2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

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2016 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty now offers 900 lb-ft of torque

After last year's bump to a massive 865 lb-ft of torque for its 2015 3500 Heavy Duty pickup, Ram certainly isn't taking a rest. The model already offers the best towing capacity and most torque in its class, but both figures are growing even higher for the 2016 model year. Now, customers that really need some grunt can order the Cummins 6.7-liter inline-six diesel in the 3500 with a staggering 900 pound-feet of torque and 385 horsepower. Ram claims that this huge figure is the most torque ever available in a mass production vehicle, and it tops the 2015 model by a healthy 35 lb-ft. The added grunt comes thanks to adjustments to the fuel delivery and the turbo's boost, and to better handle things, the rear axle gear now is held with 16 bolts, rather than 12. The tweaks also push the tow rating to an SAE J2807-certified 31,210 pounds, which is absolutely monumental. While not available with the 900 lb-ft version of the Cummins, the Ram 2500 also sees a tiny boost in its max tow rating. The trucks are now capable of hauling up to 17,980 lbs, versus 17,970 lbs last year. The 2016 Ram Heavy Duty trucks go into production in the third quarter and should start arriving at dealers during the fourth quarter of 2015. Prices for the 3500 start at $33,185 and $32,680 for the 2500, after the $1,195 destination charged, respectively. The company hasn't yet announced the cost for the 3500 with the 900 lb-ft Cummins diesel. 2016 Ram Heavy Duty Widens its Leadership Gap With a Triple-decker Presence: Best-in-class Power, Towing Capacity and Payload Capacity • 2016 Cummins 6.7-liter calibration hits a best-in-class 900 lb.-ft. of torque. The most torque ever offered in a mass-production vehicle • 2016 Ram 3500 crushes the competition with up to 31,210 pounds of SAE J2807-spec.

Chevy ramping Silverado incentives after Ram beats it in March

General Motors isn't losing the pickup war without a fight. With the Silverado narrowly falling to third place in the truck segment in March, Chevrolet has announced that it is going to continue its Truck Month pricing through the end of April. In addition to those incentives, some Chevy pickups are going to see even deeper discounts, according to Automotive News.
General Motors Sales Reporting spokesperson Jim Cain says the reason for extending the sale is simple. "It worked," he said. The Silverado's sales were up 6.8 percent for March, which is a big win for a truck with sales down 7.6 percent for the year so far. "Last month we handily beat expectations," he said. Cain attributed the success to having "a simple, straightforward message." He also claimed that the pickup was also able to see growth with lower incentives than competitors. With the weather warming and the economy improving, he thinks the Silverado has the momentum to improve further.
The Truck Month incentives knock as much as $7,541 off some Silverado models, and Chevy is planning even more incentives on top of that in April. "Okay - time to take the gloves off and go back and take back what rightfully belongs to every one of you ... Silverado truck sales," said an email sent to dealers from GM's district manager in the Northeast, received by Automotive News, announcing lower lease rates.

Cummins builds 2-millionth diesel for Ram

Ahead of a new Ram Heavy Duty that will debut sometime next year (check out the spy shots below), Chrysler and Cummins are celebrating a milestone in a 24-year partnership that has supplied the Ram pickup with diesel engines.
In its early years, the Cummins straight-six turbo diesel was rated at just 160 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, and its clattering 12 valves could be heard from a mile away. Its most recent configuration still uses a straight-six layout, but displacement grew to 6.7 liters in 2007 allowing the engine to now produce up to 385 hp and a whopping 850 lb-ft of torque. While a rumored smaller Cummins engine for use in the light-duty Ram 1500 never materialized, the work-ready 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel accounts for 80 percent of all Ram HD sales.
Chrysler has not yet announced when and where this two-millionth engine will be on display, but you can read more about the engine and the partnership in the press release below.