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The 2019 Ram 1500 will wear a brand-new face

A day after a dealer meeting leak gave us a look at the 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL and 2019 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, we now have this, our first look at the 2019 Ram 1500. The renderings, which come from a printout titled "Ram Brand Lit Signatures" on the wall of a dealer meeting, gives us a clear look at the next-gen truck's front and rear fascias. At the front, the 2019 1500, codenamed DT, gets a more modern, sophisticated look with a refined grille that boasts a massive vertical bar and a skinner horizontal slot. The headlights are slimmer than the current model's square-like units and feature modern LED lamps. The lower end of the front fascia also has slim lighting elements that could be used for fog lights, along with an off-colored skid plate. The hood continues to sport the same bulge as the current model's, but is shaped like a pyramid instead of a massive rectangle. It looks like Ram took a page out of Ford's design book at the back with a rugged design that imitates the 2017 F-150. The taillights, while retaining the same overall shape, have an unlit section that would most likely be used for the reverse lights and turn signals. With the front end benefiting from LED lamps, the rear taillights would probably get LED units, as well. With Ram still testing new configurations of the 1500 and a document revealing FCA's future products, we expect the next-gen 1500 to come out in the near future as a 2019 model year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Ram 1500 Dealer Leak Spy Shots Image Credit: KGP Photography Design/Style Spy Photos RAM Truck rendering

More details on the Hellcat-powered Ram Rebel TRX

We got our last big scoop on the coming Ram Rebel TRX last summer, when Jordan Denhoed caught a pack of prototypes testing in Michigan's Silver Lake Sand Dunes. We'd heard then that as opposed to the TRX concept, the production truck would unlock the full 707 horsepower from its 6.2-liter Hellcat V8, and use a traditional shift lever to work the gears of a 10-speed automatic. Now Mopar Insiders and Allpar have another batch of details that both sides said were gleaned from insiders with knowledge of the product. The looks, which will hew closely to the concept, have apparently already been teased. The Dodge and Ram corners of FCA like to foreshadow future offerings in their press photos and flyers, Ram doing so again on a graphic that advertised the FCA 2020 Drive for Design contest, pictured. We're told to expect the same twin-vented hood and flared arches front and back, as well as a new take on the current Ram Rebel grille that frames headlights from the Laramie Black trim. The side-exit exhaust would be cool, but we doubt it makes production. That extra width necessitates amber marker lights. The Ford F-150 Raptor, which uses the same lights for the same reason, places its markers along the top edge of the grille just below the grille surround. Mopar Insiders says the Rebel TRX's amber markers will lurk inside the large hood scoop. The Hellcat will get plenty of air from additional vents astride the headlights, and vent its heat through extractor vents just ahead of the windshield and ahead of the front doors. In lieu of any Hellcat badging save for on the supercharger, script on the hood in the same font as the Rebel TRX concept will read, "6.2L Supercharged." In back, yet more vents mimic those in the front fascia, this time placed next to the taillights. There will be an LED CHMSL, and larger diameter exhaust tips poking out of the bumper. Inside, Allpar says Ram plans to follow the Dodge SRT template by loading up the interior; the question is whether there will be a base model, or if it's only SRT plus options. The luxury angle means the 12-inch Uconnect infotainment system will be standard, with off-road-specific screens among the Performance Pages. Allpar confirms the conventional shifter, and Mopar Insiders says the lever will be joined by aluminum shift paddles borrowed from the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. The paddles will be longer than those in the Italian crossover, and mounted on the steering wheel.

Fiat Chrysler to get $105M fine from NHTSA for recall woes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is about to send a powerful message to automakers doing business in the United States, assuming reports of an upcoming $105 million fine against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles comes to fruition. In addition to the record-setting monetary fine, according to The Wall Street Journal, FCA will have to accept an independent auditor that will monitor the company's recall and safety processes and will be forced to buy back certain recalled vehicles. In other cases, such as with Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty models with gas tanks that could potentially catch fire in certain types of accidents, FCA will offer financial encouragement for owners to get their recall work done or to trade those older vehicles in on new cars, according to the report. FCA could reportedly reduce its fines if it meets certain conditions, though those remain unclear at this time. These actions against FCA are being taken after NHTSA began a probe into the automaker over almost two dozen separate instances where the government claims FCA failed to follow proper procedures for recalls and safety defects. Included in those safety lapses are more than 11 million vehicles currently in customer hands. These penalties and fines are separate from the investigation over security problems with Chrysler's Uconnect system that allowed hackers to obtain remote access into key vehicle systems in 1.4 million vehicles. Related Video: Image Credit: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Earnings/Financials Government/Legal Recalls Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Safety fiat chrysler automobiles fine