nearly 200 dealerships representatives to gather at the Palace of Auburn Hills Wednesday to drive their first Ram 1500 Big Horn editions into showrooms across Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
AUBURN HILLS, MI- Mark Ferguson “used to be a Chevy guy.”
The car porter for Kahlo Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Noblesville, Ind. switched his alliance to Chrysler Group LLC not necessarily because he works with the vehicles, but because of the Auburn Hills-based automaker’s Ram trucks.
“It’s a great truck,” he said Wednesday as he secured a new 2013 Ram 1500 to his trailer, which he was about to drive back to Indiana with a Ram 2500. “They drive … and handle really nice.”
Kahlo was one of nearly 200 dealerships representatives to gather at the Palace of Auburn Hills Wednesday to drive their first Ram 1500 Big Horn editions into showrooms across Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
Chrysler has been doing Ram 1500 “Drive Away” events for dealers, which all receive the same uniform vehicles, for two weeks. The first was in Texas, which nearly 250 dealers participated in, according to officials.
Besides the 170 black trucks all lined up in the parking lot of the Palace, something else appeared to be the same. Everyone from dealers and salesman to car porters and mechanics couldn’t wait to get the new pickups back to their dealerships.
“I think they are really a lot of great improvements – more than I had anticipated” Jim Slingerland Jr., president Slingerland Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Corunna, Mich., told MLive.com. “I’m really impressed with the powertrain, the increase in miles per gallon and also the towing capabilities … and the major improvements they’ve made on the interior I think is going to be a real hit with our customers.”
Slingerland expects once customers get into the driver’s seat of one of the new vehicles they’ll be hooked.
The 2013 Ram 1500, which started as a minor redesign and turned into a full-makeover, features best-in-class fuel efficiency of 25 miles per gallon highway and new technologies and features, including an eight-speed TorqueFlite 8 transmission, stop-start and active aerodynamics, including grille shutters and air suspension.
Dale Bennett, a senior sales representative for Vicksburg Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, said his dealership -- located about 15 miles south of Kalamazoo -- expects the redesigned pickup to help bump total sales 15-20 percent.
Bennett, who has worked for the dealership for 27 years, said as long as “people are presented the product properly, it sells itself.”
Chrysler, which trails both of its crosstown rivals – Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. – in pickup sales, believes the vehicle has an edge on the competition because of its new features and it is the only 2013 full-size pickup to receive a substantial redesign.
“We’ve been gaining momentum,” said Bob Hegbloom, Ram Truck brand director, during the Drive Away. “We’ve got an opportunity as we’re launching this. It’s really a quiet period in the industry because we’re the only ones coming right now.
“You couple that with the momentum, our hope and expectations are we’ll continue to gain share.”
Last month, Chrysler sold 25,973 Ram pickups, up 5.9 percent from 24,522 during the same time in 2011. Through September, the brand reported 213,593 pickups sold, up 20 percent from 177,973 units last year.
Email Michael Wayland: MWayland@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/MikeWayland