2001 Dodge Ram 1500 Slt Larimie 4x4 on 2040-cars

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2019 Ram 1500 gets vertical touchscreen infotainment system

Truck buyers have grown to expect more than class-leading payload, towing, and torque figures. Today's pickups entice buyers with roomy cabins, luxurious interior materials, and the latest technologies that automakers have to offer. In the case of Ram, that includes FCA's well-regarded UConnect infotainment system. And judging by this latest set of spy shots, the 2019 Ram 1500's UConnect 4.0 package will include an inverted LCD screen. Vertical-oriented touchscreens are already available in certain Tesla, Volvo, and Toyota Prius Prime models, but this is the first such system we've seen in a pickup truck. The tall screen is flanked by hard buttons – some of which duplicate on-screen climate controls – and an additional set of software buttons appear at the bottom. Toggle switches below the screen include an option to manually raise and lower the Ram's air suspension setup. And finally, two dials remain for audio volume and tuning functions. A look at the 2019 Ram 1500's key fob shows that it, too, will get buttons to adjust the truck's ride height. That should make it easier to bring the pickup closer to the ground for entry and to load the bed, even from outside the cabin. We expect to see the Ram 1500 to debut in production spec at the Detroit Auto Show in January of 2018. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Ram 1500 interior: Spy Shots Image Credit: Brian Williams Spy Photos RAM Technology Infotainment Truck

Ram bringing Rumble Bee Concept to Woodward

The 2013 Woodward Dream Cruise is taking place this weekend, and will see the arrival of over 1.5 million people and around 40,000 vehicles of seemingly every make in history. It's also a huge event for the manufacturers that call Detroit home, with Chevrolet setting up shop in Birmingham, Ford and its Mustang Alley locating itself in Ferndale and Chrysler hunkering down at 13 Mile in Royal Oak.
Ram will take advantage of the captive audience (if you think we're joking with the use of the term "captive," you've never tried to get off of Woodward during The Cruise) to show a new concept truck. And, judging from these teasers, it's going to be.. the Rumble Bee. In the past, Ram offered a Rumble Bee edition Ram 1500 that was mainly a styling treatment, but they were kinda cool trucks for those that wanted a muscle car but needed the room and utility of a big vehicle.
Details on the new Rumble Bee are scarce, but judging by the images seen here, it will sport bright yellow paint and a pair of large, black, five-spoke wheels wrapped in low-profile tires. The hood sports a set of hoodscoops for a bit more aggression, while the interior gets a reinterpreted dial shifter for the eight-speed automatic. We also see what may be a button to let a bit more rumble emanate from what we'd assume is a large Hemi engine underhood. Take a look at the gallery below to see both teaser images, and check back here for more as soon as we get it.

Chrysler's internal documents question Ram quality as workers protest

Chrysler is reportedly having a hard time ramping up production of its 2013 Ram 1500. According to The Detroit News, only 16 of the 58 trucks built at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant during the model's first hour passed final inspection. While quality eventually improved over the course of the day, just over half of the units built on Thursday were approved for shipment. Even with workers ordered to stay late to fix their mistakes, some 1,078 units remained outside the facility with defects. The problem, according to workers at the plant, is morale.
According to the report, Chrysler recently changed the shift schedule at the plant and workers are unhappy with the new situation. The new plan has workers split into three shifts, each covering four 10-hour days. With the shifts staggered, some workers now have to work nights and on Saturdays. Some employees are so upset that they've taken to protesting, though the move isn't sanctioned by the United Auto Workers.
Meanwhile, Chrysler admits there were internal issues with the launch, but that the company was able to contain them. A spokesperson has said "plant quality indicators are getting progressively better."