Mercedes 2002 Annual Report Download - page 36

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30 |Chrysler Group
Only in a Jeep®: fun, freedom and legendary
off-road ability
The successful Jeep®brand, which includes the Jeep®
Grand Cherokee, the Jeep®Liberty (Cherokee outside
the United States) and the Jeep®Wrangler, continues to
be the benchmark for off-road excellence.
Some additional attractive models were added in
2002. The Renegade name made a comeback to the
Jeep®lineup as an adventurous version of the success-
ful Jeep®Liberty. Also introduced to the Jeep®lineup
last year was the Jeep®Wrangler Rubicon. This vehicle,
named after one of the most difficult off-road tracks
in North America, delivers tremendous capabilities as
the ultimate all-terrain vehicle.
The new Jeep®logo and the relaunch of the tradition-
al “Only in a Jeep®” catchphrase project the brand’s
essence: fun, freedom and exceptional off-road capa-
bility. First successfully used in the 1980s, it conveys the
go-anywhere, do-anything capability of every Jeep®.
The new logo is a graphic representation of the radiator
grill and windshield of the Wrangler – an icon of the
brand. Helped by growing sales of the Liberty, the Jeep®
brand posted total unit sales of 595,600 vehicles last
year (2001: 523,100).
Continued success of the Dodge Ram/Motor
Trend’s Truck of the Year
Sales of Dodge Ram pickup trucks totaled 396,900
units in the US, up 15% over the previous year. The
heavy-duty Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups, both
launched during 2002, contributed significantly to this
success. The Saltillo engine plant in Mexico started
production of the new, high-performance 5.7-liter HEMI
engine, which is initially being used in Ram pickups.
The HEMI is the most powerful engine available in the
market for mass-produced pickup trucks. In December,
Motor Trend magazine selected the Dodge Ram as
its Truck of the Year.
The strong demand for Dodge pickup trucks has led
Chrysler Group to introduce a third shift at the assembly
plant in Warren, Michigan, which will result in 1,000
more jobs at this facility. The plant’s capacity will be
increased by 21% to approximately 338,000 units a year.
The plant produces the Quad Cab models of the Dodge
Ram 1500 series, the Dodge Dakota Regular, Club Cab
and Quad Cab pickup trucks.
Significant improvements in quality have been made.
For example, the 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab was
ranked first in owner satisfaction among four-door pick-
up trucks in AutoPacific Inc.’s 2002 Vehicle Satisfaction
Score (VSS) study.
Another new Dodge product in 2002 was the Dodge
Viper SRT-10, which reinforces the brand’s reputation
for exciting high-performance automobiles. With an
8.3-liter, 10-cylinder engine delivering over 500 horse-
power, the Viper continues its tradition as the ultimate
American sports car while setting new benchmarks
for performance and design.
Overall, Dodge increased it unit sales by 7% to
1,561,800 vehicles (2001: 1,457,300).