Chrysler 2006 Dodge Ram Mega Cab to roll out of Mexico plant
BY OUR AUTOMOBILES CORRESPONDENT
 Aug. 13,
2005: The Chrysler Group has started building the 2006 Dodge Ram Mega Cab at its Saltillo Assembly Plant in Mexico.
The Dodge Ram Mega Cab has a seating capacity of six. It has more than 7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat.
The Saltillo Assembly Plant, which also builds Quad Cab(TM) and regular models of the Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty, and the Ram SRT10, has the capability to build three different truck bodies in multiple variations, a release said.
A company spokesperson claimed more than 17,000 orders have been placed for the Mega Cabs in the last two weeks alone. The price has not been fixed. Chrysler expects to sell 85,000 Mega Cabs, scheduled to be launched in September, this year.
"The Saltillo Assembly plant and the employees have demonstrated their ability to adopt new processes and technologies which help them efficiently produce high-quality vehicles," Tom LaSorda, Chief Operating Officer of the Chrysler Group said.
LaSorda is slated to take over as the Chrysler Group's President and Chief Executive Officer from January 1, 2006.
The Chrysler Group made a $210 million investment in the plant to gear up for producing the Mega Cab, the release said. It also made modifications to the equipment and processes in the paint shop and final assembly.
The firm has built one million HEMI(R) engines at the adjacent Saltillo Engine Plant, LaSorda informed.
The 5.7L HEMI engine is offered in multiple Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge vehicles and is one of two power plants offered as standard equipment in the new Dodge Ram Mega Cab.
The Saltillo Assembly Plant, one of the five DaimlerChrysler production facilities in Mexico, has 2,100 employees. Production began at the plant in 1995, while it began at the Saltillo Engine Plant ten years before that. The Saltillo Engine Plant has 1,100 employees. Other production facilities of DaimlerChrysler in Mexico are the Saltillo Stamping Plant; Toluca Assembly Plant and Toluca Stamping Plant. DaimlerChrysler de Mexico, with is headquarters in Mexico City, employs more than 7,000 people. It is Mexico’s second largest private exporter.
BY OUR AUTOMOBILES CORRESPONDENT
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