Mercedes 1998 Annual Report Download - page 37

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 37 of the 1998 Mercedes annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 126

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • 97
  • 98
  • 99
  • 100
  • 101
  • 102
  • 103
  • 104
  • 105
  • 106
  • 107
  • 108
  • 109
  • 110
  • 111
  • 112
  • 113
  • 114
  • 115
  • 116
  • 117
  • 118
  • 119
  • 120
  • 121
  • 122
  • 123
  • 124
  • 125
  • 126

CHRYSLER, PLYMOUTH, JEEP, DOGDE
33
Dodge Caravan ES: a family car offering an extra dimension – a spacious interior and
variable seating combined with pure driving pleasure.
Internationally, the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee was named the
“Best Sport-Utility in Brazil.” The Grand Cherokee was also
named the best luxury and compact sport-utility vehicle by
“Geländewagen Magazin” in Germany, and the ”Best New
Sport-Utility” by the Automobile Journalists of Canada.
DODGE VEHICLES EMPHASIZE POWER, SPORTINESS. The Dodge
brand remains the performance division of the company. In
1998, it posted US sales of 1,454,700, up 15% compared with
1997. Dodge Truck’s U.S. sales of 1,099,900 were up 21%
compared with 1997.
New R/T production and concept vehicles were unveiled at
Detroit’s North American International Auto Show. The 2000
Dodge Neon debuted in dealerships in the first quarter of 1999
with an all-new exterior and interior, along with substantially
improved on-road performance and handling. The Dodge
Dakota Quad Cab became available for retail sale in the fourth
quarter of 1998. The industry’s biggest and most powerful
compact pickup is now the most versatile, with four doors.
Wide-opening rear doors (with full roll-down windows) offer
unrestricted passenger ingress and egress, and make loading
and unloading large packages easier. Dodge Dakota Quad Cab
features the most interior room in its class.
MINIVANS RETAIN POPULARITY. Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge
minivans are among the most successful products of
DaimlerChrysler. In 1998, the company celebrated 15 years of
minivan production with ceremonies at the Windsor (Ontario,
Canada) and St. Louis (Missouri) South assembly plants. More
than 7 million DaimlerChrysler minivans have been produced
since the vehicle’s 1983 introduction for the 1984 model year.
In the United States the company posted a 1% sales increase
for 1998 models, with sales totaling 518,900 units. Record
minivan sales were reported in Canada.
At the 1998 Chicago Auto Show, Chrysler showcased a new
dimension in luxury minivans-the 1999 Chrysler Town & Country
Limited. Production of this more distinctive and upscale version
of the Town & Country luxury minivan started in March 1998.
In the United States, the minivans received the Consumers’
Digest “Best Buy Award.” Canada’s Carguide Magazine named
the Dodge Caravan a 1999 “best buy” in the minivan category
for the third consecutive year.
CONCEPT VEHICLES HIGHLIGHT FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES AND DE-
SIGN. The Chrysler Pronto Cruizer concept car was unveiled at
the Geneva Motor Show in March 1998. It was the first time a
Chrysler-brand concept was introduced at a European motor
show since the Portofino -- the brand’s first iteration of its cab-
forward design. The Pronto Cruizer’s exterior and interior
design themes were inspired by the 1940s American art-deco
design. The Pronto Cruizer took that classic appeal and refined
it with a cutting-edge styling, efficient packaging, precision
craftsmanship and a heavy dose of American fun and freedom.
In addition, four concept vehicles were unveiled at Detroit’s
1999 North Amercan International Auto Show.
The Jeep Commander concept is an upscale sport-utility vehicle
that uses environment-friendly fuel-cell technology. The Com-
mander may well be the world’s only four-wheel-drive vehicle
that runs on electric power.
The Chrysler Citadel blends characteristics of a luxury sport
sedan and the power and security of a sport-utility vehicle
together with a futuristic design. While the Citadel is not only a
hybrid among market segments, it is also a hybrid of power
trains, as it draws power from two different sources. A gas
engine propels the rear wheels, and electricity drives the front
wheels.
The Dodge Charger R/T pays homage to the muscle-car era. Its
low emissions even meet the California Air Resources Board Ul-
tra Low Emission Vehicle standard. That’s because it’s powered
by a supercharged, compressed natural gas (CNG) 4.7-liter V-8
engine.
The Dodge Power Wagon truck concept is a refined and
tailored interpretation of the original, rugged 1946 workhorse.
The Power Wagon is powered by a 7.2-liter, direct-injection I-6
turbocharged diesel engine.