2021 Ram 1500 Big Horn/lone Star on 2040-cars

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FCA US put on probation, Stellantis to pay $300M for emission scheme

DETROIT — FCA US, formerly known as Chrysler Group, was placed on probation for three years Monday and ordered to pay roughly $300 million for deceiving regulators about diesel emission systems on 101,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500 trucks. The sentence was part of an earlier agreement. FCA in June pleaded guilty to conspiracy in federal court in Detroit. Engineers were accused of using software tricks and taking other steps to meet U.S. emission standards while marketing the vehicles as “clean EcoDiesel.” The vehicles were diesel Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500 trucks from the 2014, 2015 and 2016 model years. FCA now is part of Stellantis. “Stopping violations of environmental laws and the defrauding of consumers is paramount to the protection of clean air and human health," the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said. Separately, three FCA employees face charges in the investigation. In 2017, Volkswagen was ordered to pay a $2.8 billion criminal penalty for cheating on U.S. diesel emissions tests. The company also paid $1.5 billion in a civil case brought by the government and said it would spend $11 billion to buy back cars and offer other compensation. Government/Legal Green Jeep RAM Emissions Truck SUV Diesel Vehicles ecodiesel

2020 Ram 1500 Review & Buying Guide | The class home run

The 2020 Ram 1500 is a home run, plain and simple. From the humble Tradesman to the opulent Limited and every flavor in-between, this thoughtfully designed and well-executed truck impresses like none other. It possesses the capability expected of a half-ton pickup and dimensions that pretty much match its competitors, but it consistently goes above and beyond what's expected. Its coil spring rear suspension provides superior ride, handling and trailer control. Its interior is a model of quality, functionality and aesthetics, with user-friendly technology to boot. The breadth of engine options may not match its Chevy and Ford rivals, but the four available are fully competitive with ample power, strong fuel economy and advanced engineering in the form of the eTorque mild-hybrid system. If you're looking for a truck and don't at least consider the Ram, you're doing yourself a disservice. What's new for 2020? The Ram 1500 regains its popular EcoDiesel engine for 2020, although this time around, its main competitors offer similarly powered engines as well. Also new is a Night Edition available for Big Horn and Laramie that adds blacked out trim, badging and wheels (it looks pretty similar to the truck above). The Rebel also gets access to a similarly blacked out appearance package and can also now be equipped with the Safety Group of driver assistance technologies. There are also three new colors. 2019 Ram 1500 Interior View 56 Photos What's the interior and in-car technology like? It's easy to be smitten by the Ram 1500 in its fanciest Longhorn and Limited trim levels, which are bedecked in soft leather, special color schemes and unique styling elements like the Longhorn emblem literally branded into real wood trim. There are unique features like the huge vertically oriented touchscreen and the ventilated reclining back seat. It's easily the most luxurious pickup ever made. Crucially, however, we are actually more impressed by the basic Ram 1500 Tradesman and Big Horn trim levels. While the quality of plastics is typical for the segment (that goes for those ritzy Rams, too), the different textures and attractive design result in a cabin that looks and feels better than trucks that cost a comparable amount or more. For instance, the rich gray cloth upholstery in a Big Horn test truck contributed to a far more premium environment than the one found in a leather-lined 2019 Chevy Silverado. The Ram doesn't just impress aesthetically.

Huge, pricey trucks haul jobs and profits for the Detroit Three

DECATUR, Texas — Mickey McMaster is on his 12th pickup truck. The 61-year old farm equipment dealer in Decatur, Texas, two weeks ago treated himself to a 2019 GMC Denali for around $69,000 — a reward for long hours at work. "For me this is the Cadillac of trucks, it's a real luxury vehicle," McMaster said. "I've worked my way up to afford a truck like this and it shows that I've earned it." McMaster is the kind of customer General Motors Co is banking on as it plans to add 1,000 jobs at a plant in Flint, Michigan that will build a new generation of its largest pickups. Demand from Texas and other heartland states for big pick-ups is providing a lifeline to many workers the No. 1 U.S. automaker is laying off at plants elsewhere. The Detroit Three automakers and thousands of their U.S. workers are counting on customers like McMaster to keep buying bigger and more luxurious pickup trucks even if overall U.S. vehicle demand weakens this year, as most analysts predict. At Flint, GM will build a new generation of its heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierras, including luxury models that are some of the most profitable vehicles on the planet. GM, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's Ram division own the segment and are each doubling down with new or redesigned models launching this year. Sales of heavy-duty pickups in the United States have grown to more than 600,000 vehicles a year, up more than 20 percent since 2013, according to industry data. Prices for luxury models can easily top $70,000. GM on Tuesday celebrated the launch of a new generation of heavy-duty GMC and Chevrolet pickups at the assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, that is now building all such trucks for the company. At the same time that GM is laying off thousands of U.S. workers and planning to shutter five North American factories, Flint is hiring. The plant runs on three daily shifts, six days a week. As the new model's assembly system ramps up, the plant's capacity will increase by more than 25 percent, plant manager Mike Perez told Reuters. The Flint plant plans to add 1,000 workers, more than half of the 1,500 factory workers who have asked to transfer from plants GM has targeted for shutdown as part of CEO Mary Barra's restructuring plan. "We're bringing in 50 to 100 people every week," said Perez. Workers last week were still finishing the job of retooling the Flint factory to build the new heavy-duty trucks as part of a $1.5 billion investment project.