2022 Ram 1500 Big Horn/lone Star on 2040-cars

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Detroit 3 to implement delayed unified towing standards for 2015

Car buyers have a responsibility to be well-informed consumers. That's not always a very simple task, but some guidelines are self-evident. If you live in a very snowy climate, you generally know a Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro might not be as viable a vehicle choice as an all-wheel drive Explorer or Traverse, for example. If you want a fuel-efficient car, it's generally a good idea to know the difference between a diesel and a hybrid. But what if it's kind of tough to be an informed consumer? What if the information you need is more difficult to come by, or worse, based on different standards for each vehicle? Well, in that case, you might be a truck shopper. For years, customers of light-duty pickups have had to suffer through different ratings of towing capacities for each brand. For 2015 model year trucks, though, that will no longer be a problem. According to Automotive News, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler Group have announced that starting with next year's models, a common standard will be used to measure towing capacity. The Detroit Three will join Toyota, which adopted the Society of Automotive Engineers' so-called SAE J2807 standards way back in 2011. The standard was originally supposed to be in place for MY2013, but concerns that it would lower the overall stated capacity for trucks led Detroit automakers to pass. Ford originally passed, claiming it'd wait until its new F-150 was launched to adopt the new standards, leading GM and Ram to follow suit. Nissan, meanwhile, has said it will adopt the new standards as its vehicles are updated, meaning the company's next-generation Titan should adhere to the same tow ratings as its competitors. While the adoption of SAE J2807 will be helpful for light-duty customers, those interested in bigger trucks will still be left with differing standards. There is no sign of the new tow standards being adopted for the heavy-duty market.

2020 Ram 1500's new EcoDiesel horsepower and torque revealed

Following on the reveals of Ford and GM's light-duty diesel full-size pickup truck engines, Ram has finally revealed its second-generation EcoDiesel V6 for the 2020 Ram 1500 and 2019 Ram 1500 Classic. The engine is once again a 3.0-liter V6, but it now makes 260 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. That's an increase of 20 horsepower and 60 pound-feet of torque over the previous engine. Ram notes a number of changes were made to achieve these numbers, including adding a water-cooled variable geometry turbo, reducing compression ratio from 16.5:1 to 16:1, adding lighter pistons, revising the intake ports, and using a new fuel injection system and exhaust gas recirculation system. Those numbers also put the new Ram diesel at the top of its class for torque. Just behind it is the 3.0-liter inline-six in the 2020 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra that makes a bit more power at 277 horsepower but less torque at 460 pound-feet. Then there's the 2019 Ford F-150's 3.0-liter V6 that makes 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. The Ram engine also hits peak torque at 1,600 rpm, which is sooner than the Ford engine at 1,750 rpm. The Chevy engine's torque arrives even earlier than both at 1,500 rpm. The Ram's maximum towing capacity of 12,560 pounds also tops the F-150 diesel's 11,400 pounds. There are still a number of unknowns regarding the new EcoDiesel engine, though. Ram hasn't announced payload capacity, pricing or fuel economy for the engine. We expect fuel economy will be slightly improved over its predecessor's 20 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway. But we don't know if it will match or surpass the F-150 diesel's 22 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway. All these numbers should be announced closer to the engine's release window of fourth quarter of 2019. The engine will also be available in every single trim and configuration of the 2020 Ram 1500 including the Rebel, which used to be a gas-only trim. The engine will even be available on the 2019 Ram 1500 Classic. This should also be the engine that will soon appear in the Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler.

Ram recalling over 43k Promaster and C/V Tradesman vans for separate issues

Ram has announced that it will be recalling over 43,000 vehicles as part of a pair of campaigns targeting its two main cargo haulers, the ProMaster and C/V Tradesman.
In the case of its newer offering, the 2014 ProMaster, 21,470 vehicles are being recalled so that Ram dealers can replace the head restraints. The current restraints apparently leave too large of a gap between it and the occupant's head. Of the over 21,000 vans being recalled, nearly 19,000 are in the United States while the remaining 2,500 are in the barren tundra we call Canada.
For the old C/V Tradesman, meanwhile, its recall has been prompted by an investigation into the side-curtain and thorax airbag sensors. It was found that on vehicles lacking rear climate and audio systems in the back, a gap where these components should be could "generate a resonance" that could affect the sensors' operations. 22,115 vehicles are affected, covering model years 2013 through 2015. As with the ProMaster, the vast majority of vehicles are found in the United States, while just under 4,000 are in Canada.