2014 Ram 1500 Sport on 2040-cars

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New Barracuda, Grand Cherokee Trackhawk coming soon

As we write this, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is conducting a major dealership event in sunny Las Vegas. New vehicles are being announced, redesigned offerings are being teased, and promises are being made to the sprawling company's dealer body. And, as all these announcements are meant to be tip-top secret, they're leaking out left, right, and center. Naturally. FCA is telling its dealers all of the vehicles shown at the Vegas gala will be in showrooms within 12 to 24 months, and that the product offensive will include at least 30 new or significantly refreshed models. Some of those we've known about since FCA boss Sergio Marchionne unveiled his highly ambitious five-year plan in May 2014, while we're hearing about others for the very first time. We've reached out to our sources within FCA, and will update this post as we learn more. It should be noted that while we've tried to rely on concrete sources or corroborations from multiple sources, some of the news here comes from people claiming to have been in attendance and posting in forums like Allpar and Jalopnik's Opposite Lock. Unless corroborated by a mainstream source or confirmed by our own sources within FCA, we're listing each item that comes from a forum. Have those grains of salt at the ready. Chrysler Dodge Durango-sized SUV with stow-and-go was shown. A poster on Allpar Forums claims it had a Durango's interior. New Aspen? Town and Country PHEV confirmed (again). A plug-in minivan was originally announced as part of five-year plan. No news on 200 or 300. Dodge The redesigned Charger will use the Alfa Romeo Giulia's rear-drive platform and, according Automotive News, draw inspiration from 1999's Charger concept car. We're wagering the 24-month time frame specified to dealers will move the new sedan's arrival up from 2018 to mid-2017. Jalopnik's Opposite Lock claims two new Challenger models are coming. Challenger ADR (American Drag Racer) and T/A. ADR should appeal to bracket racers and is more powerful than the SRT Hellcat, while T/A is for track rats, just like Viper T/A. Automotive News claims the legendary Barracuda nameplate will be revived as a Dodge. The Barracuda will be smaller than Challenger, offered as both a coupe and a convertible. Allpar claims it will feature modern styling. A Dodge Durango SRT was announced with 6.4-liter Hemi V8 and rear-drive. Sources within FCA confirmed its arrival with Autoblog. Apparently, dealers were shown an example in B5 Blue.

2019 Ram 1500 truck Ram-o-rama: Many trims, options spotted on the road

We'll give Ram credit. It provided an impressive variety of 2019 Ram 1500 trucks to peruse at the Detroit Auto Show. There was a Big Horn Sport, Laramie, Limited and Rebel, with both the Quad Cab and Crew Cab on display as well. We even got to see both five- and six-passenger interiors. However, all that variety still only scratched the surface of the 2019 Ram. To help flesh things out a bit, spy photographers recently captured a bunch of 2019 Ram variations testing out on public roads. With the truck unveiled, camouflage was unnecessary, giving us unimpeded first looks at a number of trim levels, bed/cab combinations and options. Among these are the base level Ram Tradesman, which features blacked out plastic grille and other trim. There's also a single pic of the Ram Lone Star, which is really just what they call the Big Horn in Texas (look for the badge on the tailgate). We also got our first look both Big Horn and Laramie Quad Cabs with a long bed. In terms of options, there's a Big Horn with small, basic wheels and a Limited with the new bi-LED headlight option (have fun with those, oncoming traffic). There's also a Ram Rebel with a different hood that's missing the extra vents found on the truck at the auto show and in previously published pictures. Perhaps this is an option, perhaps its just the wrong hood placed on a test mule. We'll see. In any event, we'll know a lot more about all the different variants as the new Ram keeps inches closer to its on-sale date. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Ram 1500: Other trim levels spied View 14 Photos Spy Photos RAM Truck

2014 Promaster looks like a Fiat, hauls like a Ram

A new day is dawning, folks. The old-guard vans of our youth are being replaced with a new flock of European-inspired commercial vehicles from the likes of Ford, Nissan (Renault) and Mercedes-Benz. Here in Chicago, Ram pulled the covers off its entry into the reborn commercial van market with the 2014 Promaster, based on the well-known European Fiat Ducato.
Ram makes no bones about the Promaster's Fiat underpinnings, though the company claims it has beefed up the machine for US roads and uses with a re-engineered chassis, a more robust suspension setup, improved brakes (from Brembo), additional corrosion protection, improved climate control and additional safety systems.
Power comes from one of two powerplants options, one gas and one diesel. First up is Chrysler's well-known 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 rated at 280 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. For a bit more pulling power and durability, Ram is offering a new 3.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine pumping out 174 hp and, more importantly, 295 lb-ft of torque at just 1,400 rpm. That engine sends its torquey goodness through a six-speed electronically controlled automated manual gearbox.