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2022 Ram 1500 BackCountry bundles a bunch of off-road bits

The Chicago Auto Show is coming up this week, and Ram is leading the reveals with exactly what we would expect for the show: a special trim level of a pickup truck. It's the 2022 Ram 1500 BackCountry, and it's based on the Big Horn and Lone Star models, but gets its own color scheme and a bundle of features for off-roading and for bed functionality. The BackCountry will be identifiable mainly by its two-tone color scheme with a black lower section. That's matched by many more black accents including the wheels, mirrors, headlight bezels, badging and exhaust tips. It also has running boards and a body-color grille and tonneau cover. But what earns it the BackCountry name are the functional parts. It adds to the Big Horn's standard features list the Off-Road Group and the Bed Utility Group. The former includes all-terrain tires, off-road shocks, hill-descent control, electronic rear differential lock, and skid plates to protect the front suspension, power steering, transfer case and fuel tank. The latter adds a spray-in bedliner, bed lighting, bed step and adjustable tie-down points. If you add the RamBox bed-side storage, it includes a bed extender. The interior is fairly plain with black cloth, but you get bucket seats and a 7-inch touchscreen. The dashboard is also adorned with a BackCountry badge. The BackCountry starts at $41,780. These features are available on the Big Horn trim, but the cheapest way to get them is $45,470, so the BackCountry is a significant discount if you're looking for some off-road capability in your Ram. It's available in both Crew Cab and the slightly shorter Quad Cab configurations with either the regular 5.7-liter V8 or the eTorque version of the same engine. Naturally, four-wheel-drive is the only driveline option. You'll be able to get one in the third quarter of this year. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2019 Ram 1500 shows chrome grille and more production parts

We've seen the 2019 Ram 1500 running around in camouflage a few times already. This time around, we get a good look at some more production parts. This set of spy photos shows a production-ready chrome grille up front, with chrome wheels to match. The shots also give a peek at the Ram's tow mirrors. We've seen the rear end before – including a split tailgate – but these photos give us a good look at the new rear lighting. Previous spy shots also suggest that the Ram will mostly retain its steel body. We also suspect it to arrive with coil springs and an optional air suspension. Rumors suggest the possibility of a turbo-four version, hybrid technology, and even a possible competitor to the Ford F-150 Raptor with a juiced-up V8. Look for the new Ram 1500 to take off the camo at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month. Related Video:

United States drivers buying fewer Mexican-made cars

Crossovers and pickup trucks are not only growing in market share, they're also more profitable than cars. A crossover on the same platform as a sedan retails for thousands more, despite similar components. It's one of the reasons we've seen automakers rapidly shifting production of their sedans and hatchbacks to Mexico, where cheap labor preserves the thin profit margins on these inexpensive vehicles. But as the market continues to shift in the United States, Mexico is getting burned by its lack of product diversity. The country's auto exports, which are heavy on cars, suffered a 16-percent drop last month, Automotive News reports. In total, year-over-year exports fell from 233,515 to 197,020 last month, while year-to-date exports are down by 7.4 percent, from 922,029 to 854,118. The number one culprit? America – which usually accounts for 75 percent of Mexico's exports – and its appetite for crossovers and pickup trucks bolstered by cheap gas prices. While Mexico does build some light truck models – AN specifically calls out the Ram 2500, Honda HR-V, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tacoma as export leaders – the vast majority of vehicles rolling out of its factories are sedans and hatchbacks. In fact, the three biggest drops in Mexican exports came from companies whose south of the border factories only build cars – Ford (Fusion/Lincoln MKZ and Fiesta), Mazda (Mazda3), and Volkswagen (Golf and Jetta). Mexican Automotive Industry Association President Eduardo Solis told AN the export shortfall will likely be sorted out sooner rather than later, thanks to a pair of new factories – a Kia car factory and an Audi SUV plant – that are coming online by year's end. The two facilities will add around 100,000 vehicles to the country's export totals, which Solis said should leave the industry on the verge of breaking another export record in 2016. But how sustainable will these record-breaking years be? Slapping an "Hecho en Mexico" sticker on a new German SUV won't be enough to change the fact that Mexico's product mix is tilted too heavily towards body styles that are not growing in volume. Mexico's record-breaking export years probably aren't at an end, but we'd argue they're certainly under threat. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Omar Torres / AFP / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Ford GMC Honda Mazda RAM Volkswagen Truck Crossover SUV Mexico