CHICAGO – Call it a Ridgeline for big boys, the ultimate home improvement hauler, or an over-the-top example of trying to stuff every single trick of the trade on top of four wheels. At the 2006 Chicago Auto Show, Dodge debuted a concept called Rampage, a truck that did so many things, offered so much versatility and choice, that – should they ever build it – would send legions of yuppies straight into therapy.
It’s a minivan with a HEMI…a Ridgeline with sliding doors…a cargo van with hide-away seats… Just imagine the confusion. Just bolt on a hybrid powertrain, and poof – you’ve got great fuel economy, too – and it’s good for the environment!
Thank goodness they aren’t going to build it.
Then again, if they did, Dodge would offer the most versatile truck on the market, one that would make that Honda look like a midget. Initially posed as an example of what they could do, it may be that the Rampage is a design exercise showing some of the innovations coming soon to a Ram truck. Or it could be a concept headed to production, a Honda – Avalanche fighter. Take a 5.7-liter HEMI V8, put it in a truck shell that’s built on the minivan line with front-wheel drive and an independent suspension, and there you go – the most versatile car, er, truck, er, SUV, er, minivan, on the planet
Thank goodness they’re going to build it.
See, we’re already confused. All we know for sure is that we love the innovation: First, there’s those hiding seats, which really is just DaimlerChrysler’s stow and go system built into a truck. Those sliding rear doors? Ditto. Combine the width of a Dodge Ram with the overall length of a Dodge Dakota, featuring seating for five and a five-foot cargo box, a power glass midgate and an enclosed area under the bed and there you go – ready for business, in 2010 or beyond. The look is also innovative, and may signal some design elements for future Rams.
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About Brian Chee
Prior to joining Autobytel in the Spring of 2000, Brian Chee spent 15 years as a writer and editor in his native southern California, his work appearing in a wide variety of regional newspapers and online publications. As an editor at Autobytel, Brian has been quoted in numerous regional and national publications, including the Wall St. Journal and InStyle Magazine. He is responsible for writing, editing and planning content for three of the company’s consumer websites: autobytel.com, autoweb.com and carsmart.com. His “beat” includes vehicle reviews, features, news and Auto Show coverage. Brian considers himself a “SoCal” car enthusiast: the kind who grades a car on how it handles today’s urban and suburban reality of daily traffic gridlock, rising fuel prices and fast-paced lifestyles. Brian is an Eagle Scout, a member of the Automotive Press Association, the Motor Press Guild, and the California State University Advisory Board for Internet Writing. Brian holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism.
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