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Ram launches perfectly predictable ads [UPDATE]

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated these commercials were Super Bowl ads. This is not the case, and the text has been corrected to reflect that they are not, in fact, Super Bowl ads. Ram has released some new commercials, and they're pretty boring. They're not bad by any means, it's just that they're exactly what you'd expect from a truck commercial. The two 30-second spots deal with the themes of doing truck things and being a strong, community-focused American. The first of the two shows Rams performing such kind-hearted duties as pulling a fallen tree off a road, or towing a church to its pastoral new home. In the background, the narrator repeats words tied to strength, courage, assistance, and longevity. To paraphrase Mr. Spock, this Ram will be strong, live long, and help your community prosper. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The second spot shifts more to the community-focused and family-minded theme. Clearly, it's meant to show that the tough guy in the Ram has a soft side. But don't worry, he can still pound through snow with his mega-sized plow, which is perfect for making sure people can go ice-skating in the middle of nowhere. While they're adequate ads that deliver a pretty clear message, they cover the same ground most other truck commercials have. They're just generic truck commercials we'll forget about an hour after they've aired. Here's hoping other automakers step up their game. Related Video:

Ram 1500 Stinger Yellow is yellow, not quite a Rumble Bee

Ram introduced the Rumble Bee Concept, a black-and-yellow version of the standard single-cab 1500, at the 2013 Woodward Dream Cruise and it was barely a month before rumors started popping up that the visually loud pickup would see production. But in the nearly three years since that debut at 13 Mile and Woodward, there's been nothing to match the Rumble Bee's look. But the new 1500 Stinger Yellow tries. This is best thought of as a spiritual successor to the Rumble Bee, in that it sports a similar black-on-yellow theme inside and out. It's also strikingly similar to the Ignition Orange special-edition 1500 offered last year. Based on the lone image, Stinger Yellow looks to be a more traditional paint than the Drone Yellow matte finish of the Rumble Bee. Instead of black sport stripes, this Ram 1500 wears a pair of black decals on the twin hood scoops that look more than a little something like what you'd see on an early Dodge Challenger SRT8. 001-ram-rumble-bee-concept View 6 Photos The silver-painted alloys are also a departure from the Rumble Bee. The standard five-spoke 22s (20s four-wheel-drive models get 20s) are fine, but they'd carry a bigger visual impact if they matched the hood decals. The same wheels are offered in black on the 1500 Black Sport package. Ram hasn't released any interior shots, but we're told the cabin's color scheme is the inverse of the exterior, with black materials interspersed with "light black chrome" and yellow accents. While Ram doesn't outright say it, a bright yellow pickup truck can't get by with a naturally aspirated V6 engine. The only powertrain available on the 1500 Stinger Yellow Sport is FCA's charming 5.7-liter, 395-horsepower Hemi V8 with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Oh, and you'd better like four doors, because unlike the single-cab Rumble Bee, a Crew Cab body is the only way to fly with the Stinger. We'll cop to being a little disappointed here. Yellow trucks are cool because they represent an unabashed embrace of the Bro Truck lifestyle – say what you will about Bro Trucks, but we respect commitment to car culture no matter what. But this 1500 Stinger Yellow feels just a little half-hearted. We aren't asking for the Rumble Bee.

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: