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2019 Ram 1500 pickup is keepin' it steel — well, mostly

The 2019 Ram 1500 pickup was ready for its close-up — an extreme close-up — from one of our spy photographers, who recently was able to walk around the entire truck, testing each body panel with a magnet. The result? He determined that the pickup will remain almost entirely steel, except for an aluminum hood and tailgate. This breaks from Ford's weight-saving move to aluminum on the F-150, and now in the coming Expedition, which has been the fodder of Chevy ads. Other details of the Ram 1500 facelift we already think we knew: The truck will get new front and rear facias. Coil springs with optional air suspension are likely to continue. It will get a larger cab. And a hybrid and turbocharged four-cylinder are possibilities. Predictably, a more powerful V8 and a Raptor fighter are rumored. Demon Ram, anyone? Meanwhile, here's a look at some Ram packages being offered for 2018. The 2019 Ram 1500 could debut as soon as January's Detroit Auto Show. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Ram 1500 spy shots aluminum hood Related Gallery 2019 Ram 1500 Dealer Leak Spy Shots Image Credit: Brian Williams Spy Photos RAM Truck aluminum weight reduction

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.

Rebel Ram TRX prototypes spied on video playing in Michigan dunes

A group of Ram Rebel TRX prototypes has been caught on video testing in Michigan's Silver Lake Sand Dunes. This marks a change of scenery from our last prototype views, which took place on city streets in Detroit and in Arizona. Jordan Denhoed caught the video from a camera mounted on his truck, following the prototypes through the hills. The type of terrain and the presence of a Ford F-150 Raptor reinforce the idea that no matter what else the production Rebel TRX can do, it wants to compete with the Raptor on the Raptor's home field. Denhoed was able to get close enough once to hear the sound of the supercharger working in the 6.2-liter Hellcat V8. Unlike the Rebel TRX concept that was billed with 525 horsepower, the expectation now is that the production version will work up the Hellcat's typical 707 horsepower and shift through a 10-speed automatic. The power figure might have something to do with the staggered wheel lug pattern on the most recent prototypes — six lugs in front, eight lugs in back. The Rebel TRX proto caught in Arizona in August last year used the six-lug pattern all around. Other engine details are fuzzy. Motor1 credits an "insider source" with info that Ram has 40 test mules running, 10 of them in white, 30 of them in black, and one of those testers supposedly has an 840-hp Dodge Demon engine under the hood. The same source said the production version won't use the dial shifter, but a traditional shifter on the center tunnel. At the opposite pole concerning engines, Mopar Insiders reports that the less powerful, less expensive Rebel TR version, using a 7.0-liter V8 with roughly 520 hp, has either been canceled or delayed so Ram can devote resources to the Rebel TRX. The crew-cabbed prototypes in the video all wear the blacked-out treatment and Laramie Black front ends, fender flares over beadlock-looking wheels, and twin pipes. It's hard to tell how much lift comes with the remote-reservoir Bilstein shocks since the wheel arches have been cut out to make more room, but the concept had 13 inches of travel. It's rumored that ARB locking diffs will come on each axle. Having been promised for showrooms by 2022, it's likely we have a couple of years to wait we see the Rebel TRX's final form. We should get our first look at the F-150 Raptor fitted with the Mustang Shelby GT500's Predator V8 around the same time.