2014 Ram 1500 on 2040-cars

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Daily Driver: 2015 Ram ProMaster Cargo

Daily Driver videos are micro-reviews of vehicles in the Autoblog press fleet, reviewed by the staffers who drive them every day. Today's Daily Driver features the 2015 Ram ProMaster Cargo, reviewed by Seyth Miersma. You can watch the video above or read a transcript below. Watch more Autoblog videos at /videos. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00:00] I'm in a vehicle that really kind of belies the name of this video series, Daily Driver. This is the 2015 Ram Promaster Cargo Van. I'm in the high roof extended length version of it. You can see that it's got an empty cargo bay behind me. It's a little strange because what I'm doing right now is commuting in it, which is definitely not what this van is made to do. The single strongest attribute of the Promaster [00:00:30:00] package that I found was its maneuverability at low speeds in and around town. That wasn't really something that I expected. I knew from driving the rest of the big vans in this segment. I've been in various Sprinters over the years, although not the brand new one, and I put a lot of miles actually on a Nissan NV. They're all meant to be more nimble than they would seem from their exterior, but the Ram just feels kind of a class above. It turns on a dime. It's really, really easy to [00:01:00:00] pull up close to a curb or another car and be able to just get in and out of a space with very little room around you. I had no problem getting up to speed with the rest of traffic. Merging and passing aren't really an issue. Sometimes you'll hear her struggle a little bit if you really put your foot in and you're trying to get around somebody, but that's just wind resistance and curb weight man, that's too be expected. Another aspect that I was really impressed with with the Promaster is the 3.6 [00:01:30:00] liter V6 engine, both in terms of its performance and its economy. It's putting out out 280 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque. It's a huge van. It's not quick. The cargo area back there is really nice. Not only is it tall enough that I can stand up in it. I mean, this vehicle is close to nine feet overall from the exterior dimensions. Access to the cargo area is just as easy as you would hope for too. You got a big, big sliding door over here. The rear doors open completely [00:02:00:00] flat so that it's easy to both maneuver and to get stuff in and out, obviously. The load floor is pretty low. Easily accessible. You've got the Uconnect screen with the nicer head unit.

Towing with the 2016 Ram lineup [w/video]

I do not tow things. Ever. Yet I recently found myself at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles proving grounds in Chelsea, MI, where I'd be testing the hauling capabilities of Ram's current product range. This experience was not only a perfect education for a towing novice like me, but allowed me to tow far more weight than I'd ever consider hauling the real world, and all within the safe confines of the Chelsea Proving Grounds. There was an extremely diverse array of vehicles at my disposal, including Ram's gasoline- and diesel-powered offerings with trucks ranging from the 1500 on up through the 5500 Chassis Cab, as well ProMaster vans. Beyond that, FCA brought out a number of vintage Dodge pickups for me to play with, while also working with Case IH to provide a track-loader I could test. I put together a range of videos covering everything from the classics to the production trucks to the construction equipment. And despite some technical difficulties – you'll notice a distinct lack of in-car videos, with blame going to a corrupted micro SD card – I've assembled ten videos that give an up-close look at Ram's offerings. 2015 Ram ProMaster City Let's start small. The ProMaster City only has a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. That's a reasonably impressive figure for a van that uses the same powertrain as a Chrysler 200. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder and nine-speed automatic weren't really bothered with the extra weight added by the trailer. Even when accelerating at freeway speeds, the ProMaster City didn't feel out of breath or hampered by its load. That said, the rear of the van was unloaded, which probably wouldn't be the case for most consumers. It's unclear how the City would feel if its driver were taking advantage of the max payload (1,883 pounds) and towing. 2015 Ram ProMaster 1500 To be polite, the Ram ProMaster is a difficult vehicle to like. Its awkward seating position is bus-like and lacks the visibility enjoyed by the Ford Transit or the utter driving comfort of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Its 3.0-liter, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, meanwhile, is something of an anomaly. While it's potent for a four-cylinder diesel, producing 295 pound-feet of torque and 174 horsepower, those numbers don't feel all that impressive when loaded down. The model I tested was barely using half of its 5,100-pound maximum towing weight and was loaded down with just 500 of its 3,620-pound payload. Yet it lacked the pluckiness of the smaller City.

The Chrysler brand could be axed under Stellantis management

MILAN — While running NissanÂ’s North American operations from 2009 to 2011, Carlos Tavares had a reputation for closely watching costs with little tolerance for vehicles or ventures that didnÂ’t make money. Experts say that means Tavares, currently the head of PSA Group, is likely to follow that blueprint when he becomes leader of a merged PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The low-performing Chrysler brand might get the axe as could slow-selling cars, SUVs or trucks that lack potential. Already the companies are talking about consolidating vehicle platforms — the underpinnings and powertrains — to save billions in engineering and manufacturing costs. That could mean job losses in Italy, Germany and Michigan as PSA Peugeot technology is integrated into North American and Italian vehicles. “You canÂ’t be cost efficient if you keep the entire scale of both companies,” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst for the iSeeCars.com auto website. “WeÂ’ve seen this show before, and weÂ’re going to see it again where they economize these platforms across continents, across multiple markets.” Shareholders of both companies are to meet Monday to vote on the merger to form the worldÂ’s fourth-largest automaker, to be called Stellantis. The deal received EU regulatory approval just before Christmas. Tavares, who for years has wanted to sell PSA vehicles in the U.S., wonÂ’t take full control of the merged companies until the end of January at the earliest. He likely will target Europe for consolidation first, because thatÂ’s where Fiat vehicles overlap extensively with PSAÂ’s, said IHS Markit Principal Auto Analyst Stephanie Brinley. Europe has been a money-loser for FCA, and factories in Italy are operating way below capacity — a concern for unions, given FiatÂ’s role as the largest private sector employer in the country. “We are at a crossroads,Â’Â’ said Michele De Palma of the FIOM CGIL metalworkersÂ’ union. “Either there is a relaunch, or there is a slow agonizing closure of industry, in particular the auto industry, in Italy.” ItalyÂ’s hopes lie with the luxury Maserati and sporty Alfa Romeo brands, but De Palma said investments are needed to bring hybrid and electric technology up to speed. FiatÂ’s Italian capacity stands at 1.5 million vehicles, but only a few hundred thousand are being produced each year. Most factories were on rolling short-term layoffs due to lack of demand, even before the pandemic.