2012 Ram 2500 Laramie 4dr Crew Cab Diesel/leather/sunroof/navigation on 2040-cars

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2019 Ram 1500: FCA design boss discusses truck's 'well-dressed' new look

The Ram pickup may be FCA's linchpin vehicle. It is the brand's bestseller in America, by far. In 2017, more than 500,000 of these full-size trucks rumbled off of dealers' lots, outselling FCA's second-bestseller, the Jeep Grand Cherokee by a 2-to-1 ratio. Even in an American automotive market in which sales were down by nearly 2 percent, even in the last model year of production for the truck's current generation, sales were up by more than 11,000 units over 2016. "The Ram pickup is exceptionally important. Especially since the last one was so popular," says FCA Design Head Ralph Gilles. "We're in the middle of a truck war. And the public wins." No small part of the Ram's success has been derived from its sneering appearance, its more carlike ride, and its potent Hemi engines. Sales have nearly tripled in this generation, and many of those sales are poached from competitors at Ford and GM. So, when unveiling an all-new Ram pickup, many considerations have to be weighed. It has to fit in with the heritage of the vehicle, it has to offer significant advances, and it has to capitalize on its slight underdog status in comparison with the bigger players from Ford and General Motors, whose pickups sell over 800,000 units a year. "The Ram was designed as an honest truck," says Gilles. "But with our Longhorn and Limited, we are staring to look at how far we can push the luxury end of things. And with Rebel, we are looking at how far we can push in a sporty direction. So it's kind of a dual personality thing." Gilles says that the distinctive, unique selling proposition of the Ram is based in no small part on its looks. "I think we are the most well-dressed," he says. "The truck is sleek and smart looking, and will age well." Safety features are also key, especially when creating a smoothly holistic appearance, like the new Ram has. "We want to integrate all the safety features consumers want without making the truck look like it has the measles," Gilles says. Although the automotive market overall was down in 2017, pickup truck sales were up by nearly 5 percent over 2016, a rather stunning increase. But one that is reflective of contemporary tastes. Nearly two-thirds of all vehicle purchases in America last year were light trucks (this includes pickups, SUVs, crossovers, and vans.) In an era of intense technological change, this seems somehow retrogressive.

Ram 3500 Heavy Duty recaptures the torque and maximum towing crowns

Correction: A previous version of this story mistakenly reported the horsepower of the high-output Cummins engine as 400. It actually produces 420 horsepower. The text has been updated to reflect this. Just as supercar builders are in never-ending battles for horsepower and track times, the pickup truck builders pursue torque and towing capacity, two things that the 2021 Ram Heavy Duty has improved enough to earn the coveted "best in class" designation, if only by a bit. The titles go to the Ram 3500 with the high-output version of the turbocharged 6.7-liter Cummins straight-six. Horsepower is seemingly unchanged, but torque is up by 75 pound-feet to 1,075. This increase comes from additional boost from the turbo and additional fuel flow from the fuel injection system. The added torque also bests the Ford Super Duty's 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel by 25 pound-feet, and the Chevy Silverado HD's 6.6L Duramax V8 by 165. But both V8s beat the Cummins' 420 horsepower; the Ford by 55 and the Chevy by 25. As for towing, the Ram 3500's maximum fifth-wheel towing capacity has increased from 35,100 pounds to 37,100 thanks to a redesigned gooseneck hitch. The new number just tops the Ford F-450 Super Duty's previous record by 100 pounds. It also bests the Silverado 3500HD's best by 1,100 pounds. Ford keeps the conventional tow rating crown (towing from a rear-mounted hitch) at 24,200 pounds with the F-450 compared to the Ram 3500's 23,000 and the Chevy Silverado 3500HD's 20,000. One final update to the 2021 Ram Heavy Duty line is inside the truck. It's now available with a digital rear-view mirror, switchable to a normal mirror. It should be handy for owners who regularly carry loads that obscure the rear window and, in turn, the rear-view mirror. The new Ram Heavy Duty models will be available at dealers this month. Related Video:

CES 2021, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, and driving the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 PHEV | Autoblog Podcast #660

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick. They talk about driving Ford's Mustang Mach-E and F-150 plug-in hybrid, as well as the Ram TRX and Genesis GV80. They recap CES 2021, as well as the enormous display screens featured in new cars at the show. They also discuss the reveal of the new three-row Jeep Grand Cherokee L. Lastly, they reach into the mailbag to talk about vehicle comfort. Autoblog Podcast #660 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown What we're driving2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium AWD 2021 Ford F-150 Platinum PHEV 2021 Ram 1500 TRX 2021 Genesis GV80 Other news CES 2021 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Mailbag Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: