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FCA delays Grand Wagoneer and next-generation heavy-duty Ram trucks

The upcoming Jeep Grand Wagoneer has had a tumultuous gestation thus far. At one point it was essentially confirmed, but later it was rumored to have been cancelled. In that context, the latest report from Automotive News is something of a mixed blessing. According to the publication, the Grand Wagoneer has simply been delayed, as has the next-generation Ram heavy duty truck line. This does not seem to affect the fully redesigned Ram 1500, which was previously reported to have been pushed back slightly to 2019. Automotive News says the information came from unnamed sources at the company. Nothing was said about how long the vehicles would be delayed. The publication also conjectures that FCA is delaying the models to save some money to help cover the company's $7 billion of debt , since re-tooling both the heavy-duty truck plant and eventual Grand Wagoneer plant will be expensive. View 6 Photos We reached out to Chrysler for more information on the subject, but the company wouldn't comment on the report. Even so, we wouldn't be too surprised if FCA is indeed delaying these products. The company has delayed a number of vehicles in recent years. In fact nearly every major FCA truck and SUV, including the Grand Wagoneer and Ram line, were delayed about a year and a half ago. We certainly hope the company doesn't delay the Grand Wagoneer for too long, since it's possible it will have a price tag of over $130,000. The profit margins on an SUV with that kind of MSRP would go a long way to helping to pay down the company's debt. Related Video:

Chrysler flooded with over 8,000 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel orders in 3 days

The diesel, half-ton pickup has long been a Holy Grail to many truck fans, largely because of its potential to achieve both high payload and great fuel economy. Strange, then, that auto companies have seemingly been slow to react. However, Chrysler is finally wading into the pool for the 2014 model year with a version of its Ram 1500 pickup, and early claimed returns are showing the advantage of being first on the market. The Auburn Hills automaker has just revealed that its initial allocation of 8,000 EcoDiesel trucks has been filled by dealers in just three days.
That flood of orders came from February 7-10, and that strong surge of interest apparently amounts to a new Ram record for the number of customer orders placed for a vehicle in such a short period of time. In fact, EcoDiesel models accounted for over half of Ram 1500 orders over that period, despite the fact that the diesel option costs several thousand dollars more than a comparable gasoline-engined model. That impressive total did not come entirely as a shock to Ram officials, however: "We knew customers have been asking for it," Nick Cappa, Ram Truck communications officer, tells Autoblog.
The 2014 Ram 1500 with its 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 and standard eight-speed TorqueFlight automatic makes 240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet - a combination good for 9,200 pounds of towing. Despite that pulling power, its fuel economy is rated at 28 miles per gallon highway (the best among trucks in its class), 20 mpg city and 23 mpg combined. Four-wheel drive variants gives up a single mpg in all categories.

Ram 1500 Mossy Oak Edition ready to hit the woods

Among all the debuts at the Detroit Auto Show next week, Ram will remove the ghillie-suit veil from its 2014 Ram 1500 Mossy Oak Edition, but the truck's bigger - and more fitting - debut will take place later in the week at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas. The new Mossy Oak Edition is aimed at hunting, camping and fishing enthusiasts, and it will go on sale within the next couple of months with a base price of $39,985, not including $1,195 for destination.
With plenty of accolades already in the bag for 2013 (including Motor Trend Truck of the Year and Truck of Texas), the 2014 Ram 1500 is definitely getting plenty of attention, and the new camouflage job from Mossy Oak should help get a few more eyeballs on this truck. Starting with the Ram 1500 4x4 Crew Cab Outdoorsman, this special edition is only offered in three exterior colors - Black, Black Gold or Prairie Pearl (shown above) - to go with the Mossy Oak camouflage along the lower edges of the body as well as the upper edge of the cargo bed. Unlike the previous Mossy Oak Edition (2011-2012), buyers can now opt for the innovative RamBox system in which to store plenty of hunting, camping and fishing gear.
Inside, there's more camo on the center stack and door panels, and the headrests are embroidered with the Mossy Oak logo. Like the Outdoorsman, the Mossy Oak Edition comes standard with cloth seats in two available colors, but it adds in a new option: Katzkin leather in Espresso Tuscany with the Mossy Oak logo embroidered into the seatbacks. Scroll down for more information on the 2014 Ram 1500 Mossy Oak Edition.