The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram boasts a number of features that the automaker calls “groundbreaking,” but until pricing is finalized on the RamBox storage system, many dealers are shying away from ordering Rams with one of the most important new features.
The RamBox system features storage within the bed rails of Crew Cab versions of the 2009 Ram pickup truck. But until Chrysler LLC decides on a price for the feature, a number of large dealerships are not ordering Rams with it, reports Automotive News.
Chrysler ’s CEO, Bob Nardelli, and co-president Jim Press, have called the feature a “game changer” for the pickup truck market. Dealers have already started ordering the 2009 Ram s – which will be in dealers this fall – but orders for the RamBox have been low because parent company Chrysler hasn’t decided on a price for the option. Rumors place the option between $1,600 and $2,100 for the waterproof storage system, but dealers are understandably hesitant. If Chrysler prices the option too high, dealers fear that they’ll have RamBox equipped Rams sitting on their lots unless they discount them heavily – like many have been doing with the 2008 lame-duck Ram.
A Chrysler spokesperson says that the automaker will release pricing by the middle of next month. He said that the RamBox is difficult to price because it’s a new feature and that the automaker must weigh supply and demand into its pricing scheme. It’s not that unusual for an automaker to resist pricing a new feature immediately – but with so much riding on the new Ram, it’s a wonder why the automaker wouldn’t make an effort to finalize pricing on what is bound to be one of the most-marketed items on one of the most important launches for the automaker in recent memory.
