2019 Ram 1500 Tradesman on 2040-cars

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Sunday Drive: And now for something completely different

This past week played host to a wide assortment of automotive news, highlighted by our first drive of the 2018 Volvo XC40. The Swedish crossover is targeted at young, successful Millennials, but it offers cool styling, fun dynamics, and all of today's must-have technology, so we think it ought to appeal to a much wider swath of the automotive marketplace. From there we answer the question, "What are hard on the outside and soft on the inside?" as we take a look at the next Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV. We expect the German automaker's flagship luxury SUV to remain boxy on the outside, but the interior is going to be soft, supple, and luxurious. And then there's the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, which starts at starts at $34,290 and boasts 212 total system horsepower, 232 pound-feet of torque, 47 miles of electric driving range, and a total range of 340 miles. EPA rates it at 110 MPGe in EV mode, and 44 city/40 highway/42 combined overall. We compare it to other plug-ins like the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius Prime. And finally we have some more spy photos of the 2019 Ram 1500. It doesn't have a traditional crosshair grille, but it's got plenty of chrome and an attractive upright stance that's sure to tempt future truck buyers looking for some sophistication to go with their work gloves. As always, stay tuned to Autoblog this week to see all the automotive news that's fit to print. 2018 Volvo XC40 First Drive Review | The Masspirational crossover Mercedes-Benz G-Class gets the luxe, high-tech treatment 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid Review | It's what's on the inside that counts 2019 Ram 1500 shows chrome grille and more production parts Green Honda Mercedes-Benz RAM Volvo Technology Truck Crossover SUV Luxury Performance Sedan volvo xc40 sunday drive

Ram drops second of five 1500 Built to Serve Editions

In November, 2019, Ram launched a year-long campaign of releasing five special-edition 1500s (two colors each) to honor the five branches of the United States armed forces. Ram first showed off a 1500 in Gator green, and the most recent examples are seen in Patriot Blue and Ceramic Gray. Each model has several special-edition features, such as a plethora of American flags, and each color is limited to 500-1,000 examples. Ram's Built to Serve model program launched last year around Veteran's Day and continues this week with Flag Day, June 14, 2020, as the peg. Ram doesn't specify which color set goes with which military branch, but it's fairly easy to connect the dots. The first launch, which included Gator (1,000 units) and Diamond Black (1,000 units) is likely a nod to the army. This launch, which includes Patriot Blue (1,000 units) and Ceramic Gray (1,000 units), is almost certainly a nod to the navy.  The next three sets will release in the future. Anvil (1,000 units) and Billet Silver (1,000 units) might be for the U.S. Air Force, while Tank (1,000 units) and Flame Red (1,000 units) could honor the Marines. The most limited release will feature Spitfire (500 units) and Bright White (500 units) paint schemes, and likely links to the coast guard. The exterior of every Built to Serve truck wears an American flag and "Built to Serve" decal on each rear quarter panel. They also have 20-inch Technical Gray aluminum wheels, body-color wheel arches, a black grille, black grille surround, black bumpers, black-bezel lighting, black badging, black side steps, and black dual four-inch exhaust tips.  Available on all body styles and powertrains, the Built to Serve Package is a $2,795 option. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The interior of each Built to Serve 1500 has been dressed to fit each branch, as well. The first round had Light Frost contrast stitching, this round features Light Ambassador Blue stitching, the next will feature Light Diesel Gray, then Core Green, then Orange. Built to Serve embroidered Velcro panels are found on each front seat, and buyers can add their own patches on a separate Velcro panel on the inside shoulder of the front seats. The back of each front seat has Pouch Attachment Ladder System/Modular Lightweight Load-bearing Equipment (PALS/MOLLE) webbing.

Ram Laramie Longhorn's interior is a crass cacophony of cowboy cues

When we think of quality luxurious interiors, some of the first brands that come to mind are Audi and Volvo. They have elegant, simple interiors constructed from high-quality materials that are beautiful to see and to touch, and that's what makes them feel special and genuinely premium. The 2017 Ram 2500 Laramie Longhorn in our short-term fleet didn't get that message. What the Laramie Longhorn does is yell at you. It yells at you at that it's LUXURIOUS, and it's WESTERN. Open the door, and you're confronted with loads of saddle tan leather with contrasting black leather on the doors, armrest, and seat piping. This is reasonably modest, but if you pick a different color scheme than our Ram, that leather will have tooled filigree patterns, raising the volume of the interior's message. Right on the center console and on the seat backs there are huge brown embossed logos stitched into them proclaiming the trim level of the truck. It's all meant to evoke high-quality leather goods like saddles. But it's the same thin leather you've found in almost every other automobile on the market. The cushy cowboy theme continues on the dash. The satin-finish wood trim would normally be a nice touch, but it's overshadowed by the glitzy and chintzy rose-gold colored fake metal accents all over the dashboard, and even the instrument cluster. Perhaps it's meant to be more warm and down-to-earth than the cold aluminum-look panels usually in cars, but it's an odd color, and it looks more fake than faux-aluminum. It gets even worse when you discover that Ram stuck leather tooling design stickers all over that rose-gold plastic trim. And then you see them on the chrome plastic rings surrounding the gauges. Not only that, but those rings have some sort of stud shape molded into them. Is this Western enough yet? No! Of course not! Hop in the back seat, and you'll discover that the map pockets aren't just simple slots. They have a full flap with metal belt buckles like saddlebags (though the flap actually closes with magnets). And naturally, those buckles have fancy filigree designs in them. Then take a look at the floor, and the rubber floor mats have barbed-wire fence designs molded into them. Get it? Because there are barbed-wire fences on ranches out West where cowboys work! Yet, for all our complaining about cheap materials and a complete lack of subtlety, we're sure this sort of thing appeals to many truck buyers.