2017 Ram 1500 Laramie on 2040-cars

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Chrysler flooded with over 8,000 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel orders in 3 days

The diesel, half-ton pickup has long been a Holy Grail to many truck fans, largely because of its potential to achieve both high payload and great fuel economy. Strange, then, that auto companies have seemingly been slow to react. However, Chrysler is finally wading into the pool for the 2014 model year with a version of its Ram 1500 pickup, and early claimed returns are showing the advantage of being first on the market. The Auburn Hills automaker has just revealed that its initial allocation of 8,000 EcoDiesel trucks has been filled by dealers in just three days.
That flood of orders came from February 7-10, and that strong surge of interest apparently amounts to a new Ram record for the number of customer orders placed for a vehicle in such a short period of time. In fact, EcoDiesel models accounted for over half of Ram 1500 orders over that period, despite the fact that the diesel option costs several thousand dollars more than a comparable gasoline-engined model. That impressive total did not come entirely as a shock to Ram officials, however: "We knew customers have been asking for it," Nick Cappa, Ram Truck communications officer, tells Autoblog.
The 2014 Ram 1500 with its 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 and standard eight-speed TorqueFlight automatic makes 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet - a combination good for 9,200 pounds of towing. Despite that pulling power, its fuel economy is rated at 28 miles per gallon highway (the best among trucks in its class), 20 mpg city and 23 mpg combined. Four-wheel drive variants gives up a single mpg in all categories.

Ram boss thinks midsize truck could fit in the lineup

The execs at Ram are changing their tune about the possibility of a midsize truck in the US. Nothing is certain yet, but the chances now look a little more favorable. "I think there's opportunity there in the US if you look at what's happened in the mid-size segment here – significant growth last year," Jeep and Ram boss Mike Manley told the Detroit News. "I think that space is big enough, certainly, to have two offerings there." The other product that Manley alludes to is the forthcoming Jeep Wrangler-based pickup that's due in 2017. However, there might not be much customer overlap between the Jeep and those looking for a more traditional Ram-branded model. Manley admitted the most likely candidate for a midsize Ram would be for the company to use an existing Fiat platform, according to the News. One possibility could be rebranding the Fiat Toro pickup, but it's rather small at 20-inches shorter than a Chevrolet Colorado. This greater openness to a midsize Ram is a complete change from the company's position in the past, though. Last spring, the brand's CEO for North America said he couldn't find a strategy to make the model work. FCA boss Sergio Marchionne made the same point in 2014, when he admitted the company showed a Ram 1000 at design clinics, but the response was "lukewarm." Over the past couple years, the midsize truck market has a renaissance of fresh products. The Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon are successes both critically and commercially. The latest Tacoma is on sale, and the new Honda Ridgeline is imminent. We know Nissan has a Frontier successor under development, and there are always rumors of Ford reviving the Ranger in the US. With so much development in the segment, it's easy to see why Ram would want to be at the party. Related Video:

FCA looking into Ram-based SUV, midsize pickup

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is looking into manufacturing a large SUV based on the Ram 1500 pickup truck's current platform, reports USA Today. If built, the SUV would compete against the Chevrolet Tahoe and could even spawn a smaller pickup. Ram already has most of the bases covered with its current lineup, but a smaller pickup truck would allow it to enter the booming midsize pickup segment where it would compete with the segment-leading Toyota Tacoma along with the Chevy Colorado and GMC, which are the newest entries. Mike Manley, head of Fiat Chrysler's Jeep and Ram brands, told USA Today that the current platform found in the Ram 1500 could be utilized for a body-on-frame SUV. With a large SUV, FCA would be able to capitalize on the ever-growing SUV market and go toe-to-toe with General Motors (GM) and Ford. The next-generation of Ram pickup trucks is expected to go on sale in early 2018, which would put a large SUV close behind. In an attempt to increase the automaker's production capacity, FCA also plans to move Ram's current production facility from Warren to Sterling Heights, MI. With Jeep continually posting healthy numbers, it makes perfect sense for FCA to build more SUVs. GM currently uses the same platform on a plethora of its SUVs with good results, which makes FCA's proposed plan a viable option. Related Video: News Source: USA Today, Scott Olson/Getty RAM Truck SUV