2014 Ram 3500 Laramie on 2040-cars

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Ram boss says not to expect midsize pickup in America

Remember that mysterious midsize four-door pickup FCA was spotted testing recently? It may be sold as a Fiat in markets overseas, but don't expect it to join the Ram lineup in North America. At least not according to the latest word from the truck brand's new boss. Speaking with Automotive News at the New York Auto Show, Ram CEO Bob Hegbloom outlined four criteria for a successful midsize pickup, particularly in the North American marketplace: they have less capability than a fullsize truck, but return with a more compact form, lower price and considerably higher fuel economy. "I've been able to develop a strategy to come up with three of the four," said Hegbloom, but "I haven't seen anyone who can deliver on all four." Smaller and less capable are easy, but getting both the price and the fuel consumption down at the same time is where it gets tricky. As it is, a Ram 1500 with the diesel engine and rear-wheel drive delivers 29 miles per gallon on the highway, which is already more than the 27-mpg rating on the midsize Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. But Hegbloom figures that in order to justify a midsize pickup, American buyers would expect at least 35 mpg on the highway, and in order to do so, FCA would have to employ some trick tech, which would in turn raise the price beyond an attractive level. The last time Chrysler offered a midsize truck in America was with the Dakota that was discontinued in 2011. Ford similarly ceased offering the Ranger in North America in 2012, leaving the new Colorado and Canyon to take on the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier in the compact/midsize pickup market in the US. With the prospect of a Ram version apparently off the table, then, Fiat's midsize four-door pickup is likely take on the likes of the Volkswagen Amarok, Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota Hilux in markets like Europe and South America. But like those trucks, it will likely never see the inside of an American showroom.

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #321 LIVE!

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #321 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments regarding the rest of the week's news via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #321
Unibody Ford Ranger replacement

Detroit 3 to implement delayed unified towing standards for 2015

Car buyers have a responsibility to be well-informed consumers. That's not always a very simple task, but some guidelines are self-evident. If you live in a very snowy climate, you generally know a Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro might not be as viable a vehicle choice as an all-wheel drive Explorer or Traverse, for example. If you want a fuel-efficient car, it's generally a good idea to know the difference between a diesel and a hybrid. But what if it's kind of tough to be an informed consumer? What if the information you need is more difficult to come by, or worse, based on different standards for each vehicle? Well, in that case, you might be a truck shopper. For years, customers of light-duty pickups have had to suffer through different ratings of towing capacities for each brand. For 2015 model year trucks, though, that will no longer be a problem. According to Automotive News, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler Group have announced that starting with next year's models, a common standard will be used to measure towing capacity. The Detroit Three will join Toyota, which adopted the Society of Automotive Engineers' so-called SAE J2807 standards way back in 2011. The standard was originally supposed to be in place for MY2013, but concerns that it would lower the overall stated capacity for trucks led Detroit automakers to pass. Ford originally passed, claiming it'd wait until its new F-150 was launched to adopt the new standards, leading GM and Ram to follow suit. Nissan, meanwhile, has said it will adopt the new standards as its vehicles are updated, meaning the company's next-generation Titan should adhere to the same tow ratings as its competitors. While the adoption of SAE J2807 will be helpful for light-duty customers, those interested in bigger trucks will still be left with differing standards. There is no sign of the new tow standards being adopted for the heavy-duty market.