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2019 Ram 1500: FCA design boss discusses truck's 'well-dressed' new look

The Ram pickup may be FCA's linchpin vehicle. It is the brand's bestseller in America, by far. In 2017, more than 500,000 of these full-size trucks rumbled off of dealers' lots, outselling FCA's second-bestseller, the Jeep Grand Cherokee by a 2-to-1 ratio. Even in an American automotive market in which sales were down by nearly 2 percent, even in the last model year of production for the truck's current generation, sales were up by more than 11,000 units over 2016. "The Ram pickup is exceptionally important. Especially since the last one was so popular," says FCA Design Head Ralph Gilles. "We're in the middle of a truck war. And the public wins." No small part of the Ram's success has been derived from its sneering appearance, its more carlike ride, and its potent Hemi engines. Sales have nearly tripled in this generation, and many of those sales are poached from competitors at Ford and GM. So, when unveiling an all-new Ram pickup, many considerations have to be weighed. It has to fit in with the heritage of the vehicle, it has to offer significant advances, and it has to capitalize on its slight underdog status in comparison with the bigger players from Ford and General Motors, whose pickups sell over 800,000 units a year. "The Ram was designed as an honest truck," says Gilles. "But with our Longhorn and Limited, we are staring to look at how far we can push the luxury end of things. And with Rebel, we are looking at how far we can push in a sporty direction. So it's kind of a dual personality thing." Gilles says that the distinctive, unique selling proposition of the Ram is based in no small part on its looks. "I think we are the most well-dressed," he says. "The truck is sleek and smart looking, and will age well." Safety features are also key, especially when creating a smoothly holistic appearance, like the new Ram has. "We want to integrate all the safety features consumers want without making the truck look like it has the measles," Gilles says. Although the automotive market overall was down in 2017, pickup truck sales were up by nearly 5 percent over 2016, a rather stunning increase. But one that is reflective of contemporary tastes. Nearly two-thirds of all vehicle purchases in America last year were light trucks (this includes pickups, SUVs, crossovers, and vans.) In an era of intense technological change, this seems somehow retrogressive.

2019 Ram 1500 eTorque fuel mileage numbers released [UPDATED]

UPDATE: A previous version of this story said that the Ram 1500 with the 3.6-liter V6 and eTorque was the most fuel efficient gasoline-powered truck in America. The 2018 Ford F-150 powered by the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine has ratings as high as 20 city, 26 highway, and 22 combined, which is 1 mpg better on the highway than Ram's six-cylinder eTorque. According to the EPA, the 2019 Ram 1500, when equipped with the 3.6-liter V6 engine and the brand's new eTorque technology, delivers 20 miles per gallon in the city, 25 on the highway and 22 combined in rear-wheel-drive form. Adding four-wheel drive drops those figures to 19/24/21. Those are big improvements over last year's Ram, which had a max efficiency rating of 17/25/20 without the eTorque system. By way of comparison, a 2018 Ford F-150 with the 3.3-liter V6 is rated at 19/25/22. That's down a single mile per gallon in the city but is otherwise a match for the Ram. The most efficient truck from Chevrolet currently rated by the EPA is the 2018 edition with GM's long-running 4.3-liter V6 at 18/24/20. There's a good chance Chevy's upcoming 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will take the efficiency crown, but it's not yet available. Ram also offers its eTorque technology on its Hemi V8-powered 1500. The EPA rates the two-wheel-drive V8 at 17/23/19 with eTorque (down one mpg on the highway with four-wheel drive). That's a meaningful gain of two miles per gallon combined over the standard non-eTorque Hemi offering. Ram's eTorque system replaces the trucks' standard alternator with a 10-horsepower electric motor and includes a 48-volt lithium-ion battery pack in addition to the standard lead acid battery. We took an eTorque Ram out for a quick spin and found that the technology makes for a truck that's nicer to drive, with the small electric motor working to make gearshifts feel smooth and refined. And now that we know it provides a real boost in fuel efficiency, it seems eTorque could be a big win for Ram. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.