2022 Ram 1500 Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4 5'7" Box on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mopar highlights wild SEMA creations, AWD Challenger Concept

Thanks to 15,345 square feet of display area, FCA US' Mopar division certainly has ample space to display its parts and accessories at the SEMA Show. To lure attendees to check out all of those cars and components, the company is now revealing ten tuned vehicles for this year's aftermarket event. This isn't even the brand's whole fleet for the show, but it includes some major highlights for Dodge and Ram fans. A lack of traction traditionally makes rear-wheel-drive muscle cars dismal to drive when the weather gets slippery, but the Dodge Challenger GT AWD Concept (above) solves that age-old problem at SEMA. In addition to powering all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic, it boasts an angry-looking, wide-body kit with aggressively flared wheel arches. The asymmetrical stripe with Header Orange accents also adds some extra panache to the Destroyer Grey and Matte Black color scheme. The coupe can back up the macho look thanks to the Scat Pack 3 Performance Kit that adds 75 horsepower and 44 pound-feet of torque to the 5.7-liter V8. However, before you get too excited about driving one this winter, FCA US spokesperson Ariel Gavilan tells Autoblog: "It is only a concept." Mopar isn't done tuning Dodges for SEMA. The Charger Deep Stage 3 shows what's possible with the company's catalog by packing the Scat Pack 3, strut tower braces, coilover suspension kit, and bigger brakes. Meanwhile, the blacked-out Dart GLH Concept tries to harken back to the style of the famous Omni GLH by fitting a red-accented body kit, including a Mopar Performance aluminum hood. If the standard Ram 1500 Rebel is somehow too subdued, check out the Rebel X (right) in a vibrant shade called Copper. To be ready for anything offroad, it wears some muscular flares to fit 17-inch beadlock wheels and 35-inch Toyo tires. A concept, two-piece front skid plate protects the front. Drivers should also be comfortable no matter where they drive thanks to prototype Katzkin leather seats and a concept air-ride suspension. Chrysler enjoys some mods, as well. The 300 Super S has suave style with Matte Cerulean paint, concept 22-inch wheels, and a grille with little Mopar Ms dotted around it. Performance also sees a boost with a tuned engine, bigger brakes, and coilover kit. The gray 200 S Mopar is similarly stylish with a complete body kit, including a conceptual, dual-vented hood. Fiat and Ram's commercial models aren't left out of the SEMA fun, either.

Four Wheeler crowns Ultimate Factory 4x4... who wins?

Nearly every automaker doing business in the SUV or pickup truck segments offers a package designed to improve the off-road capabilities of its wares. But, of course, not all such factory kits are created equal. How, then, to separate the wheat from the chaff? Gather each of them up and put them through their paces, naturally.
The folks from Four Wheeler and PickupTrucks.com joined forces to run just such a comparison test, with the winner named the Ultimate Factory 4x4. A total of seven vehicles showed up to the fight: the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2012 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X and Xterra PRO-4X, 2012 Ram Power Wagon, and 2012 Toyota 4Runner Trail and Tacoma TRD T|X Baja Series.
With the contestants in place, the whole crew put each vehicle through a battery of tests that included skidpad and acceleration measurements, a hillclimb, a rocky stairstep course and a rock garden. Considering the nature of the beasts, on-road ride and comfort were not part of the routine.

Ram confirms Fiat Doblo-based ProMaster City for North America

As Sergio Marchionne flies back and forth between Turin and Auburn Hills, he doesn't just bring Chryslers back with him to Italy to sell as Lancias. He also brings Fiat products to sell Stateside under various Chrysler labels, chief among them Ram.
The former Dodge truck brand launched the Fiat Ducato as the Ram ProMaster earlier this year, giving it a greater foothold in the commercial vehicle market and a replacement for the Sprinter which Mercedes-Benz took back from its Chrysler-partnership days. Now Auburn Hills has announced that Ram will begin selling the Fiat Doblo on this side of the Atlantic as the Ram ProMaster City.
The Doblo, which was twice named International Van of the Year, has sold over 1.3 million units worldwide. Whether that includes the rebadged version which Vauxhall and Opel sell as the Combo is another matter, as is the question over how much longer Fiat and General Motors will continue that particular partnership as the ties between Fiat and Chrysler deepen.