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Ram Reconsidering Mexico For Pickup Truck Production

For the time being, Ram is number three in terms of pickup trucks sales in the United States of America. The Ford Motor Company and General Motors are duking it out at the top, but Mike Manley wants that to change.
2019 Ram 1500 6 photos
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After announcing that Ram will stop building heavy-duty workhorses in Mexico, Mike Manley is now reconsidering that decision. According to Automotive News, the chief executive officer of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said: “We need to get ourselves into second place."

Coming from the man who replaced Sergio Marchionne as head of the world’s seventh automaker, it’s easy to understand that Manley is serious about this goal. “Frankly, I don’t care which of the two I take share from,” which sounds like “game on” to our ears.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles intended to stop production in Saltillo because of the 25-percent import tariff threatened by Donal Trump. But the U.S., Mexico, and Canada are now working on a trade agreement that imposes no ceiling on shipments of pickup trucks. The most important condition is to meet the thresholds for the share of parts produced within the region.

Ram is gaining share with each month that passes, representing another reason for increasing the production output of light- and heavy-duty pickup trucks. Ram is also working on a mid-size workhorse that will serve as the successor of the Dakota, meaning that the Warren and Saltillo plants need to increase their capacities in the coming years.

Previous reports on the Ram Dakota were pegging production in Toledo at the Jeep plant, but Jeep has its hands full as is with the Wrangler and Scrambler. On the other hand, the Scrambler could share a handful of parts with the mid-sized Ram truck.

The F-Series is leading the segment for the better part of four decades, holding a 35.6-percent share in retail sales. General Motors comes on a close second at 34.2 percent, and Fiat Chrysler settles for third with 22.3 percent. One reason Ram is lagging behind is the different approach to trucks, stuffing more standard equipment and comfort-oriented features than both of its competitors.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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