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The 2019 Ram 1500 Classic is new but is also old

If you've been following the interesting strategy that Jeep employed by keeping the old Wrangler on sale alongside the brand new JL Wrangler ( at least until the Scrambler needed the production line), Ram's move here – slapping a "Classic" badge on the end of the old 1500 – shouldn't be all that surprising. And that's what's happening. Not all the trim levels will be available, and the move is targeted at fleet buyers and those on a tight budget. For those cost-conscious buyers, snagging a Classic rather than a new Ram might be a prudent move. After all, while the brand new Ram 1500 is a very nice truck and a decided upgrade from the old one, there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the outgoing truck – particularly if your needs are utilitarian. So, onto the changes. The reduced trim level spread on the 1500 Classic goes like so: Tradesman, Express, Big Horn (or Lone Star if you're in Texas), and SSV (Special Services Vehicle) intended for law enforcement. You'll notice that some trims are missing, and there's nothing fancy here. If you want anything beyond the Big Horn, like a Laramie, Rebel, Longhorn, or Limited, you'll need to step up to the newer truck. There's good news, though. Some stuff from the higher trims that are now out of production can be had on 1500 Classics through some new packages. The Chrome Plus package offers some upgrades to the Tradesman trim, like body-color bumpers, 17-inch wheels, keyless entry, and carpet. The Tradesman SXT gets chrome bumpers, fog lamps, dual exhaust (on V8 models), and 20-inch chrome wheels – some of which is new to the Tradesman trim, even as an option. And the Express Black Accent Package blacks out the badges wheels, and headlight bezels. So while there's less choice overall, you can still add some up-level touches to the 1500 Classic. The powertrain and bed/cab configurations are still robust. You can get the Regular Cab with a regular or long bed, the Quad Cab with the regular bed, or the Crew Cab with the short or regular bed. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 and 5.7 Hemi V8 are both available with 2- or 4WD, and the EcoDiesel will go on sale later. We don't have the all-important pricing information to tell you how good of a deal the Ram 1500 Classic will be, but buyers dragging their feet on buying a lower-trim 2019 Ram 1500 might want to cool their heels until later this year when the 1500 Classic goes on sale to see if it better fits their needs. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party.

Towing with the 2016 Ram lineup [w/video]

I do not tow things. Ever. Yet I recently found myself at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles proving grounds in Chelsea, MI, where I'd be testing the hauling capabilities of Ram's current product range. This experience was not only a perfect education for a towing novice like me, but allowed me to tow far more weight than I'd ever consider hauling the real world, and all within the safe confines of the Chelsea Proving Grounds. There was an extremely diverse array of vehicles at my disposal, including Ram's gasoline- and diesel-powered offerings with trucks ranging from the 1500 on up through the 5500 Chassis Cab, as well ProMaster vans. Beyond that, FCA brought out a number of vintage Dodge pickups for me to play with, while also working with Case IH to provide a track-loader I could test. I put together a range of videos covering everything from the classics to the production trucks to the construction equipment. And despite some technical difficulties – you'll notice a distinct lack of in-car videos, with blame going to a corrupted micro SD card – I've assembled ten videos that give an up-close look at Ram's offerings. 2015 Ram ProMaster City Let's start small. The ProMaster City only has a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. That's a reasonably impressive figure for a van that uses the same powertrain as a Chrysler 200. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder and nine-speed automatic weren't really bothered with the extra weight added by the trailer. Even when accelerating at freeway speeds, the ProMaster City didn't feel out of breath or hampered by its load. That said, the rear of the van was unloaded, which probably wouldn't be the case for most consumers. It's unclear how the City would feel if its driver were taking advantage of the max payload (1,883 pounds) and towing. 2015 Ram ProMaster 1500 To be polite, the Ram ProMaster is a difficult vehicle to like. Its awkward seating position is bus-like and lacks the visibility enjoyed by the Ford Transit or the utter driving comfort of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Its 3.0-liter, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, meanwhile, is something of an anomaly. While it's potent for a four-cylinder diesel, producing 295 pound-feet of torque and 174 horsepower, those numbers don't feel all that impressive when loaded down. The model I tested was barely using half of its 5,100-pound maximum towing weight and was loaded down with just 500 of its 3,620-pound payload. Yet it lacked the pluckiness of the smaller City.

Ram's 700 mini-truck blends Fiat genes with 1500 styling cues

Ram's on-again, off-again sub-1500 pickup is allegedly on its way to production, but we haven't seen it yet. In the meantime, the company's Mexican division introduced a trucklet named 700 built on a unibody architecture. The 700's positioning suggests it picks up where the Dakota left off, but it's a completely different breed of truck. And, while its unibody bones are reminiscent of the Honda Ridgeline, it's a much smaller model that's essentially a badge-engineered version of the Fiat Strada. No, not the hatchback briefly sold in the United States from 1979 to 1982; we're talking about the little, economy car-derived pickup sold in dozens of global markets. Think of the 700 as the Dodge Rampage's distant heir. Visually, its front end borrows a handful of styling cues from the 1500, including an upright grille characterized by a bold Ram emblem and mesh inserts. Called SLT, the base model wears a decidedly downmarket look with black plastic bumpers and steel wheels covered by plastic hubcaps. The mid-range Big Horn blurs the line between a commercial vehicle and a crossover with a practical cargo box, while the range-topping Laramie variant is aimed at motorists who want an outdoorsy daily driver. Ram offers two- and four-door models, though only the SLT is available in the former configuration. The 700 boasts a usable 1,653-pound payload and an 880-pound towing capacity. Power comes from a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 84 horsepower to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. Buyers can pay extra for a turbocharged, 1.3-liter four that delivers 98 horsepower. It doesn't appear that four-wheel drive is available, and there's no automatic transmission on the menu. Small and cheap doesn't necessarily mean basic. The 700 can be equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, a rear-view camera, and electronic driving aids such as ABS brakes and traction control, plus LED headlights. Laramie models also benefit from partial leather upholstery. Ram will release the 2021 700 in the Mexican market this month, but we're not expecting the model to find its way north to the U.S. Drivers who want a small, unibody truck will need to wait until Ford releases the Maverick, which will ride on the same basic platform as the Escape and the Bronco Sport. It's tentatively due out in 2021 as a 2022 model.