2014 Ram 3500 Laramie on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ram HD Pickup Lineup First Drive Review | The torque king cometh

LAS VEGAS — Ram is thriving. The truck brand is coming off its best sales year ever, and its all-new 2019 Ram 1500 has won just about every truck award there is to win, including North American Truck of the Year. Now Ram is launching the world's torquiest pickup truck ever, the new 2019 Ram Heavy Duty. The burliest version packs 1,000 pound-feet of twist, but there's a lot more to this truck than its obscene amount of low-end grunt. It's also the quietest, most comfortable, and most refined heavy-duty pickup Ram has ever made. Most power, payload and towing The 2019 Ram Heavy Duty isn't exactly all-new. It's more of a major refresh, the HD's first since 2014 and the second since this generation debuted in 2010. The truck is now infused with much of the styling, technology and much of the interior of its light-duty little brother, the Ram 1500. Only the HD's cab, doors and bedsides are essentially unchanged, along with its 6.4-liter Hemi V8, which is now standard on all 2500 and 3500 models. The unpopular 5.7-liter Hemi is no longer available. Ram continues to offer two versions of its Cummins inline six-cylinder diesel power on all models except the 2500 Power Wagon. The 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel, which costs an extra $9,100, and the High-Output version have both been reengineered for more power, more durability and significantly less noise. The Cummins still pumps out 370 horsepower at 2,800 rpm, but its torque output has jumped from 800 to 850 pound-feet at 1,700 rpm. The HO version, which is only available on the 3500, gets a 15 hp bump to 400 hp at 2,800 rpm, and its torque climbs from 930 to that magical 1,000 lb-ft at 1,800 rpm. Redline remains at just 3,250 rpm, and a column-shifted six-speed automatic still backs both engines. Hemi models, including the Power Wagon, have been upgraded to an 8HP75R eight-speed from ZF and a dash-mounted rotary shifter. The Hemi's power ratings are unchanged at 410 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque, but the V8 now has a more advanced cylinder deactivation system for improved fuel economy and smoother operation when only four of its cylinders are firing. The eight-speed's gearing also betters the Power Wagon's crawl index from 35:1 to 51:1 for improved low-speed off-roading. Most Ram HD buyers spring for the diesel. The most popular model is the 2500 4x4 Crew Cab Laramie with the Cummins, but trucks with the 6.4-liter and the new eight-speed feel considerably quicker on the road. Even the big boy 3500s.

Ram Multifunction Tailgate swings into the pickup truck tailgate fray

Let the tailgate wars escalate, says Ram. Today, the Ram 1500 responds to GMC's Multi-Pro tailgate with its own fancy way to get stuff in and out of the bed. Named the "Multifunction Tailgate," (very creative, we know) Ram decided to give the tailgate a 60/40 split. Before we get into functionality, just take a peek at how it looks closed. On the red Ram Rebel chosen to show it off, you're greeted with a sizable black line running down the entire height of the tailgate in an odd spot. The off-center nature of the split makes for a strange look no matter the angle. We have a feeling that a black truck would solve any kind of visual weirdness going on here. On to the important part: How does it work? For starters, you can use it just like a normal truck tailgate. Drop it down with a release button on the handle, or use the remote release. Ram says it doesn't give up anything in capability or toughness in this down position — it has a 2,000-pound load rating. What makes this tailgate unique is its swinging functionality, though. The tailgate is capable of swinging both sides open like doors. Think Honda Ridgeline, but there are two elements to swing out instead of just one. This allows for closer access to the truck bed. The benefits are obvious: easier loading and unloading, easier washout, and you can even use a forklift to load it up now, too. Both of the barn doors swing out to 88 degrees. It's possible to have just the right or just the left door open, or both at once. Ram Multifunction Tailgate View 10 Photos Ford started this tailgate war with its now simple-looking bed step, but now it finds itself the most back-to-basics offering in the group. GMC officially has the most complicated piece of tech with the various foldouts and all-out size, but Ram is somewhere in the middle with this one. We were fans of the swing-out tailgate on our long-term Honda Ridgeline, so let's hope this one proves just as useful. Ram will be at the Chicago Auto Show with this tailgate, so we'll be sure to give it a thorough shakedown on the show floor. Any 2019 Ram 1500 can be equipped with the tailgate as an option for $995. The center step can be tacked on separately for $295. We're told to expect Rams equipped thusly to roll into dealerships during the second quarter of 2019. Related video:

Here's what Ram may name its electric pickup

Ram's answer to the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Chevrolet Silverado EV is due out in 2024. Official details about the electric pickup are few and far between, but a recent trademark filing might have revealed the nameplate that the model will wear when it lands in showrooms. Parent company Stellantis asked the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to trademark the name "Ram Revolution" in January 2022. Discovered by CarBuzz, the filing applies to "motor vehicles, namely, passenger trucks" so it's not for a toy or an event. The filing has fueled speculation that Revolution will be the name given to the 1500's electric sidekick. It's a move that would make sense; Ram pledged to redefine the segment, so the pickup will be more of a revolution than an evolution, and the word "revolution" has "EV" in it. Unlike rival Ford, Ram doesn't have an EV-friendly nameplate in its attic that's waiting to be dusted off. Dodge's trucks were lumped under the D-Series umbrella for decades, and its limited-edition models wore names like The Dude, Warlock, and Macho Power Wagon. We suppose that the Li'l Red Express could become the Li'l Green Express, but that territory is arguably best left unexplored. And, following Chevrolet's lead by tacking "EV" after the "1500" nameplate is seemingly not creative enough for the company's marketing department. As always, a trademark filing is not a guarantee that a nameplate will see the light that awaits at the end of a production line. If it was, Volkswagen would sell the Amarok in the United States and the Falcon would again be part of the Ford lineup. Ram hasn't commented on the trademark filing, and it hasn't revealed what it plans to call its first series-produced electric truck. More details should emerge in 2022.