Dodge has introduced its all-new Ram pickup truck into a market that is not particularly truck friendly at the moment. With gas prices as much as a dollar a gallon higher than they were this time last year, along with a credit crunch, which has seen the end of leasing at Dodge along with more difficult to secure traditional financing, Dodge has an up-hill battle on its hands if it expects people to flock to their new full-sized pickup truck. It also doesn't help that there is a sizable number of 2008 Dodge Ram pickups still stilling, unsold, on dealer lots. What is an automaker to do?

 

First you slap sales incentives as high as $10,500 on your existing inventory of 2008 Rams. Then you introduce your all-new pickup with a lower sticker price and with a higher level of standard equipment than the outgoing model. Finally, to sweeten the pot even more, you slap as much as $1000 of cash incentives on the hood.

 

While this pricing strategy may not ensure that Ram sales return to their historical high points, it does show that Chrysler management is serious about making sure the Dodge Ram will remain competitive, and relevant, in the marketplace. It certainly won't hurt that GM is raising prices by 2.7% on all of their 2009 models, including pickup trucks (cue more GM incentives!).

 

While the days of buying pickup trucks for the purposes of commuting may be over, there are still a sizable number of consumers and businesses that require the capabilities of pickups trucks for hauling and towing. With a constricted market, you can be sure that both product and prices will become more competitive, which is a win-win situation for the consumer.