2013 New Blue Dodge Express Quad 4wd Turboliner Hemi Popular Equiptment Grp!!! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is coming soon, but a midsize Ram, not right now

NEW YORK — At this year's New York Auto Show, we had the opportunity to talk with the head of Ram Trucks, Jim Morrison, and he had a few interesting tidbits about what's coming and what isn't for the brand. The first big news is that the 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 diesel is finally coming to the all-new Ram 1500 later this year. Up until now, the engine was only available in the previous-generation Ram 1500 and current Ram 1500 Classic. The new Ram 1500 EcoDiesel won't have the same engine, though. It will be a redesigned 3.0-liter turbodiesel that will also appear in the Jeep Gladiator in 2020. That means it should also make 260 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, unless the Ram gets unique tuning that changes the output. Morrison wouldn't elaborate on any other details, though, including whether it would utilize the eTorque mild-hybrid assist of its gas powered cousins. The other news concerns things we probably won't see from Ram anytime soon — and one of them is a midsize pickup truck. Morrison said there are no plans for one yet, though the company is always considering options. In the meantime, the current strategy is to offer the Ram 1500 Classic as an option to potential midsize buyers. The thinking, of course, is that the Ram 1500 Classic is cheaper than the redesigned Ram 1500, and it's a bigger truck than midsizers. We can't help but wonder if the Gladiator might also make a midsize Ram a tougher sell at the moment. Finally, Morrison still had nothing to say about a regular cab offering for the redesigned Ram 1500. The only full-size Ram 1500 offering with a regular cab is the Classic model, leaving four-door models only on the normal 1500. We know that regular cabs don't sell well, so it's understandable that there isn't an offering yet, but it seems the company will have to offer one eventually when the Classic runs its course. Odds are that a future Ram 1500 regular cab will look something like the Ram 2500 and 3500 regular cab models, but with a more subdued grille.

2020 Fiat Ducato Electric is the Ram ProMaster's EV cousin

As we all know, the Ram ProMaster has Italian roots. Despite featuring a 3.6-liter, 24-valve Chrysler Pentastar V6 with 280 horsepower, the ProMaster was born a humble Fiat Ducato over a decade ago, the Ducato's roots stretching far into the past. There was even been a rebadged Alfa Romeo version of the Ducato in the early '80s, so badge engineering isn't a strange concept when it comes to this line of vans. Nevertheless, the mother company has come up with a Ducato that's not propelled by the Pentastar or a European diesel engine: the 2020 Ducato facelift will come with a fully electric powertrain in Europe. The Ducato Electric is the first EV from Fiat Professional, the work vehicle division. Earlier, there have been natural-gas-powered versions, which continue to form a part of the model palette, but a BEV Ducato is unprecedented. Still, or perhaps for that reason, Fiat is taking small steps when electrifying its van lineup: The Ducato Electric will at first be made available to "major clients" via pilot projects, which means trusted Fiat customer fleets will function as beta testers for the van, most likely only in Europe. No technical details are available yet, either, making the Ducato something of a Mystery Machine. These fleets, some of which have already helped to develop the EV van, can pre-order the Ducato Electric this year with the vehicles delivered in 2020. Even if the van's availability has a touch of '90s EV uncertainty, Fiat says there's "no compromise" in the van's load-carrying capacity and performance. We also expect more information to trickle out in the near future, and given how handy a silent yet torquey van is in some use cases, perhaps the Ram version will also get officially electrified at some point. Aftermarket solutions, like the Maxwell RHEV, already exist. Disclaimer: Autoblog accepts vehicle loans from auto manufacturers with a tank of gas and sometimes insurance for the purpose of evaluation and editorial content. Like most of the auto news industry, we also sometimes accept travel, lodging and event access for vehicle drive and news coverage opportunities. Our opinions and criticism remain our own — we do not accept sponsored editorial.

Ram 1500 TRX spied hiding production body work under camouflage

We've seen the upcoming Ram 1500 TRX pickup truck a few times with its Raptor-rivaling suspension and Hellcat-derived powertrain. Those past mules have all worn plain Ram bodies, sometimes with cheap bolt-on fender flares. This time, one of our spy photographers has caught a TRX that seems to be wearing production body work under its heavy camouflage. What stands out on this prototype are the bulging fenders front and rear. Instead of simple wheel housing extensions, these are full-on box flares like the ones worn by the Raptor. The hood appears to be equally bulging, good for highlighting the supercharged V8 underneath. The front bumper is similar to that of the Ram 1500 Rebel's with more raised sections in front of the tires to provide more clearance. We get a solid look under the body, too. Still present are the extra beefy suspension control arms front and rear. Skid plates seem to line the whole underside down the middle. The tires are big Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tires, though we can't make out what size they are. Previous spy photos have revealed remote-reservoir shocks. The wheels at each end are six-lug units, so it seems Ram isn't playing with a heavy-duty axle like a previous prototype suggested. We're expecting the Ram TRX to go on sale before 2022, so it could be revealed sometime next year as a 2022 model. Based on the TRX concept, the production truck should make at least 575 horsepower and have dune-busting off-road performance. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Driving a Jeep Cherokee to Rocky Mountain National Park | Behind the Wheel S01 // E06 Disclaimer: Autoblog accepts vehicle loans from auto manufacturers with a tank of gas and sometimes insurance for the purpose of evaluation and editorial content. Like most of the auto news industry, we also sometimes accept travel, lodging and event access for vehicle drive and news coverage opportunities. Our opinions and criticism remain our own — we do not accept sponsored editorial.