A few years back, a uni-body truck was a pretty strange idea. Anyone who knew anything about trucks knew that they had to be on a rigidtruck frame. Well that all changed with the Honda Ridgeline. A truck-like vehicle that featured the ride, comfort and fuel economy of a uni-body crossover, but had a useful bed in the back to haul some stuff. Well apparently word on the street is that Chrysler could be considering a move to a uni-body platform for the Dakota as well. This would give Chrysler a unique truck for the segment, and the ability to offer better ride, handling, and fuel economy. For more details, head on over to The Detroit News.
(Image source: Chrysler)
Forbes ranks the dirtiest vehicles, it appears the Big 3 are learning!
Some might see this list and say, “that’s why I refuse to buy American!” However, when I look at this list created by Forbes, I see two things. The first thing I see is that the article is totally biased in the fact that it fails to mention that 4 of the top 10 dirtiest vehicles are from German manufacturers. The second thing I notice when looking at this list is that it appears that the Domestic 3 are learning. Of the 6 American made vehicles on the list, 3 are out of production, another 1 is nearing its end and the other 2 are being substantially reworked to put them among the best in their class for fuel efficiency. The list is below, along with the air pollution / greenhouse gas scores next to each vehicle.
- Jeep Grand Cherokee (3/1)
- BMW M5 (6/0)
- BMW M6 (6/0)
- Chevrolet Trailblazer (6/0)
- Mercedes-Benz CL600
- Mercedes-Benz S600
- Chrysler Aspen (6/1)
- Dodge Dakota (6/1)
- Dodge Ram 1500 (6/1)
- Dodge Durango (6/1)
The other small annoyance to me is the fact that the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango showed up on the list even though they are basically the same vehicle and received the same score. I know it’s not good to have a vehicle fall on this list, but the American 3 are making a comeback in this area with vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt and Ford Fusion hybrid. (Note: vehicles in red are out of production/nearing the end of production, vehicles in blue are up for significant updates.)
Tough times call for drastic measures; Ram considering unibody Dakota replacement?
In the most recent presentations from top Chrysler management, a small piece of information was let slip. Apparently the Ram brand is considering a replacement for the mid-size Dakota pickup which is slated to live on until 2011. What’s even more shocking is that the truck could be built on a unibody platform, shared with the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
I think that this could be a smart move for the Ram brand, it would make the Dakota ride and handle better than the current body-on-frame truck and also give it better fuel economy to help with the new CAFE regs that will soon be taking effect. For more on the story, head on over to Autoblog.
(Image source: Dodge)
