people are asking for, you bag on them more? There's just no pleasing you people.
carlbolt 1:26PM (1/09/2009)
can uni-body truck haul?
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EmmEff 1:32PM (1/09/2009)
Of course not, they're not real trucks :)
DriverG 1:35PM (1/09/2009)
Ridgeline has a 1,550 lb payload capacity, that's better than a lot of body on frames.