2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

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Ram Multifunction Tailgate swings into the pickup truck tailgate fray

Let the tailgate wars escalate, says Ram. Today, the Ram 1500 responds to GMC's Multi-Pro tailgate with its own fancy way to get stuff in and out of the bed. Named the "Multifunction Tailgate," (very creative, we know) Ram decided to give the tailgate a 60/40 split. Before we get into functionality, just take a peek at how it looks closed. On the red Ram Rebel chosen to show it off, you're greeted with a sizable black line running down the entire height of the tailgate in an odd spot. The off-center nature of the split makes for a strange look no matter the angle. We have a feeling that a black truck would solve any kind of visual weirdness going on here. On to the important part: How does it work? For starters, you can use it just like a normal truck tailgate. Drop it down with a release button on the handle, or use the remote release. Ram says it doesn't give up anything in capability or toughness in this down position — it has a 2,000-pound load rating. What makes this tailgate unique is its swinging functionality, though. The tailgate is capable of swinging both sides open like doors. Think Honda Ridgeline, but there are two elements to swing out instead of just one. This allows for closer access to the truck bed. The benefits are obvious: easier loading and unloading, easier washout, and you can even use a forklift to load it up now, too. Both of the barn doors swing out to 88 degrees. It's possible to have just the right or just the left door open, or both at once. Ram Multifunction Tailgate View 10 Photos Ford started this tailgate war with its now simple-looking bed step, but now it finds itself the most back-to-basics offering in the group. GMC officially has the most complicated piece of tech with the various foldouts and all-out size, but Ram is somewhere in the middle with this one. We were fans of the swing-out tailgate on our long-term Honda Ridgeline, so let's hope this one proves just as useful. Ram will be at the Chicago Auto Show with this tailgate, so we'll be sure to give it a thorough shakedown on the show floor. Any 2019 Ram 1500 can be equipped with the tailgate as an option for $995. The center step can be tacked on separately for $295. We're told to expect Rams equipped thusly to roll into dealerships during the second quarter of 2019. Related video:

Chrysler appoints new heads of Alfa Romeo and Ram

Chrysler has announced to two key appointments to its senior leadership, both of them taking immediate effect. First up is Reid Bigland, who has been named head of the Alfa Romeo brand for North America. Bigland has served until now as head of the Ram Truck brand, a portfolio he now hands over to Robert Hegbloom, who had served until now as its director.
As a result of the appointments, both Bigland and Hegbloom will take up seats on Chrysler's NAFTA Leadership Team, and Bigland will also join the Fiat Chrysler Group Executive Council - the highest decision-making body in the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles empire.
As per Sergio Marchionne's leadership style, Bigland will continue to serve in two major capacities, maintaining his role as president and CEO of Chrysler Canada. Other senior executives who hold multiple key portfolios include Harald Wester (who serves as the group's Chief Technology Officer and also overseas Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Abarth), Olivier Francois (group Chief Marketing Officer and head of the Fiat brand) and Michael Manley (head of the Asia-Pacific region and the Jeep brand).

VW Golf R, Ram Power Wagon and Subaru Forester | Autoblog Podcast #591

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Road Test Editor Reese Counts. After some talk about sponges and other randomly received oddities, this episode is all about the cars we've been driving, including the new Subaru Forester, VW Golf R (which is going on hiatus), BMW M340i xDrive and Ram Power Wagon. Then, they take to the mailbag to help a listener pick a sporty new car in the "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #591 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Sponges, really? 2019 Subaru Forester Sport 2019 Volkswagen Golf R 2020 BMW M340i xDrive 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: