2017 Ram 1500 Laramie Pickup 4d 5 1/2 Ft on 2040-cars

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Do you like TRX? New Ram 1500 coming to rock the Raptor off-road

BOLOCCO, Italy — Since the brand was spun off in 2009, Ram sales have been on a roll. Although it had some of the oldest vehicles on the market, the automaker sold nearly 700,000 models in 2017, marking its eighth consecutive year of sales growth. At FCA's Italian proving grounds, Ram head Mike Manley talked loyalty, conquest and the brand's next five years. Look for models like the Ram 1500 TRX, new versions of the Ram Heavy Duty and increased electrification and autonomy. At FCA's last five-year extravaganza, we heard a lot of grand plans for Ram. Unlike a lot of things from other brands at that presentation, most of Ram's products hit the market, though not as soon as FCA would have liked. Still, things are looking positive for the automaker. While the product line isn't going to expand much in the North American market, FCA plans to expand the Ram nameplate to new markets worldwide. We'll see finally see new versions of the Ram Heavy Duty at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. FCA promises the new truck will have the segment's most powerful diesel engine. By 2022, we'll see the debut of the production version of the Ram TRX, a performance-focused truck that should go head-to-head with the Ford F-150 Raptor. Related Video:

Stellantis won't race to split electric vehicles from fossil fuel cars

MILAN - Stellantis is not considering splitting its electric vehicle (EV) business from its legacy combustion engine operation, its finance chief said on Thursday, as the carmaker presented above-expectation revenue data for the first quarter. Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer told analysts he did not see huge benefits in the kind of separations pursued by rivals such as France's Renault and U.S. Ford. "We need to manage the company and the assets we have through this transition," he said. "There are benefits to having the cash flow being generated by the internal combustion business for the investments we need to make." Palmer said the group, formed by a merger last year of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot maker PSA, was not averse to considering adjusting its structure "but we aren't anticipating any big changes." Palmer's comments came after the world's fourth largest carmaker said its net revenue rose 12% to 41.5 billion euros ($44.1 billion) in the January-March period, as strong pricing and the type of vehicles sold helped offset the impact of the semiconductor shortage on volumes. That topped analyst expectations of 36.9 billion euros, according to a Reuters poll. Milan-listed shares were up 0.5% by 1415 GMT, in line with Italy's blue-chip index. The impact of the chip crunch was evident in the decline in shipment figures which fell 12% in the quarter to 1.374 million vehicles. It was a similar story for Germany's BMW which posted higher revenues on Thursday and a decline in car sales. Riding the Recovery Stellantis, whose brands also include Citroen, Jeep and Maserati, confirmed its 2022 forecasts for a double-digit adjusted operating income margin, after 11.8% last year, and a positive cash-flow despite supply and inflationary headwinds. Morgan Stanley analysts said after the results that Stellantis had better management than many peers and benefited from its significant exposure to a stronger U.S. economy and a European recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. They also said it was less affected by a slowing Chinese economy. Palmer said it was important for the group to maintain double-digit margins and keep delivering positive cash flows. "A 12% increase in revenue with a 12% decrease in volumes indicates a very strong performance on price and mix, which augurs well for our margin performance," he said. He said semiconductor supply problems were expected to ease this year with continued improvements in 2023.

Ram confirms Fiat Ducato vans to form new Promaster series for US

Chrysler has officially confirmed that Ram will develop an all-new large van for the US market based on the Fiat Ducato. The commercial rig will go on sale in the third quarter of next year, joining the Ram C/V on the company's professional van line. Expect to see the Promaster face off against the Ford Transit and revised Chevrolet Express.
Chrysler is pretty skimpy on details when it comes to the Promaster, but it has said the vehicle will make use of "familiar Ram Truck styling cues." The van will reportedly also bow with powertrains targeted specifically at the North American market.
Chrysler and Ram made the announcement ahead of the LA Auto Show alongside news that the company will launch a new Ram commercial truck division.