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Management's comments suggest that the company is still struggling to minimize production costs.
The company has just started production of the new Jeep Gladiator, which is suitable for the midmarket segment but targets a smaller group of buyers than what the company apparently thinks can be used with a Ram model of similar size.
FCA Chief Mike Manley explained the situation during a recent call for results, confirming that Ram's team was "very focused on solving an intermediate truck solution in metric tons "in order to complete the company's portfolio and stimulate growth.
"Frankly, I want this problem to be solved, because our wallet is clearly holed," he added. "He will not be filled with a gladiator, because he has a very different mission, but trust me, they are focused on that."
The executive said that building a medium-sized pickup truck with the Ram logo on the same line as the Gladiator may seem simple "on paper", but the FCA is still struggling to find a "platform" profitable and acceptable "in a region where we can build it at low cost. . "
The Gladiator starts at $ 33,500, nearly $ 8,000 more than the industry-leading Toyota Tacoma. Unlike other medium-sized and normal pickups, the Gladiator has only one single bed and a booth configuration at launch. Comparing the prices of Crew Cab Variants from Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado, the Gladiator is still around $ 6,000 higher.
Manley's comments suggest that FCA will try to position the Ram Ram offer in a more competitive price range compared to Tacoma, Colorado and Ford Ranger, which may require more significant modifications to the Gladiator platform . Previous reports have suggested that Dakota's spiritual successor would begin to emerge from the gladiator's assembly line by 2022, although the latest official information indicates that the FCA is exploring cheaper assembly sites.
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