2022 Ram 3500 Laramie on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Ram 1500 Diesel

Remember when Mahindra & Mahindra was close to offering a compact diesel pickup here? A million voices from the truck-and-bed-loving tribes of the Internet cried out at once in anticipation, only to be silenced in disappointment when it didn't happen. And this was for a jitney with a bed that didn't exactly look robust in its press photos. The message these fans had was clear: light-duty truck + a diesel engine = a prayer answered for a significant contingent of truck buyers.
Ram tells us a fullsize diesel half-ton has been the number-one demand from customers, and it will be the first manufacturer to grand the wish when the 2014 Ram 1500 goes on sale early next year - "late availability" in Q1 of 2014 is the official word - with a 3.0-liter, six-cylinder turbodiesel provided by VM Motori. If you're wondering about the engine source, VM Motori has been a Chrysler supplier since 1992. DaimlerChrysler bought VM Motori in 2000, and after a few ownership-stake changes since then, it is presently a 50-50 joint venture between General Motors and Fiat. That will change shortly, however, with Fiat recently announcing it will buy GM's share and take full control of the company.
Driving Notes

2019 Ram 1500 Tradesman shows off its simple lights

Each time a spy photographer has caught the 2019 Ram 1500 pickup running around, it's always had the same style of lights and grilles. This time, one of our photographers caught two Rams that have noticeably different versions of those body parts. The first one shown above has the same grille we've already seen. The difference is that the flashy LED-accented headlights are gone. Instead, it uses much simpler, more conventional reflector-style headlights. That doesn't mean Ram hasn't taken the time to give them a little flair, though. The lamps are divided such that the upper element lines up with the upper portion of the grille, and the lower portion with the grille bars and lower opening. The taillights are much simpler, too, also using a reflector setup and very clear lenses. These plain headlights lead us to believe that this is a base-model 1500 Tradesman. The second Ram shown has its lights well-covered, but the grille is exposed, and it's also different from past prototypes. It has a wavy mesh pattern in the grille openings rather than slats. The crossbar design remains, though. This different grille also confirms that Ram will offer appearance variations to distinguish models. We're not sure if this is a higher-level or lower-level trim, though. We would have a better idea if we could see the lights. All our questions should be answered soon, since the new Ram 1500 will be fully revealed next week at the Detroit Auto Show. Then we'll see all the grilles and headlights and their associated trims as they were meant to be. Related Video:

Fiat previews new Toro sport-utility pickup

Fiat is preparing to roll out a new midsize pickup. We've seen spy shots of the prototype running around, but heavily camouflaged as it was, we didn't get much indication of what it would look like – and even less about its name. But now the Italian automaker has given us an indication of both. Previewed in the teaser image above is the forthcoming new Fiat Toro. The vehicle is billed as a "sport-utility pickup," which Fiat touts as a new segment, though there are already plenty of vehicles out there that aim to blur the line between pickup and SUV. Models like the Honda Ridgeline and Chevy Avalanche come to mind, but the Toro is likely to be smaller than either – more like the long-gone Ford Explorer Sport Trac that bridged the gap between the old truck-based Explorer and the Ranger pickup or the Subaru Baja. Whatever it ultimately looks like, the Toro will be limited – at least initially – to the Latin American market. There it's set to be introduced early next year by Fiat Automoveis Brasil, which also offers the Strada pickup car. Whether the Toro ever makes it out into other markets remains to be seen, but we wouldn't hold out too much hope of getting a Ram version this far north as Chrysler doesn't think there's a market for compact or mid-size pickups in America to replace the old Dakota. Related Video: