2023 Ram 2500 Big Horn on 2040-cars

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Ram's 700 mini-truck blends Fiat genes with 1500 styling cues

Ram's on-again, off-again sub-1500 pickup is allegedly on its way to production, but we haven't seen it yet. In the meantime, the company's Mexican division introduced a trucklet named 700 built on a unibody architecture. The 700's positioning suggests it picks up where the Dakota left off, but it's a completely different breed of truck. And, while its unibody bones are reminiscent of the Honda Ridgeline, it's a much smaller model that's essentially a badge-engineered version of the Fiat Strada. No, not the hatchback briefly sold in the United States from 1979 to 1982; we're talking about the little, economy car-derived pickup sold in dozens of global markets. Think of the 700 as the Dodge Rampage's distant heir. Visually, its front end borrows a handful of styling cues from the 1500, including an upright grille characterized by a bold Ram emblem and mesh inserts. Called SLT, the base model wears a decidedly downmarket look with black plastic bumpers and steel wheels covered by plastic hubcaps. The mid-range Big Horn blurs the line between a commercial vehicle and a crossover with a practical cargo box, while the range-topping Laramie variant is aimed at motorists who want an outdoorsy daily driver. Ram offers two- and four-door models, though only the SLT is available in the former configuration. The 700 boasts a usable 1,653-pound payload and an 880-pound towing capacity. Power comes from a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 84 horsepower to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. Buyers can pay extra for a turbocharged, 1.3-liter four that delivers 98 horsepower. It doesn't appear that four-wheel drive is available, and there's no automatic transmission on the menu. Small and cheap doesn't necessarily mean basic. The 700 can be equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, a rear-view camera, and electronic driving aids such as ABS brakes and traction control, plus LED headlights. Laramie models also benefit from partial leather upholstery. Ram will release the 2021 700 in the Mexican market this month, but we're not expecting the model to find its way north to the U.S. Drivers who want a small, unibody truck will need to wait until Ford releases the Maverick, which will ride on the same basic platform as the Escape and the Bronco Sport. It's tentatively due out in 2021 as a 2022 model.

Ram ProMaster City getting facelift courtesy of Fiat Doblo?

Our intrepid spy photographers have caught prototypes for a new Fiat Doblo. Now we know what you might be thinking (particularly if you didn't take note of the headline): why would we care about an automaker conducting a facelift on a European cargo van? Normally we wouldn't, only the Fiat Doblo has another name, under which it will be shortly be sold here in America: Ram ProMaster City.
Announced just months ago, the ProMaster City is the smaller counterpart to the Ram ProMaster, which itself is also a rebadged cargo van from Fiat Professional. Think of it as a Chrysler version of the Ford Transit and Transit Connect lineup - European vans being brought Stateside by automakers that operate on both sides of the Atlantic.
But despite the official announcement of the vehicle's pending arrival, we still haven't seen the PMC yet. The disguised Doblo prototypes pictured here appear to be wearing a completely new front end and some cosmetic revisions to their tail ends, too. We can't see anything in the interior, but the fact that it was completely covered up suggests that Fiat is working on overhauling that, as well.

Ram 1500 custom trucks for SEMA go high and low

For SEMA, Mopar only created two in-house custom 2019 Ram 1500 trucks, and they're fairly mild in terms of modifications, many of which are existing Mopar accessories. But at the very least they show two extremely different ways to upgrade a Ram, with one being an off-road-oriented Ram Rebel, and the other being a lowered, street-oriented truck. The latter mod has become a bit unusual in a world dominated by Raptors and ZR2s. We'll start by talking about the street truck, which is the only one of the two with its own unique name: Low Down. Its defining characteristic: It sits two inches lower than a standard Ram 1500. This was done with a concept lowering kit that Mopar does not offer. Another part not yet available is the hood, which features an aggressive scoop. Finally, inside are some concept aluminum pedals. There aren't plans for any of these to come to production yet, but you can be sure Mopar will be paying attention to the public's reaction, and if things go well, they could show up at a dealer near you. The other defining feature of the Low Down is its paint scheme, which is black over silver, with a stripe separating them painted in the same Brass Monkey bronze hue available on some of FCA's wheels. The factory Ram wheels also get a custom paint scheme. Aside from the special parts and custom paint, almost everything else is right out of the Mopar catalog, including the fender flares, bed cover, spray-in bedliner, 5-inch exhaust tips and cold-air intake. The Mopar-customized Ram Rebel doesn't get a fancy name, but it still gets plenty of tweaks. It uses the factory Ram lift kit, so it sits two inches higher than a stock Rebel. It also features 35-inch tires. Up front, there's the concept hood found on the Low Down. At the back of the bed, there's a new flashy matte black decal that will be available for Ram Rebels in the near future. The bed also has an available "Rambar" sport bar, with some Mopar auxiliary lights. The bed has a spray-in bedliner and a concept spare tire carrier. Out the back are the same 5-inch exhaust tips as on the Low Down. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.