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Chrysler Group
began building the all-new 2006 Dodge Ram Mega Cab
pickup in August at its Saltillo Assembly Plant, culminating a
$210 million investment in the Coahuila plant.
The Dodge Ram Mega Cab has the most
interior passenger space, cargo capacity, and functionality of
any pickup truck in the industry, providing comfortable seating
for six adult passengers and their gear.
The Saltillo Assembly Plant also builds
Quad Cab and regular models of the Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy
Duty, and the Ram SRT10. With the capability to build three
different truck bodies in multiple variations, the Saltillo
Assembly Plant is one of the company’s most flexible, giving it
the option to vary the product mix to best meet the customer
preferences without sacrificing production.
“The Saltillo team has been a great asset
to the Chrysler Group,” said Tom LaSorda, chief operating
officer of the Chrysler Group. “It is a versatile plant and the
employees have demonstrated their ability to adopt new processes
and technologies which help them efficiently produce
high-quality vehicles.”
LaSorda will become Chrysler Group’s
president and Chief Executive Officer effective Jan. 1, 2006.
The Chrysler Group made a $210 million
investment to ready the assembly plant for the addition of Mega
Cab production. The investment includes state-of-the-art
equipment, plus a new body shop, world-class processes, and
extensive employee training. The plant successfully executed a
rolling launch of the Dodge Ram Mega Cab: production of existing
models was not halted to accommodate the introduction of the new
model.
During the assembly plant’s changeover,
approximately 200 new, high-tech robots were installed in the
body shop which added efficiencies and new methods of
error-proofing. The new body shop has the capability to assemble
multiple vehicles with the same equipment in a continuous flow
on a single assembly line. Modifications were also made to the
equipment and processes in the paint shop and final assembly.
While at the plant, LaSorda announced that the company has
already built one million HEMI engines at the adjacent Saltillo
Engine Plant. The 5.7L HEMI engine is offered in multiple
Chrysler, Jeep and...
...Continued
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