2012 Ram 3500 Slt Crew Cab Pickup 4-door 6.7l on 2040-cars

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Ram extends Black Package to Heavy Duty trucks

If you liked the Black Express package Ram offers on its 1500 light-duty pickup but need the added capability of a Heavy Duty model, we've got good news for you.
This week at the Atlanta International Auto Show, the Ram truck brand is rolling out the Black package for the Ram HD 2500 and 3500 SRW. It features a sinister-looking exterior with 20-inch alloys, fog lamps, grille, front and rear bumpers and badges all blacked out. All the body-side badging has also been removed, unless you go for Cummins power, in which case you still get a chrome diesel badge on the side.
In correspondence with Autoblog, Ram spokesman Nick Cappa explained that the popularity of the Black edition light-duty truck was the impetus for the Heavy Duty edition you see here. "Ram has a reputation for going further on design and custom-looks from the factory," explained Cappa, pointing towards the Express, Sport and Longhorn editions. "This type of forward design-thinking led us to extend the aggressive appearance to the HD trucks, which in the past has been a bit more subtle."

2013 Ram 1500 tows away Motor Trend Truck of the Year laurels

Motor Trend has named their 2013 Truck of the Year, and this time, the coveted honor goes to Chrysler's 2013 Ram 1500. The Ram unseats the Ford F-150 pickup from Truck of the Year with a package that the magazine argues fulfills owners' needs for everyday usability as much as worksite utility.
MT points out that the 1500's available air suspension is a quantum leap in the light-duty pickup segment. This system can raise for more ground clearance or lower for highway driving. Chrysler has been pushing for friendly daily-driver manners for some time now - you'll recall it debuted coils in place of rear leaf springs in the 2009 Ram 1500, back when it the truck was sold under the Dodge nameplate. The new optional air setup is another step towards more comfortable everyday driving.
The Ram 1500 can also be paired with the company's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 in place of the loveless 3.7-liter unit, in the process getting some pretty surprising fuel economy figures. MT also notes that the interior update - complete with available Uconnect 8.3-inch screen and new rotary shifter - is a welcome upgrade. These attributes have conspired to yield a deserving award for Team Ram, which MT says has nailed the motivations of light-duty truck buyers - comfort and capability in one package.

Chrysler recalling over 280k minivans because airbags may deploy on wrong side

Chrysler has issued a recall for some 2013 Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan and Ram C/V Tradesman vans built between May 10, 2012 and June 7, 2013. These vehicles may have a software error that would cause the wrong side (opposite side) airbags to deploy in a crash. With this defect, a left-side impact would cause the right-side airbag to deploy, etc.
The recall affects 281,500 vehicles in total: 224k in the US, 49,300 in Canada, 2,900 in Mexico and 5,300 in other locations. Chrysler will notify owners of effected vehicles, and reflash the offending occupant restraint control module to resolve the issue. Scroll down to read the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration press release.