2024 Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn on 2040-cars

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Ram 1500 Classic rolls into 2021, celebrates becoming a teenager

CarsDirect crossed paths with a Ram dealer order guide revealing a 2021 Ram 1500 Classic. That news nugget means the fourth-generation Ram truck will get a third year on the market sold alongside the fifth-generation Ram 1500 that entered production for 2019. FCA didn't need more help being the undisputed king of successfully milking a platform (Challenger or Grand Caravan, anyone?), but a 13th year of what's now the Ram 1500 Classic puts local competition out of reach. This truck greeted the world for 2009, when Chrysler — then an unalloyed automaker owned by Cerberus — marched 115 head of cattle down a Detroit street in January to create a spectacle for what was to be the brand-new 2009 Dodge Ram. The order guide showed a $250 bump over the 2020MY pickup, for a total of $30,145 after a $1,695 destination charge to get into a Tradesman regular cab 4x2 powered by the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. That's the only change CarsDirect mentioned for the new year. The fifth-generation Ram 1500 in its base trim, a Tradesman Quad Cab 4x2, is $3,800 more expensive. However, it's important to note that there's a full line-up of Ram Classics. It's not just the stripper Tradesman model. You can't get the high-dollar Longhorn or Limited, but there's still the mid-grade Big Horn, leather-lined Laramie and the above-pictured Warlock, which is a sort of Rebel-lite model.  Some take the Classic's undying existence as a way for Ram to lure mid-size pickup buyers with the most inexpensive full-size pickup. It's possible, yet midsize buyers often don't want to deal with the size and bills that come with full-size trucks, never mind the higher MSRP. One size down, the 2021 Ram Classic costs roughly $1,500 more than a base Tacoma, $4,000 more than a Ford Ranger, and $7,000 more than a Chevrolet Canyon. Incentives this month can take as much as $6,250 off the Ram's price, but Ram isn't alone in putting money on the hood. Besides, the Ram Classic isn't a runaway price champ compared to other full-sizers. A 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 regular cab 4x2 starts at $30,095, and next year's Ford F-150 will start at $30,635 after destination. The Ram Classic makes more sense as a base-truck competitor for full-size competition, one that pays a lot more profit to FCA. And having the old guard on duty did help Ram outsell the Chevrolet Silverado last year. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Hennessey Mammoth is a Ram 1500 TRX turned three-row SUV

The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is a thoroughly incredible machine that's great for pounding across dunes and flying over jumps, and you can even bring along some friends and their gear along for the ride. But what if you want to bring more friends along. Well, Hennessey Performance has the solution in the Mammoth SUV. What it is, is a TRX turned into a three-row SUV. It's something that Hennessey has experience with, as nearly a decade ago, it started converting some of its upgraded Ford F-150 Raptors (called VelociRaptors after being tuned) into custom SUVs. Like those Fords, the Mammoth will get a custom roof, rear pillars, glass and unified interior to provide more covered space. The company will also replace the second-row bench with captain's chairs and add a third row with a folding bench seat. While Hennessey could probably simply sell these TRX SUVs just with the body modification, the company will also add additional performance. An upgraded supercharger, pulleys, fuel injectors, engine calibration, intake and high-flow catalytic converters bring output to an absurd 1,012 horsepower and 969 pound-feet of torque. Hennessey claims it will get to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 11.4. The company also raises the truck an extra 2.5 inches and fits a custom off-road bumper with LED lights and 20-inch wheels with 35-inch tires. The whole thing will cost $375,000. That's no small amount, but there's a lot of custom work in the vehicle. Plus, it's exclusive, with only 20 units slated to be produced. If it's what you're looking for, the company is taking orders now. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Fiat Chrysler, Waymo expand partnership for Level 4 self-driving

Fiat Chrysler and Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google parent Alphabet Co., are expanding their partnership in an ambitious plan to develop fully autonomous commercial delivery vehicles and integrate Level 4 autonomous technology across the FCA fleet, the two companies said Wednesday. The agreement makes FCA (soon to be dubbed Stellantis when the PSA merger is complete) the exclusive partner for Waymo to develop and test self-driving Class 1-3 light commercial delivery vehicles. Initial efforts will focus on integrating the Waymo Driver system into the Ram ProMaster cargo van for commercial fleets, including Waymo Via, which have seen demand for home delivery services mushroom during the coronavirus pandemic. Conversely, FCA has tapped Waymo as its exclusive supplier for Level 4 self-driving technology across its vehicle fleet, opening up possibilities for ride-hailing and personal-use vehicles. An FCA spokesman would not commit to any timelines for integrating Waymo’s self-driving technology into the ProMaster or other brands or models. The Society of Automotive Engineers defines Level 4 systems as fully automated driving, though a human driver can manually override and take control of the wheel. There are currently no Level 4 autonomous vehicles offered to customers, and most experts believe the technology still faces many obstacles to broad adoption and regulatory clearance. Fiat Chrysler first partnered with Waymo in 2016. The two companies have worked to test WaymoÂ’s Level 4 technology using retrofitted Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans. “Our now four-year partnership with Waymo continues to break new ground,” Mike Manley, Fiat ChryslerÂ’s CEO, said in a statement. “Incorporating the Waymo Driver, the worldÂ’s leading self-driving technology, into our Pacifica minivans, we became the only partnership actually deploying fully autonomous technology in the real world, on public roads.” Waymo recently introduced its fifth generation of the Waymo Driver system, which it completely redesigned to be able to handle more environments and situations. It combines 360-degree lidar sensors positioned atop the vehicle and at four points around the sides, plus cameras and radars. Waymo said it had already manufactured the new sensors and integrated them onto Jaguar I-Pace test vehicles.