The business sibling of the Detroit firm’s family of minivans, which also includes the Chrysler Town & Country and more recently, the Lancia Grand Voyager, is offered with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine delivering 283-ponies and 260 lb.-ft of peak torque. The V6 is linked to a six-speed automatic transmission and is claimed to return 25 mpg on the highway.
A commercial-tuned ride and heavy-duty load-leveling suspension along with a heavy-duty radiator and heavy-duty transmission oil cooler are also part of the package. According to the automaker, the Ram C/V features 144.4 cubic feet of interior storage, and a 1,800-lb. cargo payload plus a towing capability of up to 3,600 lbs.
The Detroit firm said the new model borrows the formula of the 2011 Ram Tradesman and is aimed at "first-time buyers and owners who are looking for a vehicle with performance and style that they can customize and make their own."
The unnamed new Ram 1500 will come equipped with a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine delivering 390 horsepower and 407 lb.-ft. of torque as standard. It will be offered in a monochromatic paint scheme featuring a body-colored grille with black honeycomb inserts, body-colored front fascia and body-colored rear fascia with chrome-tipped dual exhausts.
Other standard features include fog lamps, 20-inch aluminum wheels with locking lug nuts, a locking tailgate, cargo lamp, rear-bumper step pad, 6” x 9” side-view mirrors, a 160-amp alternator, 3.55 rear axle ratio, 700-amp maintenance-free battery, four and seven-pin trailer wiring harness, heavy-duty front and rear shock absorbers, and front and rear stabilizer bars.
Inside, Ram's new pickup truck model get a heavy-duty vinyl 40/20/40 split-bench seat, air conditioning, six-speaker media center with CD and MP3 player, as well as audio jack input for mobile devices and automatic headlamps.
The standard list of safety features include front air bags, supplemental front curtain and side air bags, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes and electronic stability control.
Ram said that buyers will also be able to choose from a variety of options ranging from Mopar chrome tubular side steps to a Sirius Satellite Radio.
“We know we have the formula right,” said Ram Truck President and CEO Fred Diaz. “Now we just need a great name that promotes pride of ownership. This new Ram model will be an attractive alternative for a younger or first-time buyer looking for performance at an affordable price. Case in point, it will have more horsepower and a lower base price than our competitors’ entry-level performance cars with the added benefit of versatility and capability.”
The new truck will come as a regular cab, short-bed model, with a choice of 4x2 or 4x4 drivetrain. Sales will begin in the second quarter of the year with prices starting from 23,830, including $975 destination charge.
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