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2022 Ram 1500 TRX MSRP up another $2,795

We're not sure if we should be more awed by how fast and how high the new batch of super performance trucks can jump, or that consumer prices are jumping just as fast and just as high. When we published our First Drive Review of the 2021 TRX at the end of November 2020, we wrote, "Another pitfall to Ram TRX ownership is the cost. Ram asks a minimum of $71,790 for the TRX (including a $1,695 destination charge)." When we published our review of the 2022 TRX six weeks ago, the base price had risen to $74,085 after destination (optioned out to $91,575). Considering what the world's been up to for the past 15 months, a $2,295 MSRP increase — a mere 3% — couldn't be considered banditry. But the P/L department at Stellantis is done playing nice. As Mopar Insiders discovered, the MSRP for the 2022 Ram 1500 TRX is $76,880, which is before a spendier destination fee of $1,795. Anyone who wants to own a TRX this year will need $78,675 before options.   It's almost comical that Ram advertises the hurt on its configurator. Click to build and price the 2021 TRX, the configurator shows $70,245 before destination. Change that 2021 to 2022, the configurator shows $76,780. There's a bit more sleight-of-hand during the build process, too, as Ram charges $100 for the sole solid color available, which is black, that sum added as an option even though its the least expensive paint choice possible. The two-tone paints cost at least $200, despite a few of them advertising a price of zero. The diabolical cherry on top is when you check the total after options and read the small print, which informs you, "Pricing provided may vary significantly between website and dealer as a result of supply chain constraints. Pricing shown is nonbinding and does not constitute an offer. Contact your dealer for updated vehicle pricing."  Admittedly, the TRX is only up 4% over the last base price we posted, and we don't expect the new price to deter buyers. We don't blame Ram, either; this is the cost of doing business, and a quick trip to Craigslist or eBay will illustrate that everyone is trying to do the same kind of business, getting every hand into every cookie jar. The Ram buyers who really have it bad are the ones after a 2022 Ram 1500 Laramie. That truck went up $7,180 bucks — a gut-punching 16.4% — to $50,845.

Maxwell RHEV Prototype First Drive Review | More than meets the eye

The Maxwell RHEV looks just like any small business' panel van, sporting large vinyl graphics and unassuming steel wheels. You'd have no idea that the co-founders of the startup based out of Seattle had grafted a salvaged Voltec powertrain from a junkyard Chevy Volt into this Ram ProMaster. Somewhere, a battery pack lurks. Maxwell's co-founders, CEO Max Pfeiffer and engineer Trey Camp, open the cargo area to reveal a completely unaltered space. Both are ex-Tesla employees with a long fascination for the #vanlife movement – that their interests intersected in a hybrid cargo van isn't surprising once you start talking to them. This is their first vehicle, a salvaged ProMaster sidelined with a blown 3.6-liter Pentastar, and it's both their prototype and the only Maxwell in existence right now. That said, the company is building a low-roof version for a customer, which will be lighter, have less aero drag and therefore be more efficient. The company is just emerging from a stealth startup mode, and while their backstory is fascinating, I'm still wondering where the Volt's 18.4 kWh battery pack is. "There's nothing in the back ... we're able to get the battery underneath the floor, in the center," Pfeiffer says. Ducking my head under the side reveals, sure enough, a little underside blister that contains the battery, tucked up neatly. The other changes to the RHEV – short for Range-extended Hybrid Electric Vehicle – are minimal. He pops the hood. There are some rough edges, but the 1.5-liter, 101-horsepower engine and 48-kW motor fit comfortably on custom engine mounts and with re-routed exhaust, behind a fascia that improves aero and houses the charge port. Custom axles send power to unaltered Ram hubs and brakes. "This version, it's a little bit prototype-y," Pfeiffer says. "We've had more time to work with the CAD [computer-aided design, engineering drawings] we were able to get from GM and Chrysler, and we've done a better job packaging for production." GM already spent billions on the Voltec and its controlling software, and Maxwell can happily ride those coattails. Despite the help GM has lent Maxwell, there are no official ties. An emulator sends spoofed signals to the Ram instruments, which have a new custom-printed face. The Ram's body control module is left alone. For powertrain faults, Maxwell says the vehicle can theoretically be serviced by any Chevy dealer, and any issue with the rest of the vehicle can be handled by a Ram service shop.

Chrysler recalling 382k Ram HD diesel pickups, 184k SUVs

Between GM's ignition switches and Takata's airbags, it's been a big year for recalls, but they keep rolling in. The latest comes from Chrysler, which has announced a pair of recalls for certain heavy-duty pickups and SUVs.
The first issue revolves around the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine available in the 2010-2014 Ram HD trucks, including 2500 and 3500 series pickups as well as 4500 and 5500 series chassis cabs. In the affected units, "a terminal connector near the fuel heater may be subject to friction-induced corrosion," according to the first of the two announcements from Chrysler below.
The problem could result in overheating and fuel leakage. Chrysler launched its investigation following cases of overheating, none of which actually started a fire, much less an injury or accident. As a precautionary measure, however, Chrysler is instructing service technicians to replace the terminals on an estimated 381,876 Ram units around the world - the vast majority of those (314,704) registered in the US, another 59,432 in Canada, 1,803 in Mexico and 5,937 abroad.