2022 Ram 1500 Laramie on 2040-cars

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2021 Ram 1500 could finally get tech handed down from HD lineup

Based on details gleaned from spy shots of a 2021 Ram 1500 Laramie Sport Quad Cab 4x4 prototype, Mopar Insiders believes the 2021 Ram 1500 will adopt a few serious pickup convenience features, two of which have found homes on Ram heavy duty pickups for years. The first is towing mirrors with cameras as part of the pickup's 360-degree camera system. The Surround-View Cameras can be had as part of the Advanced Safety Group on the 1500 now, but they haven't been available with the trailer tow mirrors. On the heavy duty Rams, the Surround-View Cameras come as part of the Towing Technology Group. It's possible Ram will address the omission with next year's 1500 pickup. The same mirrors have been seen on the Ram 1500 Rebel TRX prototypes as well. The second hand-me-down from the heavy duty range is a bed-view camera mounted on an LED brake light at the back of the cab — Ram calls it the Center High-Mount Stop Lamp with Cargo View Camera. Some Ram owners making mods to their trucks, like installing a Tazer DT plug-in to access more vehicle settings, have discovered the camera line already installed as part of the harness. Next year could be when Ram decides to activate it. The last feature is trailer steering knob that serves a similar function to the Pro Trailer Backup Assist that can be optioned on the Ford F-150. The knob has been seen on leaked interior shots of the Rebel TRX, so it's assumed to spread to the rest of the 1500 trims. When backing up with a trailer, a driver turns the steering wheel in the opposite direction he wants to trailer to go. To make the job easier for occasional haulers, in a truck with trailer steering feature, the driver turns the dial in the direction he wants the trailer to go, and the software takes care of turning the truck to make the request happen. Since the fifth generation Ram 1500 only arrived for the 2019 model year, we don't expect substantive changes for 2021. Another big addition would be Uconnect 5, which debuts on the 2021 Pacifica but could slide to the Ram side of the family before the new model year. Related Video:

Midsize Ram truck coming to U.S.

The midsize truck segment is officially back in full force. Today, at FCA's new five-year plan, company CEO Sergio Marchionne and Ram head Mike Manley announced that America will be getting Ram's new global midsize truck. The new model is designed for a global audience. It will not be based on the Mitsubishi Triton, we're told. FCA already sells that model in certain markets as the Ram 1200. Trucks for the North American market will likely be built in Mexico on the old Ram Heavy Duty production line. The upcoming Ram HD — set to debut at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show — will be built in the US. The timing of the new midsize Ram isn't pinpointed, but the above slide from FCA's presentation suggests we'll see it by 2022. A with all upcoming Ram models, look for some form of electrification, likely in the form of the 48-volt mild hybrid system that's set to debut later this year in the 2018 Ram 1500. Don't expect the truck to tailor too heavily to US tastes like the Toyota Tacoma or Chevy Colorado. Like the upcoming Ford Ranger, this is a global truck first and foremost. Marchionne said that Ram's focus in the US will remain mostly on full-size trucks. Still it will be sold in the U.S., just not in any expected large volumes. Related Video:

2019 Ram 1500 eTorque First Drive Review | The un-hybrids

Misinformation is already being passed around about the 2019 Ram 1500 eTorque – reports calling the new electrified version of the full-size half-ton pickup truck a hybrid and saying its eTorque system adds torque to the truck's engine increasing payload, towing capacity, and performance. Don't believe a word of it – this isn't a hybrid in the conventional sense of the word. eTorque does not increase the truck's power or capability. Instead, the system feeds in some electric torque at low RPM, which helps with fuel efficiency by spinning up the engine during start/stop operation, smoothing gearchanges, and harvesting some energy from braking – that's basically it. Ram is partially to blame for the hybrid confusion. Although the "h"-word does not appear anywhere on the truck or the vehicle's window sticker, the automaker has chosen to call eTorque a "mild-hybrid system", which implies that it might be able to propel the truck on electric power. But the Ram's small battery pack and single electric motor cannot – it's more similar to the original GM Parallel Hybrid Truck system than the later two-motor, two-mode hybrid system circa 2009. Also, eTorque applies power to the engine and the wheels briefly at very low engine speeds and during gear changes. These applications of power only last for fractions of a second at any given time, some as quick as the blink of an eye. So it's a labeling fiasco, but Ram's explanation of the eTorque system's operation and its benefits, which are significant, can also be perplexing. And the resulting discombobulation is unfortunate, because eTorque is clever, and it really does work. Earlier this week we drove two Rams with the system, one a V6 and one a Hemi, through Kentucky horse country, and came away impressed by its measurable contributions to the truck's fuel efficiency, drivability and smooth operation. We also interviewed Mike Raymond, the Chief Engineer on the Ram 1500, and Brian Spohn, Ram's Vehicle Electrification Manager, Powertrain Engineering, to better understand what it is and how it functions. How eTorque works Ram will offer the 3.6-liter 24-valve V6 with eTorque as the standard engine in most models. The V6 will not be available without eTorque, although we'd be surprised if it wasn't added to the menu at a later date.