2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

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Current Ram 1500 sticking around into 2019

Ram is preparing a big redesign of its 1500 pickup truck for 2018, but for fans of the current truck, don't feel like you need to rush out to grab one – it's sticking around until 2019. That's according to Automotive News, whose sources spoke on condition of anonymity. The move allows Ram to take a two-prong approach to truck sales, offering the current model as a low-cost option for fleet users while pushing retail consumers toward the new pickup. The factories that build the 1500 today – Warren, MI, and Saltillo, Mexico – will assemble around 200,000 trucks in 2018 and 65,000 in 2019 before Ram phases out the older model. Meanwhile, FCA's Sterling Heights, MI, plant will screw together 325,000 redesigned 1500s starting in 2018, with production to increase to over 400,000 units in 2019. While Ram refused to comment when AN reached out, FCA CFO Richard Palmer hinted at the move during a conference call last week, saying "having more pickup capacity will allow us also to satisfy the fleet customers' demand on pickup, which we struggle to do today because we favor retail in the U.S. and Canadian volume, which have higher margins." "As we realign our capacity, we're going to be able to continue to work on improving our fleet mix," Palmer said. Beyond making a play for fleet buyers, continuing to build the current 1500 guarantees dealerships maintain a solid inventory as Ram ramps up production of the new truck. You can check out leaked images of the redesigned Ram here. According to Automotive News, the new truck won't use aluminum, like the Ford F-150, relying on steel instead. FCA's 3.6-liter V6 will provide thrust along with turbocharged options, although there's no mention of the venerable 5.7-liter Hemi V8. Don't read too much into that, of course – we'll eat our shoe if the 1500 ditches the popular eight-cylinder. It's still too early to predict when the 2019 Ram 1500 will debut, but it will likely happen in 2018 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit or perhaps at a non-auto show event. Related Video:

2019 Ram 1500 Tradesman shows off its simple lights

Each time a spy photographer has caught the 2019 Ram 1500 pickup running around, it's always had the same style of lights and grilles. This time, one of our photographers caught two Rams that have noticeably different versions of those body parts. The first one shown above has the same grille we've already seen. The difference is that the flashy LED-accented headlights are gone. Instead, it uses much simpler, more conventional reflector-style headlights. That doesn't mean Ram hasn't taken the time to give them a little flair, though. The lamps are divided such that the upper element lines up with the upper portion of the grille, and the lower portion with the grille bars and lower opening. The taillights are much simpler, too, also using a reflector setup and very clear lenses. These plain headlights lead us to believe that this is a base-model 1500 Tradesman. The second Ram shown has its lights well-covered, but the grille is exposed, and it's also different from past prototypes. It has a wavy mesh pattern in the grille openings rather than slats. The crossbar design remains, though. This different grille also confirms that Ram will offer appearance variations to distinguish models. We're not sure if this is a higher-level or lower-level trim, though. We would have a better idea if we could see the lights. All our questions should be answered soon, since the new Ram 1500 will be fully revealed next week at the Detroit Auto Show. Then we'll see all the grilles and headlights and their associated trims as they were meant to be. Related Video:

Chrysler recalls 2013 Ram pickups, 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Chrysler's spate of successful products is about to be marred by a trio of recalls. The Pentastar is recalling 51,477 Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there have been no reported accidents, injuries or deaths related to the affected vehicles.
The largest action covers the Ram 1500, which is seeing 45,961 trucks being recalled. Models built between June 26, 2012 and February 5, 2013 are being recalled due to a potential software issue in the electronic stability control. Apparently, the system can be randomly deactivated upon vehicle startup.
Chrysler is also recalling 4,458 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee models. Covering everything but the SRT models, the potentially defective SUVs were built between January 14 and March 20, 2013. This recall focuses on "premium headlights," which means cars equipped with LED running lights. During the switch from the bright daytime running lamp setting to the low-intensity parking light setting, an electrical spike can cause one of the Jeep's computers to go into a safe mode, turning off the LEDs. This violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.