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Ram boosts Heavy Duty truck claims for 2015 [w/video]

The heavy-duty truck segment boasts some of the tightest competition of any automotive niche in the US. Being able to tout just one best-in-class figure can be a marketing advantage over competitors, and Ram Trucks is adding one more accolade to its tally with a powertrain update for the 2015 Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty pickups. Ram now claims best-in-class ratings for torque, towing and payload, depending on configuration.
The major change comes for the 3500 HD with a boost in torque for its Cummins 6.7-liter, inline-six diesel engine. It now produces a meaty 865 pound-feet of twist, a boost of 15 lb-ft, which is the best figure in its segment, according to the company. To eek out the extra power, the mill has more aggressive fuel delivery, and the turbo has been recalibrated. Of course, more grunt would be meaningless if drivers couldn't do anything with it, and the tweaks help allow payload to grow to 7,390 pounds, up from a rating of 7,320 pounds last year. The max towing rating remains unchanged at 30,000 pounds, though.
The rest of the powertrain lineup carries over from last year. The base HD mill is the gasoline-fed 5.7-liter V8 with 383 hp and 400 lb-ft and a six-speed automatic. The next step up is a 6.4-liter V8 with 410 hp and 429 lb-ft. There are also three trims of the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel starting with 350 hp and 660 lb-ft with a six-speed manual gearbox. If buyers opt for a the 68RFE six-speed auto, they get 370 hp and 800 lb-ft. Finally, there's the updated, top-rung version with 385 hp and 865 lb-ft with an Aisin six-speed automatic transmission.

FCA recalling 63k Jeeps, Vipers and Ram ProMaster City vans

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has announced a pair of recalls cover nearly 63,000 vehicles. The bigger of the two actions covers manual-transmission-equipped vehicles from 2006, including the Jeep Liberty and Wrangler, as well as the Dodge Viper. FCA engineers uncovered that the clutch ignition interlock switches use a kind of wire that was part of a previous recall campaign. Because of this, the company said that affected vehicles may not start, although in rare cases, "if recommended starting procedures are not followed," the affected vehicles may lurch forward after turning the key. Those recommended starting procedures "include activating the parking brake, placing the shift lever in neutral and pressing the clutch pedal before turning the vehicle's ignition key." Recall number two affects the company's 2015 Ram ProMaster City cargo and passenger vans. Owners will need to report to dealers to have a piece of tape removed from the side-curtain airbags. The tape is added during assembly and in some cases, may not have been removed. That could prevent the airbags from deploying in the event of a crash. Just under 59,000 vehicles are included in the first recall, including 43,874 in the United States, 11,309 outside of North America, 2,944 in Canada and 706 in Mexico. The ProMaster City recall includes just over 3,900 vehicles. FCA claims it's unaware of any injuries, fatalities or accidents related to either recall and will perform repairs free of charge. Scroll down for the official press release on both campaigns. Related Video: Statement: Clutch Ignition Interlock Switch April 23, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is launching a voluntary recall of an estimated 43,874 older-model U.S.-market cars and SUVs equipped with manual transmissions. The Company will replace their clutch ignition interlock switches at no charge to customers. The action follows an investigation by FCA US engineers that discovered these vehicles are equipped with switches that contain a certain type of wire implicated in a previous campaign. The wire, which was temporarily substituted by a supplier for the specified material, may break. As a result, the vehicles may not start, and in rare cases – if recommended starting procedures are not followed – a vehicle may exhibit unintended movement when its ignition key is turned. FCA US is unaware of aware of any related injuries or accidents involving this population of vehicles.

2022 Ram 1500 Review | Still great, but is it still best?

Things have gotten interesting. The 2022 Ram 1500 remains every bit the exceptional pickup it's been since being completely redesigned three years ago. From the humble Tradesman all the way up to the indulgent Limited (with the stupefying Ram TRX on its own high-octane plane of existence), the Ram is a thoughtfully designed truck with distinctive features and a compelling lineup of build combinations. It satisfies the nuts-and-bolts capability requirements of a serious truck, while boasting shockingly refined road manners and a knock-out interior. It's a winner. The wrinkle is that this winner's league just got a whole lot harder this season. Last year's updated Ford F-150 saw the addition of a hybrid powertrain Ram can't match, plus chassis refinements that wipe out much of the Ram's previous on-road advantages. For 2022, there's an all-new Toyota Tundra that counts a rear coil-spring suspension (just like the Ram) among its multitude of improvements, while the 2022 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra see their laughable interiors get replaced by what appear to be cabins that are every bit the equal (if possibly better) than the Ram in terms of design, quality and feature content. Apart from the Ford, we have yet to spend enough time with these updated competitors to make any definitive statements about which is now the best (OK, so it's probably not the Tundra), but the Ram definitely remains in the running. Interior & technology   |   Passenger & cargo space   |   Performance & fuel economy What it's like to drive   |   Pricing & features   |   Crash ratings & safety features What's new for 2022? The new Uconnect 5 tech interface is added to the Ram 1500, starting with the Big Horn trim level. It's four times faster and has three times more memory than Uconnect 4 (which was one of the better systems out there as-is). The Trailer Tow Group adds four LED lights directly above the hitch, and a new Clean Air system is now standard, filtering out 95% of air particulates. Then there's the annual Ram tradition of new models and appearance packages, most of which are pictured in the above gallery. The new Laramie G/T and Rebel G/T (pictured above left) are fully described here. The BackCountry, which builds upon the Big Horn/Lone Star, adds a body-color grille surround, black-accented two-tone paint and various black-painted exterior parts. On the other end of the trim level spectrum, the mighty TRX gains an Ignition variant.