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2019 Ram 1500 truck gets loaded with Mopar goodies in Chicago

Last month saw the debut of the all-new 2019 Ram 1500. While there are a slew of variants coming down the pipe (Ram 1500 Tradesman, Ram 1500 Sport, etc.), Ram used the 2018 Chicago Auto Show to showcase a whole host of Mopar parts and accessories on a bright-red 2019 Ram. In total, there will be more than 200 new parts available when the new Ram hits dealer showrooms later this year. The truck here is a Flame Red 2019 Ram 1500 Big Horn Sport 4x4. It's sporting a 2-inch lift kit, 35-inch tires, 18-inch beadlock wheels, black fender flares and black aluminum running boards. The bed has the adjustable "Ram Rack," a sort of frame that can be used to strap down large items like a couple of kayaks. The rear bumper has a bed step that articulates outward when needed. The Nissan Titan has a similar feature. View 9 Photos There are a few performance upgrades, too, though Mopar doesn't list any new power ratings. There's a new cold-air intake for the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 that's functional with all of the new Ram's hood designs. The Hemi also gets a new stainless steel catback exhaust system. The 5-inch exhaust tips fit into the bumper. Visually, the Ram gets a black Mopar logo on the hood, black Ram emblems and badges, black tow hooks and a Mopar logo in the trailer hitch. The interior is done up in Katzkin leather with red stitching, and the ram's head logo on the seat backs and rubber floor mats. One of the coolest things about all of these parts is that customers can have them installed before ever taking delivery. Those parts will also be backed by the same warranty as the rest of the truck. Related Video: Image Credit: FCA Aftermarket Design/Style Chicago Auto Show RAM Truck Off-Road Vehicles 2018 Chicago Auto Show

Stellantis previews 4 electric platforms: Here's how they'll be used

Stellantis EV Day is hitting hard and fast this morning, with big news coming from Dodge and Ram and Jeep and the rest. But to support those brand transformations, a core initiative within Stellantis will help it become a leader in electrification. To do that, the group is developing platforms and technologies with cross-shared components and systems. This starts with four flexible BEV platforms: STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large and STLA Frame. As for targeted numbers, they’re lofty: By 2024, Stellantis aims for over 500 miles of range, 0-62 mph in 2 seconds and charging 200 miles of range in 10 minutes. The four platforms will offer battery capacities from 37 kWh to more than 200 kWh. More specifically, STLA Small will offer 37-82 kWh and up to 300 miles of range. STLA Medium will have 87-104 kWh and up to 440 miles. STLA Large will provide 101-118 kWh and up to 500 miles of range. The truck-focused STLA Frame will provide 159-200+ kWh and up to 500 miles of range (and will support an electric Ram 1500 pickup). Chrysler EV Front 34 View 8 Photos Stellantis has big plans for the STLA Large platform, and is currently developing eight vehicles for it in the next three to five years. Examples of possible vehicles shown include a midsize Ram truck and a Jeep off-roader that could fight against the likes of the Toyota 4Runner. Stellantis design boss Ralph Gilles could be seen in a presentation looking over a Chrysler electric crossover based on this platform. We also saw a Wagoneer badge teased momentarily. There was a rendered silhouette of a crossover that looked like it could compete with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Gilles said the platform would allow Stellantis to “create a long-range luxury sedan, an all-conquering muscle car, a heart-of-the-market DUV, a heart-of-the-market SUV, a very capable Jeep off-roading white-space opportunity vehicle as well as a new mid-sized truck.” See for yourself in this video starting at the 90-minute mark. As for powertrains, Stellantis is developing three electric drive modules with a shared, scalable inverter, and other common components, as well as in-house software to control them. Those drive units will offer from 70 to 330 kW (94-402 horsepower). More specifically, one EDM will provide 70 kW, a second will provide 125-180 kW, while the most potent can produce 150-330 kW.

2021 Ram 1500 TRX First Drive | King of the Jurassic parking lot

Looking over the spec sheet of the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX, it’s hard not to think America has hit peak pickup truck. Everything about the TRX is bigger, better and badder than any truck thatÂ’s come before, including its one obvious bogey, the Ford F-150 Raptor. For starters, the Ram has a 252-horsepower and 140-pound-foot advantage on the Ford. That means the TRX is quicker and faster, and it can haul and tow marginally more. The TRX has a nicer interior and its supercharged V8 engine sounds a heck of a lot better than the RaptorÂ’s turbocharged V6. Altogether, that ought to equal a truck thatÂ’s more fun to drive. The TRX certainly doesnÂ’t hide its off-road-performance intentions under subtle bodywork. Big, burly fenders with thick black flares cover massive 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler All Territory tires. Those body sides blend in nicely with an equally swollen hood that features a huge blacked-out air intake nostril at its leading edge and matte black gills on either side. A trio of government-mandated running lights sit inside the scoop, echoing the marker lights attached to ultra-wide dually pickups. Naturally, huge RAM scripting features front and rear, and thereÂ’s plenty more badging to make sure everyone knows this T-Rex sits at the top of the dino food chain. More important than the muscular styling is what that bodywork encases, starting with a frame that Ram says shares just 25% with lesser 1500s. ItÂ’s designed to be stiff and durable enough to withstand off-road terrain at speeds of 100 mph. The TRX boasts 11.8 inches of ground clearance, and can ford water up to 32 inches deep. Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive shocks with nitrogen-charged remote reservoirs continuously adjust to handle current demands, whether that means taking the edge off a bumpy road or absorbing much larger impacts, like when landing a jump. There's 13 inches of wheel travel up front and 14 inches out back, allowing for a huge amount of articulation.  All that heavy-duty equipment adds weight. Ram says the TRX gains about 600 pounds of burly mass in the transition from regular Hemi-powered 1500 to Beast Mode off-roader, leading to a truck that tips the scales at over 6,350 pounds. For perspective, a Ram Rebel 4x4 weighs a little less than 5,400 pounds and the Ford Raptor SuperCrew weighs less than 5,700. 2021 Ram TRX View 61 Photos Good thing about that massively powerful engine, then.