posted 12-16-2002 12:43 PM         

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The all-new 2003 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty has hauled away Motor Trend magazine's prestigious 'Truck of the Year' award.
"We are delighted that the new Dodge Ram Heavy Duty was chosen by Motor Trend as the Truck of the Year," said Dieter Zetsche, President and CEO of the Chrysler Group. "This is one of the most coveted awards in the auto industry, and it is confirmation of the tremendous strides we have taken in the re- invention of the Chrysler Group by building aspirational and high quality products."

The all-new 2003 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty 2500 pickup won Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year award following an intensive three-week competition. The Dodge duo of the Heavy Duty Ram 2500 4x2 Quad Cab with 345 horsepower worth of HEMI® Magnum power and the Ram 3500 4x4 with the High Output Cummins Turbo Diesel upstaged all others in the competition.

"From the onset of our 'Truck of the Year' competition, we knew the Ram Heavy Duty was a prime contender," said Kevin Smith, Motor Trend's Editor in Chief. "It fulfills the promise set forth last year by the introduction of an all-new Ram, and now offers the power and capability expected in the three- quarter and one-ton segments -- plus features, content, and capabilities that in many ways raise the bar for this class of truck."

"Simply put, after spending weeks with our competitors, evaluating every aspect and nuance, the Ram Heavy Duty stands out as the most significant new truck for 2003," Smith added. "With its excellent powertrains, off-road prowess, smooth on-road driveability, and stump-pulling power, the Dodge Ram Heavy Duty is the hands-down winner of Motor Trend's 2003 Truck of the Year award."

"With the debut of the new Dodge Ram Heavy Duty pickup trucks with (standard) HEMI® power and (optional) Cummins power, we now have the strongest line-up of full-size trucks in the industry," said Rich Schaum, Executive Vice President - Product Development. "The Ram Heavy Duty is simply the toughest Ram ever."

Competitors for Motor Trend Truck of the Year are evaluated on significance, superiority and value. The trucks are put through thousands of miles of testing, including back-to-back comparisons examining each truck's characteristics during normal commuting, traversing mountain roads, cruising freeways, trailer towing, off-pavement running, and loaded and unloaded performance testing. Truck of the Year competitors compete not only against the trucks in the competition, but also against other trucks in their class, whether they are included in the test or not.

"All of us at Dodge are elated that Motor Trend named the all-new Dodge Ram Heavy Duty the winner of their Truck of the Year competition," said Darryl Jackson, Vice President, Dodge Marketing. "And the public is taking notice of Ram as well with sales are already up 15 percent over last year."

"The Dodge Ram Heavy Duty pickups offer the ability to work hard and play hard," said Frank Klegon, Vice President, Truck Product Team. "The Dodge Ram Heavy Duty 2500 and 3500 are the personification of all things good about pickup trucks. They are fun to drive, affordable and they can haul, tow and off-road unlike any other vehicle."

The all-new 2003 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty boasts the option of two or four standard size doors and the all-new 345 horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI Magnum engine as standard equipment. The powerful all-new 5.9-liter High Output Cummins Turbo Diesel delivers a monstrous 555 lb.-ft. of torque and class- leading Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings. Ram Heavy Duty pickups are available in single and dual rear wheel applications.

The all-new 2003 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty trucks are built at the Saltillo, Mexico and St. Louis North Assembly Plants.