2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

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Sunday Drive: And now for something completely different

This past week played host to a wide assortment of automotive news, highlighted by our first drive of the 2018 Volvo XC40. The Swedish crossover is targeted at young, successful Millennials, but it offers cool styling, fun dynamics, and all of today's must-have technology, so we think it ought to appeal to a much wider swath of the automotive marketplace. From there we answer the question, "What are hard on the outside and soft on the inside?" as we take a look at the next Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV. We expect the German automaker's flagship luxury SUV to remain boxy on the outside, but the interior is going to be soft, supple, and luxurious. And then there's the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, which starts at starts at $34,290 and boasts 212 total system horsepower, 232 pound-feet of torque, 47 miles of electric driving range, and a total range of 340 miles. EPA rates it at 110 MPGe in EV mode, and 44 city/40 highway/42 combined overall. We compare it to other plug-ins like the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius Prime. And finally we have some more spy photos of the 2019 Ram 1500. It doesn't have a traditional crosshair grille, but it's got plenty of chrome and an attractive upright stance that's sure to tempt future truck buyers looking for some sophistication to go with their work gloves. As always, stay tuned to Autoblog this week to see all the automotive news that's fit to print. 2018 Volvo XC40 First Drive Review | The Masspirational crossover Mercedes-Benz G-Class gets the luxe, high-tech treatment 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid Review | It's what's on the inside that counts 2019 Ram 1500 shows chrome grille and more production parts Green Honda Mercedes-Benz RAM Volvo Technology Truck Crossover SUV Luxury Performance Sedan volvo xc40 sunday drive

Chrysler flooded with over 8,000 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel orders in 3 days

The diesel, half-ton pickup has long been a Holy Grail to many truck fans, largely because of its potential to achieve both high payload and great fuel economy. Strange, then, that auto companies have seemingly been slow to react. However, Chrysler is finally wading into the pool for the 2014 model year with a version of its Ram 1500 pickup, and early claimed returns are showing the advantage of being first on the market. The Auburn Hills automaker has just revealed that its initial allocation of 8,000 EcoDiesel trucks has been filled by dealers in just three days.
That flood of orders came from February 7-10, and that strong surge of interest apparently amounts to a new Ram record for the number of customer orders placed for a vehicle in such a short period of time. In fact, EcoDiesel models accounted for over half of Ram 1500 orders over that period, despite the fact that the diesel option costs several thousand dollars more than a comparable gasoline-engined model. That impressive total did not come entirely as a shock to Ram officials, however: "We knew customers have been asking for it," Nick Cappa, Ram Truck communications officer, tells Autoblog.
The 2014 Ram 1500 with its 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 and standard eight-speed TorqueFlight automatic makes 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet - a combination good for 9,200 pounds of towing. Despite that pulling power, its fuel economy is rated at 28 miles per gallon highway (the best among trucks in its class), 20 mpg city and 23 mpg combined. Four-wheel drive variants gives up a single mpg in all categories.

Ram 1500 EV shown in more clarity with new teaser images

Besides the first electric Jeep and other product plans, Stellantis gave us yet another preview of the upcoming electric Ram 1500 pickup truck. The company isn't giving much away, but these new renderings do give us some more details on what the truck will look like. The most striking features of the front are the pairs of LED lights above and below that meet toward the middle in a sort of dog bone shape. In the middle is the updated Ram logo that's been featured for its "Ram Revolution" program that takes input from Ram fans for designing the truck. The hood has creases that are suggestive of the dual-level, semi-truck-inspired design that has stuck with the truck since the 1990s. It also seems to have a heat-extractor vent design, which we're not sure would really be functional on an electric truck. Along the sides, the fenders appear to be pushed far outward. The edge where the cab meets the bed has a jog in it that pushes into the cab. It has us thinking the cab and bed may be one piece, along the lines of the Chevy Silverado EV. That single piece will still ride on a separate frame, though, since the Ram 1500 EV will be built on the STLA Frame platform. Continuing on the topic of side styling, the window sill rises toward the rear pillar, and that rear pillar leans forward, again more like the GM electric truck designs. At the back, the electric Ram has taillights that connect into the tailgate like the Ford F-150 Lightning. The shape also echoes that of the headlights, along with the illuminated Ram logo. The rear shot also gives more clarity on the unique cab design. The electric Ram will go into production in 2024. As touched on, it will use the STLA Frame platform that features a traditional separate frame from the body. The platform can accommodate 159 to 200 kWh of battery capacity with a range of up to 500 miles. Early renderings also show the platform using independent suspension both front and rear. Furthermore, Ram has said it will offer a plug-in hybrid variant based on the electric model to go on sale the same year. And electrification won't stop at the 1500.