White Regular Cab Mint Condition Better Then New Adjustable Trailing Towing on 2040-cars

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Ram boss thinks midsize truck could fit in the lineup

The execs at Ram are changing their tune about the possibility of a midsize truck in the US. Nothing is certain yet, but the chances now look a little more favorable. "I think there's opportunity there in the US if you look at what's happened in the mid-size segment here – significant growth last year," Jeep and Ram boss Mike Manley told the Detroit News. "I think that space is big enough, certainly, to have two offerings there." The other product that Manley alludes to is the forthcoming Jeep Wrangler-based pickup that's due in 2017. However, there might not be much customer overlap between the Jeep and those looking for a more traditional Ram-branded model. Manley admitted the most likely candidate for a midsize Ram would be for the company to use an existing Fiat platform, according to the News. One possibility could be rebranding the Fiat Toro pickup, but it's rather small at 20-inches shorter than a Chevrolet Colorado. This greater openness to a midsize Ram is a complete change from the company's position in the past, though. Last spring, the brand's CEO for North America said he couldn't find a strategy to make the model work. FCA boss Sergio Marchionne made the same point in 2014, when he admitted the company showed a Ram 1000 at design clinics, but the response was "lukewarm." Over the past couple years, the midsize truck market has a renaissance of fresh products. The Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon are successes both critically and commercially. The latest Tacoma is on sale, and the new Honda Ridgeline is imminent. We know Nissan has a Frontier successor under development, and there are always rumors of Ford reviving the Ranger in the US. With so much development in the segment, it's easy to see why Ram would want to be at the party. Related Video:

2019 Ram 2500, 3500 Heavy Duty get the Lone Star treatment

Just like with most other pickup trucks, the 2019 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty and 3500 Heavy Duty models are getting a Texas-only special edition. It's called Lone Star, like its 1500 counterpart, and it's a midlevel trim roughly analogous to the Big Horn available in the rest of the country. What distinguishes it as a Lone Star are standard chrome door handles, bumpers and grille surround. The dead giveaway, though, will be the Lone Star badges that dot the exterior. The truck also gets some towing goodies such as a standard Class V tow hitch, electronic trailer brake controller and power trailer mirrors. Inside, buyers can choose from four color combinations including black and gray, black and brown, black and beige, and all-black with either bench or bucket front seats. There's also the option to have a door over the passenger side dash cubbie, and that door will feature the Lone Star badge. The Lone Star trim is available in just about any 2500 or 3500 configuration you desire. Regular, Crew and Mega Cabs are all available, as are both standard and long beds. The 6.4-liter gas engine is standard with the midrange Cummins diesel an option on the 2500, and the high-output Cummins diesel with its 1,000 pound-feet of torque an additional option on the 3500. Four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive are both available. The Lone Star Ram Heavy Duty models will go on sale in Texas during the second quarter of this year. The 2500 starts at $39,340 with destination, and the 3500 starts at $40,790. That's a price increase of about $4,000 over the base models.

Range-extended electric Ram 1500 coming in 2024

Ram is making a big deal about the full-electric Ram 1500 coming in 2024, as well it should. It will be a major competitor to the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevy Silverado EV, and it will have an interesting development process with input from Ram fans. An all-electric model would generally be big enough product news, but it's getting an interesting addition: a range-extender model. We learned this in an interview with Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. He noted that it will be a part of Ram trying to respond to customer interests and concerns, as well as offering more than expected. He didn't go into detail about the powertrain, but it will launch alongside the electric model in 2024. It sounded as though it will be based on the electric truck, but with some sort of gasoline engine to provide power. It's not clear if it would be a pure series hybrid a la BMW i3, or if the engine would engage the wheels to provide some propulsion. We think there's one big area where this powertrain makes sense: towing. While capable of towing huge amounts, electric vehicles tend to lose a drastic amount of range when towing. And especially with an underdeveloped charging network, it would make towing any distance frustrating — and a big issue, when towing is a big reason for owning a large truck. Introducing an internal combustion engine for occasional towing would mean that a Ram buyer could have a much more efficient experience, and still have full EV capability when not towing. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.