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Four Wheeler crowns Ultimate Factory 4x4... who wins?

Nearly every automaker doing business in the SUV or pickup truck segments offers a package designed to improve the off-road capabilities of its wares. But, of course, not all such factory kits are created equal. How, then, to separate the wheat from the chaff? Gather each of them up and put them through their paces, naturally.
The folks from Four Wheeler and PickupTrucks.com joined forces to run just such a comparison test, with the winner named the Ultimate Factory 4x4. A total of seven vehicles showed up to the fight: the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2012 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X and Xterra PRO-4X, 2012 Ram Power Wagon, and 2012 Toyota 4Runner Trail and Tacoma TRD T|X Baja Series.
With the contestants in place, the whole crew put each vehicle through a battery of tests that included skidpad and acceleration measurements, a hillclimb, a rocky stairstep course and a rock garden. Considering the nature of the beasts, on-road ride and comfort were not part of the routine.

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:

FCA's SEMA vans: A Ram ProMaster bar and a Mopar'd Pacifica

For this year's SEMA show, FCA created six machines that range from mild to wild, and what we have here are the two mildest examples: a custom Ram ProMaster and an accessorized Chrysler Pacifica. Of the two, the ProMaster is easily the more interesting. It's called the BrewMaster and it's a rolling bar. Get it? View 11 Photos The pub-themed interior has a variety of custom touches, including Mopar neon signs and beer taps with shift-knob handles. The outside gets some conceptual parts as well. The grille loses the crosshair design in favor of a large-font "RAM" badge in the center, similar to the one on the Ram Rebel. It also gets some custom 20-inch wheels and large fender flares to accommodate the wider rubber. The message here: Don't drink and drive, but definitely drive somewhere and drink. The Pacifica has far fewer custom goodies, and, sadly, no Hellcat powertrain, but that means what you see is something you could realistically replicate at a dealer. Called the Pacifica Cadence, this van is a rolling showcase of Mopar accessories. The newest piece is a running board that is designed to look like part of the sheetmetal, as opposed to a tacked-on aftermarket accessory. We'd say it's fairly successful if not super-exciting. View 7 Photos The Pacifica also features loads of other Mopar bits including the roof rack, dog kennel, all-weather floor mats, and wireless charging pad. Aside from the custom wrap and painted wheels, you could outfit your own Pacifica identically using a Mopar catalog. As for the BrewMaster, that might require a bit more custom work. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: FCA, Joel Stocksdale SEMA Show Chrysler RAM Minivan/Van Concept Cars chrysler pacifica ram promaster SEMA 2016