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2018 Ram 1500 Buying Guide | Popular pickup information and review

Spun out from Dodge as a standalone truck brand in 2009, the Ram 1500 is a full-size pickup and oldest in the stable of Big Three pickups, last updated in 2013. But it commands a loyal following among truck buyers, thanks to things like its styling, rugged capability, comfortable ride and innovative storage systems. It will be replaced by the 2019 Ram, an all-new truck, but for now the 2018 is still on sale – and will be for some time, as it'll be rebadged as the 1500 Classic and sold alongside the new pickup for a period of time. This buyer's guide covers the 2018 Ram 1500, not the 2019 1500 or 1500 Classic. The 2018 Ram 1500 is available in a whopping 11 different trim levels, ranging from the entry-level Tradesman to the luxury-minded Limited Tungsten edition, with many of the top-level trims getting the redesigned Ram grille and large Ram emblem on the tailgate that will become standard on the all-new 2019 Ram. It's also offered in crew cab, quad cab and regular cab, and. With this buyer's guide, Autoblog aims to help you make an educated decision about whether or not to buy the 2018 Ram 1500. We'll touch on safety and reliability ratings, engine specs, horsepower, fuel economy ratings and pricing. And we'll conclude with a summary of Autoblog's most recent test-drive of the Ram 1500. Ram 1500 safety ratings The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives the Ram 1500 an overall rating of four out of five stars. On frontal crashes, the trucks gets four stars, and it gets a top rating of five stars for side crash protection. Rollover crash ratings range from three of five stars for the four-wheel-drive versions to four stars for rear-wheel-drive models. Crash ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety are more of a mixed bag. IIHS gives the Ram 1500 "marginal" ratings for driver-side small overlap front crash protection, roof strength, headlights and LATCH child-seat anchors, while assigning "good" ratings for everything else. Because ratings may vary for Ram 1500s from other model years, you should visit the NHTSA and IIHS websites to review ratings on the specific vehicle you're researching. Is the Ram 1500 reliable? You have to go back to the 2016 model-year for the last Ram 1500 that J.D. Power reviewed. It gave the pickup two out of five stars — "below average" — for overall quality, and three of five stars — "about average" — for overall performance and design, and predicted reliability.

Stellantis wants to outfit cars with AI software to drive revenue

MILAN — Carmaker Stellantis announced a strategy Tuesday to embed AI-enabled software in 34 million vehicles across its 14 brands, hoping the tech upgrade will help it bring in 20 billion euros ($22.6 billion) in annual revenue by 2030. CEO Carlos Tavares heralded the move as part of a strategy that would transform the car company into a “sustainable mobility tech company,” with business growth coming from features and services tied to the internet. That includes using voice commands to activate navigation, make payments and order products online. The company is expanding existing partnerships with BMW on partially automated driving, iPhone manufacturer Foxconn on customized cockpits and Waymo to push their autonomous driving work into light commercial vehicle delivery fleets. StellantisÂ’ embrace of artificial intelligence and expansion of software-enabled vehicles is part of a broad transformation in the auto industry, with a race toward more fully electric and hybrid propulsion systems, more autonomous driving features and increased connectivity in automobiles. Ford and General Motors also are banking on dramatically increased revenue from similar online subscription services. But the automakers face immense competition for monthly consumer spending from movie and music streaming services, news outlets, Amazon Prime and others. Stellantis, which was formed from the combination of PSA Peugeot and FCA Fiat Chrysler, said the software would seamlessly integrate into customers' lives, with the capability of live updates providing upgraded services over time. New products will include the possibility to subscribe to automated driving features, purchase usage-based car insurance or even increase the power of the vehicle with a tune-up to add horsepower. As a baseline, Stellantis generates 400 million euros in revenue on software-generated services installed in 12 million vehicles. To meet the targets, Stellantis will expand its software engineering team of 1,000 to 4,500 in North America, Asia and Europe. More than 1,000 of the expanded team will be retrained in house. Stellantis also announced a new partnership with Foxconn to develop semiconductors to cover 80% of the companyÂ’s needs and simplify the supply chain. The first microchips from the partnership are targeted to be installed in vehicles in 2024.

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