2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

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FCA looking into Ram-based SUV, midsize pickup

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is looking into manufacturing a large SUV based on the Ram 1500 pickup truck's current platform, reports USA Today. If built, the SUV would compete against the Chevrolet Tahoe and could even spawn a smaller pickup. Ram already has most of the bases covered with its current lineup, but a smaller pickup truck would allow it to enter the booming midsize pickup segment where it would compete with the segment-leading Toyota Tacoma along with the Chevy Colorado and GMC, which are the newest entries. Mike Manley, head of Fiat Chrysler's Jeep and Ram brands, told USA Today that the current platform found in the Ram 1500 could be utilized for a body-on-frame SUV. With a large SUV, FCA would be able to capitalize on the ever-growing SUV market and go toe-to-toe with General Motors (GM) and Ford. The next-generation of Ram pickup trucks is expected to go on sale in early 2018, which would put a large SUV close behind. In an attempt to increase the automaker's production capacity, FCA also plans to move Ram's current production facility from Warren to Sterling Heights, MI. With Jeep continually posting healthy numbers, it makes perfect sense for FCA to build more SUVs. GM currently uses the same platform on a plethora of its SUVs with good results, which makes FCA's proposed plan a viable option. Related Video: News Source: USA Today, Scott Olson/Getty RAM Truck SUV

2023 Ram 1500's Built to Serve EMS edition honors medics

Ram's latest iteration of its Built to Serve line of Ram 1500 pickups is out, and this time the truck maker honors emergency medical services personnel, the folks who bring lifesaving aid to your door. As we've emerged from a pandemic and are settling into an endemic, the choice to honor EMTs and other emergency field workers seems a natural one. It's a group of folks who have a critical role in society, especially in the past couple of years. “The Ram 1500 ‘Built to ServeÂ’ EMS edition is our way of honoring and expressing deep gratitude to the frontline heroes who serve or have served our country,” said Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. “At Ram, we are pleased to recognize the important work emergency medical service workers provide to their communities every day.” The EMS edition comes in two colors, the Hydro Blue that you see here, and Bright White. The interior is black, with "performance" cloth and vinyl seats that have blue accent stitching. You'll also know it, along with others in the Built to Serve line, by the American flag and Built to Serve branding on the quarter-panel. It has a black grille and dark accents that include the side steps and exhaust tips, 20-inch gray aluminum wheels, and it's equipped with 4x4 Off-Road Equipment Group content so you can go wherever you're needed: all-terrain tires, skid plates, locking rear axle and hill-descent control. Inside, it shares features from the other Built to Serve trucks: the Velcro upholstery panels that allow you to adhere department or unit patches, along with the PALS/MOLLE webbing on the front seat backs for organizing gear. And of course there's badging inside the truck as well as outside. So far, there have been Built to Serve editions to honor the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Firefighters. (But nothing for Space Force?) A second round of trucks is meant to honor first responders: firefighters, police and now EMS workers. Built to Serve packages are based on Big Horn/Lone Star Crew Cab models. You've got a choice of the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 or 5.7-liter eTorque and non-eTorque V-8. The Built to Serve EMS starts at $56,810, which includes the $1,895 destination charge. It's on sale now, with builds starting soon. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is the most intense off-road truck ever built

Chicago Auto Show: The really big reveals from shows past

The 2024 Chicago Auto Show may seem like a shell of its former self, but it still holds the title of the largest consumer auto show in the United States. It didn't get that reputation simply by being efficiently produced or convenient for locals desperate for something to do in February — it earned it over decades of breaking automotive news and powerhouse reveals, eventually earning an informal designation as America's truck show.  2024 may be a down year for Chicago, but let's not forget all of the great things that have come out of it, historically. Here's a look at some of our staff favorites. Bet you didn't know about a few of these cars that were first revealed in the Windy City.    2008 Dodge Challenger SRT-8  I didn't just pick this one as a former Challenger owner, but instead to illustrate just how many cool Chicago debuts we take for granted. Chrysler often chose its home turf to debut new cars, so the few times its unveilings happened elsewhere tend to stick in our minds. The first Challenger SRT-8 was kind of garbage, if we're being honest. I mean, who buys a race-bred, V8-powered muscle car without a limited-slip differential? But the SRT-8 formula evolved over time into something truly special, and what we saw in Chicago was essentially the early version of the Scat Pack, which was ultimately very successful for Dodge. And who would have thought we'd be here, 15 years later, still talking about that debut? And still loving these big Mopars, flaws and all. — Associate Editor Byron Hurd SHO time in Chicago IÂ’ll always have a certain fondness for the return of the Taurus SHO at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show. Chicago has always leaned truck and van heavy for press reveals, but every now and then, as this list illustrates, something spicy would appear. The return of the SHO as a high-powered successor to the original that ran from 1989-1999 gave enthusiasts hope for FordÂ’s performance business, especially for sedans. With a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 packing 365 hp, all-wheel drive and five-spoke wheels, the SHO was a nice upgrade from the lower-rung Taurus models. It was a bit more sedate than the original SHOÂ’s Yamaha-sourced V6 that teamed with a five-speed manual transmission, but still a worthy response to the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and later the Chevy SS. The SHO — Super High Output — begat things like the Fusion ST and gave Ford solid four-door performance for the rest of the decade.