Lessons Learned From Ram Launch
Kuniskis is also a little gun-shy after the trials of launching the current Ram with many trims and the return of the 5.7-liter Hemi as an extra cost option on most versions.
“People say to me you brought back the [5.7-liter] Hemi on truck and it’s great, everyone’s happy. Now bring back a 6.4-liter Hemi into truck. They say if the 5.7-liter fits, the 6.4-liter will and you should do it.
First off, the 5.7 was not easy. “It was a miracle that we got it done in 10 months.” And it made sense. The smaller V-8 was a decent alternative to the 420-hp standard output version of the Hurricane I-6, with comparable power, torque, and instantaneous response, just with a different flavor. It was a good option and about 10 percent of buyers have opted for the Hemi as the truck launch continues to ramp up. Kuniskis thinks the Hemi take rate will climb to about 35 percent.
But the 5.7-liter Hemi is not on a level playing field with the high-output Hurricane engine with its 550 hp and 528 lb ft of torque. Competing would require adding the 6.4-liter Hemi to the truck lineup and even that is less horsepower.
Overwhelming for Dealers
“Now I’ve added a massive amount of complexity, not so much from an engineering and production standpoint, it’s now at the dealership,” Kuniskis says. He starts citing numbers: 2,400 U.S. dealers, 14 brands, four brands sold in one showroom, an increasing number of powertrain options. “Before you know it you have so many cars that dealers say, ‘Uncle! I can’t stock all this. I’m going to now pick and choose the ones I want to sell.’”
Which is to say Stellantis could invest billions of dollars in options that never make it to the overwhelmed dealer or the customer. Some buyers might specifically order something not on the lot, but such orders represent only 5 percent of sales.
“So, that doesn’t work and you have to make a tough call,” Kuniskis says. That is where he is on requests for a 6.4-liter in trucks too, knowing it is a lot of investment in an option with few takers, given how attractive the current offerings already are. Had the Hurricane engine never gone into the trucks, offering two Hemis would be a no-brainer. Replacing or supplementing the popular Hurricanes with Hemis is a tougher call.
