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SANTA BARBARA, CA – Do Americans still need pickup trucks?
Chrysler LLC figures they do, despite the personal credit crunch every time a V-8 fullsizer pulls in for a fill-up.
As long as Red State farmers have cattle to herd, plumbers have toilets to replace, painters have ladders to haul and carpenters have tools to stash, the Great American pickup will dot the landscape like silos.
This is the heart of the market Chrysler hopes to engage with its all-new Ram pickup, which arrives in showrooms this fall.
During a drive through the rugged Santa Ynez Mountains north of here, the new Ram more than holds its own and exudes stylish machismo while doing so.
It handles with confidence, abetted by Chrysler’s controversial decision to switch from the time-honored leaf springs in the rear suspension to a multi-link coil spring configuration.
The interior is spacious, comfortable and attractive, without being too luxurious. And the new 5.7L Hemi V-8 is so self-assured and Barry White smooth that the powertrain team deserves commission checks for the multitude of sales locked up once the key turns.
