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2013 Ram 1500 earns Truck of Texas honors

Auto writers around the country tend to specialize in different vehicles based on the trends of our respective home markets. The New England Motor Press Association, for example, presents an award every year for the best winter vehicle. With that in mind, it is fitting that the Texas Auto Writers Association doles out an annual truck award. This year, the TAWA "Truck of Texas" is the 2013 Ram 1500.
In a announcement from TAWA, the new Ram took top honors based in no small part on, "a new 3.6-liter V6 that boasts 42 percent more power, improved fuel economy, infotainment upgrades and available eight-speed automatic transmission and air suspension." And according to Ram CEO Fred Diaz, "Automotive reporters have reacted extremely favorably to the new 2013 Ram 1500, and our research tells us that resonates with truck buyers." The Ram 1500 unseated the previous Truck of Texas, the 2012 Ford F-150.
The Texas Auto Writers Association Truck Rodeo was also an occasion for journalists to award an SUV of Texas, and thankfully, the distinction is made between SUV and CUV. The Jeep Grand Cherokee took top honors in the SUV department, with TAWA pointing to models like the off-road-ready Trailhawk and feature-laden Overland Summit. It is the third consecutive year that the Grand Cherokee has achieved this accolade. The award for top crossover went to the 2013 Buick Enclave, which is in its first year of a new design. To read more on the Truck of Texas award and all the finalists, check out the press release below.

Fiat Chrysler's next-generation Uconnect is faster, built on Android

If you're a regular reader of Autoblog, you know that for a long time we've liked Fiat Chrysler's Uconnect infotainment system for its bright, clear, responsive touchscreen interface. Now, according to the company, it will be better than ever with Uconnect 5, the latest iteration of the system. It has upgraded hardware and a revamped graphic user interface (the stuff on the screen). Looking at sample screens shown above, there are characteristics shared with the old system, such as the time, status and shortcuts at the top and the menu icons at the bottom. In the middle, the major change is the addition of home screens that can be customized with favorite menus and readouts that are always available. Each of these home screens can have up to four functions and you can have five pages to flip through. The graphics themselves feature more legible fonts and updated icons. Each car brand will get its own set of icons, colors and textures to help create unique experiences. And while each Fiat Chrysler product will be able to have Uconnect, including Alfa Romeo that has until now lacked Uconnect, each brand has the ability to make small tweaks including the screen orientation. The system will support displays in landscape, portrait or square, so different brands may choose different shapes. Powering Uconnect 5 is a processor Fiat Chrysler says is six times more powerful than what's in current systems. It features 6 gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of internal storage. The processor also supports screens as large as 12.3 inches with as many as 15 million pixels, or nearly twice that of a 4K resolution TV. The system can display information on up to four screens, too. Uconnect 5's firmware is built on Google's Android operating system, joining a few other automakers in using Android as a base for their infotainment systems. Uconnect 5 brings with it a number of new features. It brings full Alexa integration, so you can use it just like you do at home, provided you have a data plan for the car. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto continue to be standard, but now they can be used wirelessly. You can also now connect two phones via Bluetooth wirelessly so you can access content from both. Navigation gets real time information and updates from TomTom. Users can create five profiles with unique climate, radio and instrument settings, plus one for a valet.

Ram recalling 65k trucks for rear-axle heat treating

A problem with the rear axle has promoted Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to recall a selection of Ram trucks. The campaign affects 2015-16 Ram 1500 series trucks – specifically those manufactured between June 17 and September 28, 2015. All told, that amounts to over 65,760 units across the United States. The issue stems, according to the statements below, from the rear axle shaft. Some of those trucks may have not had those axle shafts properly heat-treated, which could cause them to fracture and separate from the wheel. And that, it should go without saying, could lead to a crash. FCA states that most of the vehicles in question are in dealer hands, but while the manufacturer says it is aware of one accident to have resulted from the issue, no injuries have been reported. The owners of the affected vehicles will be notified to bring their trucks in to their local dealership to have them inspected. If necessary, the dealership with replace the rear axle assembly. This recall follows three prior (but unrelated) ones, also issued for Ram pickups, that between them affected well over a million units. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Incorrectly Heat Treated Rear Axle Shaft Report Receipt Date: OCT 15, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V661000 Component(s): POWER TRAIN Potential Number of Units Affected: 65,760 Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) SUMMARY: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Ram 1500 trucks manufactured June 17, 2015, to September 28, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been built with rear axles that were incorrectly heat treated. CONSEQUENCE: If the rear axle shaft was not properly heated treated, it may fracture and a wheel separation could occur, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace the axle assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R59. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. ### Statement: Heat-treating October 27, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 65,760 U.S.-market trucks – most of which are in dealer hands – to inspect and replace, as required, their rear axle shafts or rear axles.