2023 Ram 1500 Trx Awd 4dr Crew Cab 5.6 Ft. Sb Pickup on 2040-cars

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China-FCA merger could be a win-win for everyone but politicians

NEW YORK — Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne has said the car industry needs to come together, cut costs and stop incinerating capital. So far, his words have mostly fallen on deaf ears among competitors in Europe and North America. But it appears Marchionne has finally found a receptive audience — in China. FCA shares soared Monday after trade publication Automotive News reported the $18 billion Italian-American conglomerate controlled by the Agnelli family rebuffed a takeover from an unidentified carmaker from the Chinese mainland. As ugly as the politics of such a combination may appear at first blush, a transaction could stack up industrially, and perhaps even financially. A Sino-U.S.-European merger would create the first truly global auto group. That could push consolidation to the next level elsewhere. Moreover, China is the world's top market for the SUVs that Jeep effectively invented, so it might benefit FCA financially. A combo would certainly help upgrade the domestic manufacturer; Chinese carmakers have gotten better at making cars, but struggle to build global brands, and they need to develop export markets. Though frivolous overseas shopping excursions by Chinese enterprises are being reined in by Beijing, acquisitions that support the modernization and transformation of strategic industries still receive support, and the government considers the automotive industry to be strategic. A purchase of FCA by Guangzhou Automobile, Great Wall or Dongfeng Motors would probably get the same stamp of approval ChemChina was given for its $43 billion takeover of Syngenta. What's standing in the way? Apart from price (Automotive News said FCA's board deemed the offer insufficient) there's the not-insignificant matter of politics. Even as FCA shares soared, President Donald Trump interrupted his vacation to instruct the U.S. Trade Representative to look into whether to investigate China's trade policies on intellectual property. Seeing storied Detroit brands like Jeep, Chrysler, Ram and Dodge handed off to a Chinese company would provoke howls among Trump's economic-nationalist supporters. It might not play well in Italy, either, to see Alfa Romeo and Maserati answering to Wuhan instead of Turin — though Automotive News said they might be spun off separately. Yet, as Morgan Stanley observes, "cars don't ship across oceans easily," and political considerations increasingly demand local manufacture of valuable products.

2019 Ram 1500 Tradesman Drivers' Notes Review | Basically great

The 2019 Ram 1500 is the first major redesign for FCA's best-selling model since 2009. The outgoing truck was a favorite among the Autoblog staff, and this new model only looks to be a wholesale improvement. This Ram 1500 Tradesman may be the entry-level model, but it gives us a good baseline for the rest of the range. Our truck was a crew-cab four-wheel drive variant. Options include the $795 sport appearance package, $545 trailer towing package, $450 for a spray-in bedliner and of course $1,195 destination charge. All-in, our tester rang up at $45,195. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: This was my first taste of the 2019 Ram, and FCA's truck guys did a solid job with the redesign. It's comfortable, powerful and has gutsy styling. Critically, I think the interior is best-in-segment. Regardless of trim or spec, the Ram offers an intuitive layout with nice materials and a pleasing, functional design. All of this comes through in the Tradesman, which is Ram's go-to-work truck. You get the basics and the grunt, without the frills. Our tester still comes in at $45,195 thanks to a slew of options like the Hemi V8, rear power sliding window, satellite radio, sport appearance pack and trailer tow fittings. Plus, this one is a crew cab with four-wheel drive, which starts at a higher price point than a smaller, V6-powered Tradesmen. So it's not totally no-frills, but this work truck did give me a good taste of the new Ram in a clear, distilled manner. I like it. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: After getting out of the Ford F-150 and into the Ram 1500 Tradesman, I noticed a few things right away. I was especially taken by the thought put into the organization of the Ram's interior. There's a lot of useful space for storage throughout, including a clever cubby in front of the passenger seat. The center front seat folds down to serve as a console with cup holders, or folds up to create a true bench seat. Slide on over, baby. Driving it, this is definitely more truck-like than the F-150 I had just been in. It's noisier, bouncier, and generally less comfortable. It feels like the real deal, though, and if you're driving a truck because you like trucks, this definitely scratches that truck itch better than the Ford. Associate Editor Reese Counts: I love this truck. The Ram 1500 has long been my favorite full-size pickup.

Ram 1500 Rebel TRX reveals hood scoop-mounted marker lights

Now that the Ram 1500 Rebel TRX is testing with production bodywork, the company has been doing a thorough job of covering up the off-road super truck. But fortunately lights still show through the thick coverings, and we're finally able to see the truck's wide vehicle-denoting marker lights. As you can plainly see, they're mounted to the inside of the hood scoop. This differs from the original Ram TRX concept that had its lights mounted on the roof like a traditional heavy duty pickup truck. It also differs from the Ford F-150 Raptor's grille-mounted marker lights. Both the Raptor and the TRX have these lights not just for style, but because they're wide enough to require the amber marker lights with three in the middle and one on either side of the truck. We can't quite spot the outside marker lights for the Ram. They could be integrated into the headlights, since it seems like the turn signal is particularly wide on this truck compared with regular models. The position of these lights also matches a recent report, lending some more credibility to other claims in it. We expect the Ram 1500 Rebel TRX to be revealed by the end of the year, perhaps as soon as the Detroit Auto Show, which is still scheduled for June. We know it will have a supercharged V8, since we've heard it ourselves, and reports say it will make at least 707 horsepower like the Charger and Challenger Hellcat. It has thoroughly modified suspension for high-speed off-roading, just like the Raptor. And of course it will have four-wheel drive.