2012 Dodge Ram 1500 Lonestar Edition Crew Cab 4x4 on 2040-cars

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Ram 2500 Power Wagon will be ready to Rebel in 2023

In January, Mopar Insiders acquired spy shots of a couple of prototype 2023 Ram Heavy Duty pickups. One of the development trucks had been fitted with a new set of towing mirrors that were rumored to pack a ton of features. But an olive green Ram 2500 with a camouflaged hood was touted as a brand new model: A Ram 2500 Rebel. MI kept up with spy shots and speculation since, and thanks to an anonymous source who e-mailed an equipment list, received the best evidence yet that there will be an off-road-focused heavy duty Ram on the market soon. Of course, Ram already has the Power Wagon. What's interesting is that the equipment list is for the 2023 Ram 2500 Power Wagon, listing Rebel equipment among the options. The current Power Wagon only offers the 6.4-liter V8 Hemi with 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. According to the optional equipment listed, the 2023 Power Wagon would be available with the 6.7-liter inline-six Cummins tubodiesel. The inclusion of the 68RFE six-speed automatic means this would be the lower-output Cummins with 370 hp and 850 lb-ft; the stouter diesel with 420 hp and 1,075 lb-ft is yoked to the Aisin ASC69RC six-speed transmission. With the options all listed together, we're not sure if a buyer would need to choose a Rebel package to get the diesel, or if the Power Wagon could have that, too. Other items include a Rebel-themed instrument cluster, Rebel suspension and active rear leveling, a Sports Performance Hood, and a Rebel badge for ready identification.  Crew Cab with a 6'4" box and four-wheel drive is listed as the only configuration, matching the current Power Wagon; the 1500 Rebel comes in Crew Cab with a 5'7" box and the option of two-wheel drive. The Rebel wouldn't come with the Power Wagon's locking front differential, nor a winch, it seems. However, the standard gross vehicle weight rating is also up to 10,000 pounds. The 2022 Power Wagon is rated at 8,565 pounds, meaning there could be big increases in payload capacity coming for all Power Wagon buyers.  Other included and optional goodies are expected to be available throughout the heavy duty range, like the 12-inch digital gauge cluster and the power telescoping and folding mirrors that bundle supplemental turn signals, auto dimming, blind spot detection, and puddle lights. An introduction could come later this summer when Ram announces the 2023 lineup.

2023 Ram TRX priced at $81,150

The relentless rise of the MSRP on the Ram TRX has slowed. In January of this year, the super truck's base price had climbed to $74,085 after the $1,695 destination charge. Six weeks later, it jumped up $2,295 and the destination charge rose $100, taking matters to $76,880. Since then February, Ram pushed the mark up another $1,910 to $80,585 after destination. Mopar Insiders sourced the pricing sheet for the 2023 Ram TRX and reports next year's truck is only going to be $565 more dear, costing $81,150. MI didn't note any substantive changes to the pickup, which wouldn't be surprising in just its third year on the market. There are other price bumps among the options, however. Diamond Black Crystal will hold over as the only monotone available and cost the same $100 as now. But the 2022 TRX offers six two-tone hues that, according to this early list, will drop to five. Granite Crystal Metallic will go up from $200 to $450; Billet Silver Metallic increases from $200 to $250, and Hydro Blue Pearl climbs from $100 to $350. The other two, Flame Red Clear and Bright White Clear, will cost $250, same as now. On the 2022 rig, however, choosing those latter two-tone paint jobs automatically adds a little more than $10,000 in options with the TRX Level 2 Equipment Group. The Ignition Orange two-tone exterior isn't included on the list MI received, the end of the $9,200 Ignition Edition Package that also required the Level 2 group and so added nearly $20,000 to the price. The $100,080 Sandblast Edition is the special trim for next year. Big-ticket prices like the Equipment Groups and a la carte options such as the dual-pane sunroof, 19-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system, and surround-view camera system don't appear to have budged. We think that's called "small favors." The reptile's heart hasn't changed either, that continuing to be the supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 with 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. We think that's called, "If it ain't broke." The 2023 TRX isn't on the Ram configurator as of writing, but dealers are ready to take orders. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Ram ramping up MI truck production, does deal with Texas Rangers

Thanks to a host of upgrades at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michgan, Ram Trucks is boosting production of the already strong-selling Ram 1500 to build 28,585 more of them a year. That works out roughly to five more per hour, or an additional 100 per day. The major key to the improvements was redesigning 353 assembly workstations to allow employees complete their tasks more efficiently. According to Ram, the expansion was done to meet growing demand for the pickup.
These kinds of comprehensive changes can't happen over night, obviously. From the end of 2013 through the summer shutdown in August, the Warren Truck plant received automation tweaks in the body shop and upgrades to the color booths in the paint shop.
However, the biggest shift was working with "UAW-represented team leaders and operators" to examine every workstation for efficiency improvements. In that analysis, the company identified and altered over 100 problems that could have caused an injury. What really helped to boost the production rate so significantly was moving about 300 parts, or grouping them into kits for better ergonomics, and eliminating walks to grab tools. Once everything was done, about 63 percent of workers at the factory got updated training.