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Ram 'Built to Serve' special editions honor five U.S. military branches

Ram has just announced a series of special-edition trucks that honor the five branches of the U.S. military and the roughly 7% of Americans who currently serve or are veterans. Called the "Built to Serve" editions, five trucks released over the next year will come in exclusive liveries and offer exclusive options to commemorate the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. Available on every bodystyle and powertrain, a Built to Serve package will add $2,795 to the price. Ram hasn't said which branch the first truck honors, but that pickup will debut tonight — Wednesday, Nov. 6 — at the “Stars and Strings” concert at the Fox Theater in Detroit.  Each of the five comes in one of two special colors chosen to "evoke the spirit, the mission and history of that service," and a limited build number. The colors and quantities are: Gator (1,000) and Diamond Black (1,000) Ceramic Gray (1,000) and Patriot Blue (1,000) Anvil (1,000) and Billet Silver (1,000) Tank (1,000) and Flame Red (1,000) Spitfire (500) and Bright White (500) The interiors are set off with contrasting stitching in either Light Frost, Light Ambassador Blue, Light Diesel Gray, Core Green, or Orange. Built to Serve trucks will be known by their U.S. flag and edition decals on the rear quarter panels. Cosmetic upgrades for all five versions include an all-black grille and surround, black badging, side steps, black four-inch exhaust tips, body-colored wheel arch trim, and 20-inch wheels finished in Technical Gray. The option price adds the Off-Road Group, normally a $795 extra, including features like four underbody skid plates, electronic-locking rear axle, off-road shocks, tow hooks, and all-terrain tires.  Special features in the cabin come in the Black Onyx Chrome trim, Velcro panels on the front and sides of the front seats for service patches, PALS/MOLLE webbing to hang pouches on the front seatbacks, lockable front center tunnel storage, all-weather floor mats, and an instrument panel badge. Ram will use the trucks to help bring more attention to an initiative the automaker has run since 2015, also called Built to Serve, that works to organize grassroots volunteer efforts. Between now and Veteran's Day on Nov. 11, 2020, the Built to Serve program wants to log 1.3 million volunteer hours. That figure represents one hour for each active member of the five services.

2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel fuel economy numbers are right in the zone

Every new truck spec gets it own awards show nowadays. In this next envelope we have EPA fuel economy ratings for the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel — drumroll, please: 22 miles per gallon in the city, 32 mpg highway, 26 mpg combined for the 4x2 trim; 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, 24 mpg combined for the 4x4. As one would expect, the numbers plop the EcoDiesel in the middle of the pot with light-duty diesel versions of the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2019 Ford F-150. In 4x2 guise, city mileage for the EcoDiesel ties the F-150 and is one mpg short of the Silverado, highway mileage rates two mpg more than the F-150 and one mpg short of the Silverado. In 4x4 trim, EcoDiesel city mpg is one mpg more than the F-150 and two mpg short of the Silverado, EcoDiesel highway number is four mpg more than the F-150 and ties the Silverado.    Of course, Ram would also like you to know that when it comes to output and carrying, the third-generation oil-burner tops the half-ton trio with 480 pound-feet of torque, 20 lb-ft more than the Silverado, and posts the highest tow rating at 12,560 pounds. Buyers who opt for the 4x2 diesel Ram and the 33-gallon tank will be able to travel the furthest, too, going beyond 1,000 miles before the fumes give out. Every trim gets the new EcoDiesel option for 2020, including the Ram Rebel for the first time. The 3.0-liter V6 is a $4,995 option, making it either $3,000 or $3,300 more than the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 eTorque trim depending. The EcoDiesel price ladder starts with the Tradesman Quad Cab at $36,890 plus a $1,695 destination charge, for $38,585 total. The 2019 Ram 1500 Classic will continue offering the second-generation 3.0-liter EcoDiesel, starting at the unchanged price of $40,835 for the Tradesman Crew Cab 4x2.

VWerks Ram KTS is a Ram Runner aftermarket-style

Chrysler first introduced us to its Ram Runner exactly two years ago at SEMA, but for buyers of this Raptor-like truck who don't want to go through dealerships for the upgrades, VWerks has just the thing. Looking every bit as mean as the dealer-built Ram Runner, the VWerks Ram KTS gets a wide-body treatment and upgraded off-road performance suspension similar to its Mopar contemporary.
Starting life as your everyday Ram 1500, the Ram KTS on display at SEMA features a beefed-up KORE long-travel suspension system and off-road tires that allows the truck to tackle tough terrain at high speeds. From there, VWerks also added wider front and rear fenders, matte black 17-inch wheels and a Flowmaster performance cat-back exhaust system. For buyers looking for the rough and rugged look of the KTS but not needing the high-speed, off-road abilities, VWerks also offers the Baja Series kit that replaces the performance suspension system with a set of 20-inch wheels.
The VWerks Ram KTS and Ram Baja Series kits are available on any 2009 through 2013 model year Ram 1500, but there is no word on pricing for either kit yet. Scroll down for more information about both kits, and check out the KTS in our live gallery above.