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2019 Ram Rebel 12 is luxurious off-road truck named for ... its touchscreen

When Ram came out with the totally redone 1500 pickup this year, the off-road-leaning Rebel didn't have Ram's giant 12-inch touchscreen as an option. Ram is remedying that omission with a new model called the Rebel 12. Yeah, it's pretty weird to name the car after the size of the infotainment screen, but that's what Ram came up with. The new model is more than just a screen, though. Ram is using it to throw in a few different tech and luxury options that we don't see in the more barebones Rebel. For one, it gets a 19-speaker, 900-watt Harman Kardon sound system with metal speaker grilles. You'll also get leather seats all around, and they're heated up front. So what will all this cost you? The Rebel 12 starts at $48,685, including destination charges — about $3,000 more than the base Rebel. That price gets you everything mentioned above and all the cool Rebel stuff including a lift kit, locking rear differential, Bilstein shocks, 33-inch tires and the tough-looking appearance features. Keep in mind that this base price is still only the V6 with rear-wheel drive. You can send it far higher when you start tacking on desirable options like the Hemi V8 and four-wheel drive. Ram says the luxurious Rebel 12 will be available in the fourth quarter of 2018. View 5 Photos Featured video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Ram RAM Technology Infotainment Truck Luxury Off-Road Vehicles ram rebel

Ram open to releasing electric pickup if buyers ask for one

Ram hasn't announced plans to launch an electric pickup yet, but it confirmed it's keeping a close eye on the burgeoning segment in case it needs to jump in. At least half a dozen electric pickups are scheduled to enter production during the first half of the 2020s, including models from Ram's rivals and from start-ups. "The reason we haven't spoken much about electric pickup trucks is not because we view that market as non-existent. We've always had a slightly different view of timing and adoption rates, particularly in North America in terms of full electrification. We are very committed to our electrification strategy — most of which we have revealed," Mike Manley, the head of Ram parent Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), told The Detroit News. There is not a single electric truck available new in the United States in 2020, but the segment is expected to balloon in the coming years. Tesla and start-up Rivian both introduced close-to-production concepts that remain over a year away from entering production. Ford will make an electric derivative of the 14th-generation F-150, while General Motors will send both Chevrolet and GMC marching into the segment; the latter will resurrect the Hummer name. On paper, it looks like Ram is behind. In reality, it's still too early to tell if the demand is there. What remains to be seen is whether carmakers can turn social-media likes and eye-catching headlines into profitable sales, or if the electric pickup will become the proverbial brown, turbodiesel, and stick-shifted station wagon of the 2020s — a vehicle everyone loves the idea of but that no one wants to spend a dime on. Pickups have ruled America's sales chart for decades, but electric cars remain a small niche at best; they represented a 1.6% share of the market in 2019. Ram is essentially waiting to find out if installing one of America's least popular propulsion technologies in the nation's favorite body style by a long shot will resonate with buyers. "We haven't revealed everything. But, obviously pickup trucks are a key franchise for us, and we're not going to sit on the sidelines if there is a danger that our position gets diluted going forward," Manley stressed. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2022 Ram 1500 BackCountry bundles a bunch of off-road bits

The Chicago Auto Show is coming up this week, and Ram is leading the reveals with exactly what we would expect for the show: a special trim level of a pickup truck. It's the 2022 Ram 1500 BackCountry, and it's based on the Big Horn and Lone Star models, but gets its own color scheme and a bundle of features for off-roading and for bed functionality. The BackCountry will be identifiable mainly by its two-tone color scheme with a black lower section. That's matched by many more black accents including the wheels, mirrors, headlight bezels, badging and exhaust tips. It also has running boards and a body-color grille and tonneau cover. But what earns it the BackCountry name are the functional parts. It adds to the Big Horn's standard features list the Off-Road Group and the Bed Utility Group. The former includes all-terrain tires, off-road shocks, hill-descent control, electronic rear differential lock, and skid plates to protect the front suspension, power steering, transfer case and fuel tank. The latter adds a spray-in bedliner, bed lighting, bed step and adjustable tie-down points. If you add the RamBox bed-side storage, it includes a bed extender. The interior is fairly plain with black cloth, but you get bucket seats and a 7-inch touchscreen. The dashboard is also adorned with a BackCountry badge. The BackCountry starts at $41,780. These features are available on the Big Horn trim, but the cheapest way to get them is $45,470, so the BackCountry is a significant discount if you're looking for some off-road capability in your Ram. It's available in both Crew Cab and the slightly shorter Quad Cab configurations with either the regular 5.7-liter V8 or the eTorque version of the same engine. Naturally, four-wheel-drive is the only driveline option. You'll be able to get one in the third quarter of this year. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.