Continuing
a trend in which there doesn’t appear to be any limit to the size
of a pickup truck, Dodge unveiled its new Ram Mega Cab at the Chicago
Auto Show.
In making
the announcement, Dodge said it can boast superiority in the following
categories:
Largest,
longest cab
Largest
interior volume
Largest
cargo volume behind rear seat
Largest
flat floor load area
Largest
second-row leg room
Largest
rear door opening and opening angle
Working in
the “class-leading” superlative as often as possible when
describing the truck, Dodge is targeting consumers who really need and
use additional seating comfort and interior storage as well as those who
simply shop by numbers. And they are numbers tough to ignore.
The Mega
Cab will be offered across the Ram lineup, from the 1500 series with the
Hemi engine up to the 3500 series with the 5.9-liter Cummins turbo diesel.
It comes in just the 160.5-inch wheelbase with the 6-foot-3-inch cargo
box. The notable absence in the Mega Cab lineup is the 3500 dually. The
3500 dually is built only with an 8-foot cargo box and Dodge declined
to adapt the dual rear wheels to a short box.
“Our
heart of the market right now in heavy duty is the short box,” says
Brad Pinter, Dodge Ram brand manager. “So we’re going after
the heart.”
The Mega
Cab is based on a 2500 chassis, so the 1500 will have some of the top
numbers of any light-duty pickup, including an 8510-pound GVWR and payload
range of 1860 to 2410 pounds. The 1500 Mega Cab 4x2 will weigh over 1000
pounds more than a standard Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4x2.
Dodge says
the crew cab market is the fastest growing segment in pickup trucks, and
the mass of that customer base is in light duty. So the company is putting
a 1500 badge on the heavy-duty chassis with no special distinction other
than touting the big numbers.
“What
we have to offer for the light-duty customer is giving them best payload
and towing capability and now interior room,” says Pinter. “There’s
a tremendous amount of opportunity in the light-duty crew cab sector.”
