Power Wagon flexes its off-road muscles
First Drive: 2017 Ram 2500 Power Wagon
VALLEY OF FIRE, Nevada – We’re only 80 kilometres northeast of Las Vegas, but the contrast is startling. Deep in the heart of the Mojave Desert, the striated cliffs, twisted rock formations and vast blue sky are the perfect antidote to the tawdry lights of the Vegas strip.
The deep canyons and great shifting sand dunes provide a terrific playground for evaluating the rock-crawling prowess of the latest Ram Power Wagon. Its name is derived, of course, from the iconic Dodge Power Wagon, introduced in 1946 as a weapons carrier and the world’s first 4x4 pickup truck. The badge was resurrected in 2005 for special hardcore off-road versions of the Ram.
While the important mechanical bits in the 2017 Power Wagon remain unchanged, it returns with a tough new exterior more fitting for a brawny rock-crawler. Where the previous model was festooned with far too much brightwork for a serious off-roader, the new design eschews gaudy chrome in favour of blacked-out grille, a powder-coated bumper resistant to chips, rugged wheel arches, and black mirror caps with matching wheels.
The interior gets some exclusive Power Wagon badging, an optional black headliner and tire tread-themed seat inserts. Splashy side graphics give way to two-tone paint with black or silver decals.
It certainly looks the part of dedicated rock-crawler. And underneath the macho exterior is an arsenal of off-road equipment that leads Fiat Chrysler to claim the Power W ag on is “the most capable truck in Canada.” This includes complete under-chassis armour, Bilstein mono-tube shocks, five-link coil rear suspension, electronic disconnecting sway bar, electric locking front and rear differentials, 33-inch Goodyear offroad tires and a 12,000-pound Warn winch up front.
The Power Wagon boasts 363 millimetres (14.3 inches) of clearance, 660 mm (26 inches) of wheel travel and 762 mm (30 inches) of water fording. Approach angle is 34 degrees, departure 23.5 and breakover angle 25.5.
It’s powered by the 6.4-litre Hemi V8 engine, with 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. (Unfortunately there’s no Cummins diesel option, because there’s no room behind the Warn winch for an intercooler.) The engine is mated to a heavy duty six-speed automatic transmission, and while the driveline lacks the prodigious torque of the Cummins diesel, it’s plenty powerful enough for even the most gruelling climbs.
As any hardcore off-roader knows, the secret to clambering over enormous obstacles and inching up jagged cliffs lies in suspension articulation. Simply put, it’s the vehicle’s ability to keep all four wheels in contact with the ground, regardless of how rough the terrain. Many trail enthusiasts remove the sway bar to get more flex, but the downside is a truck that wallows and rolls when they leave the trail for everyday roads.
Getting to Fire Valley entailed nearly two hours of highway driving, over which the Ram exhibited solid handling with very little roll. Potholes and washboard pavement were nicely absorbed by the suspension damping, with little intrusion into the cabin.
The secret to the Power Wagon’s versatility lies in its“Ram Ar ti cu link” front suspension setup, which uses high-movement joints between the control arm and axle mount for more flexibility and up to 660 mm (26 inches) of vertical wheel movement.
Instead of stopping at the trail head and grabbing the tool box, the Power Wagon lets you disconnect the sway bar from inside the truck by simply pushing a button. The class-exclusive, electronically disconnecting “smart bar” allows the front axle to move independently of the frame, which of course lets the truck flex over large obstacles while keeping rubber on the ground.
In the rear, the Power Wagon has the same multi-link coil rear suspension used by all Ram 2500 HD trucks. Its advantages over traditional leaf springs include less unsprung mass, better articulation and less shuddering over rough surfaces from undesirable axle rotation.
Most of the sandy roads required only 4WD. But when our way became strewn with large boulders and deeply rutted tracks, we switched over to 4LO, which allowed us to climb steep hills quite effortlessly. The truck’s hill-descent control system allowed us to set a steady speed downward without touching the throttle or brake pedal.
Fire Valley’s name is derived from the deep red sandstone of its canyons, and erosion has sculpted some unique rock formations which we had to circumnavigate or clamber over. Using the dash-mounted sway-bar disconnect frees up the front wheels, giving them a greater range of movement to climb over even enormous boulders and slabs of rock. The beefy treads of the Goodyear Wrangler tires find purchase on the smooth stone as we inch our way upward. Although there’s the occasional wince-inducing clang of metal hitting rock, the Power Wagon’s underside is generously protected by steel armour. It’s a bit surreal seeing such a long, heavy vehicle undulating and inching upward on such rugged terrain.
Fiat Chrysler says the new Power Wagon is the most capable off-road truck in Canada, a lofty claim that will have Ford F-150 Raptor owners throwing down the gauntlet. While there’s a lot of overlap between the two vehicles, the Raptor is a highspeed desert racer, able to launch itself off sand dunes, and the Power Wagon is a tough, brawny rock-crawler with a 685-kilogram (1,510pound) payload and the ability to tow 4,550 kg (10,030 lbs) of gear to the trail site.
Its 5,445-kg (12,000-lb) electric winch comes in handy for extricating those unfortunates who find themselves stuck or, as we found out, upside down. Using a steep rock face to flip over a caged Toyota 4Runner, the Ram folks demonstrated how quickly the Power Wagon was able to winch the 4Runner away from the wall and back over onto its wheels.
In addition to the Class 5 receiver hitch, the Ram Power Wagon comes with an optional cargo-view camera for monitoring payload, and a tailgate-mounted rear-view camera.
The 2017 Ram Power Wagon is available in Canadian dealerships now, starting at $58,945 and available with a Leather and Luxury package ($4,995).